This qualitative study provides preliminary insight into the role of the first language (L1) when pairs of intermediate-level college learners of French and Spanish are engaged in consciousnessraising, form-focused grammar tasks. Using conversation analysis of audiotaped interactions and stimulated recall sessions, we explored the ways students used the L1 and their second language (L2) to solve a grammar problem. Students who were allowed to use the L1 (Group 1) worked collaboratively in a balanced and coherent manner; students who were required to use the L2 (Group 2) exhibited fragmented interaction and little evidence of collaboration. Findings from the stimulated recall sessions suggested that reading, thinking, and talking appeared to be simultaneous and integrated processes for the students in Group 1, whereas these processes appeared to be sequential and competing for the students in Group 2. In addition to suggesting that using the L1 for these kinds of tasks reduces cognitive overload, these findings invite teachers to tackle the "problem" of the L1 in the foreign language classroom.RECENT ATTENTION TO THE ROLE OF THE first language (L1) in second language (L2) learning has challenged long-held anti-L1 attitudes that have dominated foreign language (FL) pedagogy for several decades. 1 In particular Cook (1999, 2001), basing his idea on the premise that the L1 and the L2 coexist collaboratively in the learner, set forward the notion that L2 learners should be viewed as multicompetent language users rather than as deficient L2 users when compared to native speakers. Although this notion goes against communicative language teaching approaches that focus on the primary importance of L2 input and L2 interaction in L2 learning, it offers applied linguists and FL teachers the op-
The qualitative study reported in this article analyzes how novice learners develop the interpretive mode (as outlined in Standard 1.2 of the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century, 1996Century, , 1999 in a classroom setting when reading a literary text in a foreign language (FL). Using unmotivated looking through conversation analysis, we examined transcripts from video-and audiorecordings of students' discussions in a teacher-moderated classroom setting and in small groups of 3 to 4 students. Our findings indicate that novice learners were able to interpret and understand a challenging literary text (in this case, a poem) if they were in the teacher-moderated group. In addition, our findings suggest that use of the first language was effective in encouraging interpretive talk among students in the teacher-moderated classroom but not among students in small groups. Ultimately, these findings indicate that the nature of the teacher-moderated, yet distinctly student-centered, interaction had a clear impact on developing the interpretive mode in novice learners.
This article describes a qualitative research project designed to explore the relationship between the study of a FL literary text and the development of competence in a second culture (C2). The study compared the attitudes and performances of students who read a fact sheet about Côte d'Ivoire and the attitudes and performances of students who studied a poem about Côte d'Ivoire. We found that the students who read the fact sheet learned about the culture of Côte d'Ivoire in a rigid way that could foster stereotypes. Students who read the poem, on the other hand, explored their own feelings about the language and content of the poem. The study supports the notion that literary texts contribute to students' affective awareness and cognitive flexibility, and are therefore more effective for developing C2 competence. This study suggests ways to achieve the goals, articulated in the national standards, of fostering knowledge about and understanding of other cultures.
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