Sprachenzentrum
print

Sprachumschaltung

Navigationspfad


Inhaltsbereich

Language awareness for L3 grammar learning and teaching

The aim of our project is to illustrate ways of successful language awareness raising in one-to-one (teacher-learner) language reflection sessions (LRSs).

Dr. Tanja Angelovska & Prof. Dr. Angela Hahn

Duration: 2012 (ongoing), 1. pilot phase completed.

As the consciousness about certain grammar forms and rules often relies on learners’ prior language knowledge, among many other factors, there is a need for exploring the roles of language awareness in the process of L3 grammar learning.

The aim of our project is to illustrate ways of successful language awareness raising in one-to-one (teacher-learner) language reflection sessions (LRSs) conducted in a face-to-face setting. The aim of the language reflection sessions is to help learners become aware of particular language problems they had encountered during the L3 writing. To achieve this, we analyse the performance of the language teacher when identifying concrete instances where opportunities to raise language awareness were met and/or missed and by looking at L3 learners’ ways of reflecting on grammar.

We base our empirical analyses on two types of data: text writings from L3 learners and corresponding language reflection sessions in which learners reflect on their language used in the written texts.

Our results show clear evidence that L3 learners were able to recognize and make conscious use of cross-linguistic similarities and differences as seen through their meta-linguistic comments, a crucial component of a successful discovery-based method of intelligent guessing (MIG). Implications are provided for the teaching and learning of L3 grammar in a one- to- one tutoring. The implications are transferrable to other L3 grammar instruction contexts.


Angelovska, T. & Hahn, A. (2013). “Raising language awareness for learning and teaching grammar.” In Benati, A., Laval, C. & M. Arche (eds.). The Grammar Dimension in Instructed Second Language Learning, Book Series Continuum Studies in Instructed Second Language Acquisition (Series Editor: A. Benati), London: Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 9781441162045.