ALA 2012 Concordia University, Montreal

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Sydney McKenzie
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1 ALA 2012 Concordia University, Montreal Exploring metalinguistic activity: A model for analyzing social interaction in small group Xavier Fontich Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona xavier.fontich@uab.cat Abstract Our aim is to explore metalinguistic activity developed in a natural setting that has been structured as a project work (Didactic Sequence, DS). Our question is: How can we elaborate a model for analyzing social interaction that is focused on sentence pragmatic-semantic-formal properties of grammar? The project work of DS created by GREAL Research Group, from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, in collaboration with teachers at primary and secondary education- aims to be a guide for grammar teaching and learning and a context for research. t seeks to integrate the conditions identified by research for an active grammar education (manipulation of data, exploratory talk, etc.). The dialogic context created within this project work has been scarcely the focus of research due to the lack of a model for analyzing such a context. We present an initial dialogue and two final ones held by two groups in a DS called The verb and the sentence, where the basic sentence concepts are explored from a lexical perspective, in the Language Arts class (Catalan) with students of last course of secondary school (15-16 yo) in Barcelona, Spain. Our model integrates two perspectives on the dialogues: content (students metalinguistic repertoire) and discourse (interaction as an argumentative process which is mainly the result of combining reactive frames -diverging, contradicting - and additive frames -explaining, expanding ). The analysis allows us exploring how student s interaction unfolds and develops metalinguistic content. t points to the fact that the progressive assimilation of grammar complexity (the construction of metalinguistic knowledge) depends on the group s ability to create a complex argumentative frame. We should consider this integration (enhanced by the macro context of the DS, where the interaction takes place) as an authentic learning process, in spite of the fact -also shown by the data analysis- that students may not be able to reach the solution of the grammar problem they are discussing about. 1

2 Final activity: Specify if the pronouns are used appropriately or not in the following sentence: *Hi anaven a l aula que *els hi tocava They used to go *there to the classroom they were meant to go *there. The discussion can be divided into two parts: Part 1: 7 Jordi: [aquest sí] comença una altra frase 8 Sònia: [aquest sí] fa referència al complement circumstancial de lloc 9 Gemma: comencen una altra frase nova [vull dir] 10 Jordi: [sí!] [jo és lo que he dit] 11 Joana: [sí! exacte] diu qui 12 Sònia: [i perquè:: i] 13 Joana: expressa el ce i 14 Sònia: [sí jo crec que sí] 15 Joana: ells anaven a l aula que 7 Jordi: [this one] t s another sentence 8 Sònia: [this is the one] it is an adjunct and expresses place 9 Gemma: it starts up a new sentence [i mean] 10 Jordi: [yeah!] [it is what just said] 11 Joana: [yeah! exact] it expresses the who 12 Sònia: [yes because ] 13 Joana: it expresses the dative 14 Sònia: [yeah think so] 15 Joana: they used to go to the classroom Conclusions after the analysis: Contributions are scarcely explained. The pronoun observed ( hi ) should be at the same time expression of where, who and dative; this is not discussed. The first dialogue was disputative; this one is accumulative. 2

3 1: t s a new sentence 1. Diverge Jordi: [this one] 2. - Explain - - X 7 Jordi: t s another sentence : Argumentative Sequence; : Argumentative Episode; : Metalinguistic ; P: Pragmatics; S: Semantics; F: Form 2: t expresses the where 1. Diverge Sònia: [this is the one] 2. - Explain - X - 8 Sònia: it is an adjunct and expresses the where 3: t sarts up a new sentence 1. Diverge X 9 Gemma: it starts up a new sentence 2. - Expand Gemma: [i mean] 3. - Accept Jordi: [yeah!] 4. - Accept Jordi: [it s what just said] 5. - Accept Joana: [yeah! exact] 4: t expresses the who 1. Diverge - - X - 11 Joana: it expresses the who 2. - Expand Sònia: [yes because ] 5: t expresses the dative 1. Diverge X 13 Joana: it expresses the dative 2. - Accept Sònia: [yeah think so] 3. - Expand - - X 15 Joana: they used to go to the classroom 3

4 Part Sònia: sobraria el hi diguéssim que és com la mateixa frase ens l ha partit si tu llegeixes al principi hi anaven a l aula que els tocava i escoltaven amb interès 28 Gemma: [no! no no!] cambia canvia el hi per alumnes els alumnes anaven 29 Joana: canvia el hi que és més fàcil per ells 30 Gemma: ells anaven a l aula que a ells 31 Joana: ells anaven [a l aula] que els hi tocava 32 Gemma: [bueno] 33 Joana: que els tocava seria que els hi tocava 34 Jordi: jo ho trobo bé els hi tocava 35 Sònia: és que a mi em sona bé de les dues maneres els tocava també:: a tu et toca allà / pues te toca! 36 Joana: però com és a ells t ho marca mal aquí aquest podríem prescindir d aquest 37 Gemma: vaig canviar per alumnes els alumnes anaven a l'aula que als alumnes ho canvies així i sobra 38 Joana: cambia 26 Sònia: the pronoun hi shouldn t be there it s like the same sentence he has split it up if you read the beginning they used to go there to the classroom where they were meant to go 28 Gemma: [no! no no!] it changes change hi [there] for the pupils the pupils used to go 29 Joana: change the pronoun hi for they it s easier 30 Gemma: they used to go to the classroom where they 31 Joana: they used to go [to the classroom] they were meant to go [there] 32 Gemma: [good] 33 Joana: they were meant to go it should be they were meant to go there 34 Jordi: d say it s fine where they were meant to go there 35 Sònia: in fact d say both are ok they were meant to go you are meant to go there so off you go! 36 Joana: but because it s they/them it s a wrong sentence we could get rid of this one 37 Gemma: changed it for the pupils the pupils used to go to the classroom that the pupils you change it this way and it shouldn t be there 38 Joana: it changes Conclusions after the analysis: Students are very active and do take part in the discussion They tend to make contribution in relation with what is being discussed They seem to try to make sense of everybody s contributions Unlike the two previous conversations (disputative and accumulative) it seems to be an exploratory talk. 4

5 1. Divergir X 4.26 Sònia: the pronoun hi shouldn t be there 4.26 Sònia: it s like the same 2. - Explain - - X sentence 3. - Expand - - X 4.26 Sònia: he has split it up 4. - Expand - - X 4.26 Sònia: if you read the beginning they used to go there 5. Contradict Gemma: [no! no no!] 6. - Expand - - X 4.28 Gemma: it changes 7. - Expand - - X 4.28 Gemma: change hi [there] for the pupils 8. - Expand - - X 4.28 Gemma: the pupils used to go 9. - Expand - - X 4.29 Joana: change the pronoun hi for they it s easier Expand - - X 4.30 Gemma: they used to go to the classroom where they 4.31 Joana: they used to go [to the Expand - - X classroom] they were meant to go [there] Accept Gemma: [good] Expand - - X 4.33 Joana: they were meant to go Conclude - - X 4.33 Joana: it should be they were meant to go there Expand X Jordi: d say it s fine Add - - X 4.34 Jordi: where they were meant to go there 17. Clarify - X Sònia: in fact d say both are ok Expand X Sònia: they were meant to go 4.35 Sònia: you are meant to go Explain X - - there so off you go! 20. Clarify - - X Joana: but because it s they/them it s a wrong sentence Conclude - X Joana: we could get rid of this one 4.37 Gemma: changed it for the Expand - - X V pupils Expand - - X 4.37 Gemma: the pupils used to go to the classroom that the pupils Conclude - - X 4.37 Gemma: you change it this way and it shouldn t be there Add - - X 4.38 Joana: it changes : Argumentative Sequence; : Argumentative Episode; : Metalinguistic ; P: Pragmatics; S: Semantics; F: Form 5

6 Which is the potential of our analysis units? Argumentative units: Argumentative Episode & Argumentative Sequence - They map the argumentative organization through general and local frames - They show how the Group develop ideas jointly Metalinguistic units: Metalinguistic Sequence & Subsequence - They describe the chronological succession of notions - and also how these notions are explored bit by bit (Subsequences) - They explain how the group deals with grammar complexity and articulates the argumentation Example: nitial activity of an outstanding group S 1.1: Position S 1.3: Pronouns & position S 1.5: Agreement & position S 1.6: Orality & position 5: Order of the elements Position as a micro notion of reference Micro notions CR Macro notion o umbrella notion

Notes. N1 B1 Unitat 7 Anem al mercat?

Notes. N1 B1 Unitat 7 Anem al mercat? Notes N1 B1 Unitat 7 Anem al mercat? Index Presentation 1 Asking and saying where we can buy some products 2 Asking for our turn in a shop 4 Identifying products 5 Saying what we want in a shop 10 Asking