Open Access
Interacción. Nuevas propuestas para mejorar el aprendizaje
(Colegio Oficial de Doctores y Licenciados en Filosofía y Letras y en Ciencias de la Comunicación de Madrid, 2016) Hidalgo Gordo, María Ángeles; Filología y Didáctica de la Lengua; Filologia eta Hizkuntzaren Didaktika
Se destacan las evidencias que apoyan el resultado positivo de relacionar la interacción y el aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras por parte de jóvenes.
Open Access
The influence of task repetition type on young EFL learners' attention to form
(SAGE, 2019-08-23) Hidalgo Gordo, María Ángeles; García Mayo, María del Pilar; Ciencias humanas y de la educación; Giza eta Hezkuntza Zientziak; Institute for Advanced Social Research - ICOMMUNITAS
Task repetition (TR) is a valuable tool to direct learners' attention from meaning to language form. The first time learners perform a task their focus is on conveying meaning, whereas during the second enactment they tend to focus on the form of their message. Collaborative writing also promotes learners' focus on form, allowing extra time to pay attention to language use, and providing multiple opportunities for learners to pool their linguistic resources and co-construct meaning. Despite the increasing body of research on young learners' (YLs) second language acquisition process, few studies have addressed the effect of the repetition of collaborative writing tasks on this population's output. The present study aims to fill this gap by analysing the impact of TR on YLs' (age 11-12) attention to form, operationalized as language-related episodes (LREs). Forty (n = 40) beginner learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) worked with two types of TR: exact TR (ETR), where the participants repeated exactly the same task, and procedural TR (PTR), where the participants repeated task type but with different content. Contrary to most previous research, most LREs were form-focused, and resolved target-like in both groups. The results also revealed a statistically significant decrease in the number of LREs at time 3 in the ETR group, whereas the LREs in the PTR group remained stable. Pedagogical implications of these findings will be discussed.
Open Access
Differences in the task-supported negotiations of younger and older EFL children: from repair into prevention
(De Gruyter, 2019-02-16) Hidalgo Gordo, María Ángeles; Ciencias humanas y de la educación; Giza eta Hezkuntza Zientziak; Institute for Advanced Social Research - ICOMMUNITAS
The benefits of task-supported interaction are especially noticeable when negotiation of meaning (NoM) occurs. Despite the large amount of research on interaction, children's ability to collaborate and to understand their partners' needs remains underresearched. This capacity has been questioned, and has been claimed to develop with age. From an interactionist perspective, we have analysed the oral interactions of 80 Spanish young learners (YLs) of English as a foreign language (EFL) from two age groups (8-9 and 10-11), when performing a collaborative task. Specifically, we have examined the nature of NoM and the strategies YLs use. Significant differences between the groups were identified: whereas younger children negotiate mostly to repair communication breakdowns, older YLs show a greater concern about their interlocutor's needs. As in previous research addressing this population, focus on form strategies are rare. This study sheds light on our understanding of how young EFL learners negotiate in task-supported interactions.
Open Access
Procedural repetition in task-based interaction among young EFL learners: does it make a difference?
(John Benjamins Publishing, 2017-12-30) Lázaro Ibarrola, Amparo; Hidalgo Gordo, María Ángeles; Filología y Didáctica de la Lengua; Filologia eta Hizkuntzaren Didaktika; Institute for Advanced Social Research - ICOMMUNITAS
Interactive tasks are valuable tools for L2 learners and have long made their way into language lessons. Among the different task conditions, only few studies have dealt with procedural repetition, which consists of repeating the same task type with different contents and which is frequently used in schools. In this study we explore the effects of procedural repetition on the oral interactions of ten pairs of English learners (age 11) who had to repeat a task three times. Their negotiation strategies and general performance (accuracy, fluency and complexity) were analysed. Results show that, in the third repetition, the amount of confirmation checks and repetitions decreased significantly and accuracy timidly improved. All other aspects remained unaffected. The pedagogical implications of these results are also discussed.
Open Access
Should EFL teachers present vocabulary in semantically related sets?
(Universidad de Granada, 2015) Lázaro Ibarrola, Amparo; Hidalgo Gordo, María Ángeles; Filología y Didáctica de la Lengua; Filologia eta Hizkuntzaren Didaktika
La enseñanza de vocabulario agrupado en campos semánticos es práctica habitual en el aula de inglés como lengua extranjera. En este estudio se compara esta técnica con su contraria, la presentación de vocabulario no relacionado, con dos grupos de alumnos de un instituto. Tras presentar las palabras con ambas técnicas los alumnos completaron un post-test. Los resultados muestran la efectividad de ambas técnicas pero con una ligera ventaja para la enseñanza de vocabulario no relacionado semánticamente.