Developing secondary students' comunicative competence: politics and reality

ELIA 3, 2002, pp. 49-68 DEVELOPING SECONDARY STUDENTS’ COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE: POLITICS AND REALITY Ana Halbach Uni e sidad de Alcalá Tha heo y and p ac ice do no always go hand in hand is some hing o a commonplace. The same holds ue o wha is legisla ed abou how languages should be augh , and how hey eally a e augh in schools. This ela ion be ween poli ics and class oom eali y is he opic o he p esen pape . In i seconda y school eache s' a i ude owa ds language eaching and s uden s' pe cep ion o he way in which languages a e augh a e compa ed wi h wha , acco ding o go e nmen policies should be going on in class ooms. A he end o he pape , possible easons o he di e gence be ween one and he o he a e o wa ded. Keywo ds: educa ional e o m, eache hinking, change. 1. In oduc ion Wi h he wide accep ance o he pos ula es o communica i e language eaching, he aim o EFL has gene ally been de ined as de eloping s uden s’ communica i e compe ence in English. Co espondingly, o eign language eaching in he Spanish Educación Secunda ia Obliga o ia has o “p opo cion[a ] a los alumnos una compe encia comunica i a en alguna lengua ex anje a” (Real Dec e o 1345/1991; suplemen o del núme o 220 del BOE: 70). The same documen u he s a es ha “la inalidad cu icula de es e á ea no es enseña una lengua ex anje a, sino enseña a comunica se en ella.” This clea ly e lec s a communica i e app oach o Es udios de lingüís ica inglesa aplicada 50 A. Halbach ELIA 3, 2002, pp. 49-68 language eaching, bu apa om i , o eign language eaching a seconda y le el also has o be lea ne -cen ed. Thus Consegui que el alumno llegue a se au ónomo y se esponsabilice de su p oceso de ap endizaje exige que se le o ezca pa icipa en las decisiones ela i as a los con enidos y en la e aluación del ap endizaje ealizado. La negociación y la au oe aluación se án pues aspec os esenciales de la enseñanza de lenguas ex anje as en es a e apa (suplemen o del nº 220 del BOE: 71). Howe e , i is also clea ha legisla ing one ype o language eaching is no concomi an o eaching in his way. In a i s s ep owa ds explo ing he ela ionship be ween educa ional policy and class oom p ac ice, his pape se s ou o e alua e he ex en o which eache s o English in seconda y schools in he Comunidad de Mad id emb ace he p inciples unde lying communica i e language eaching and lea ne -cen ed app oaches. I does so h ough a su ey using he a i ude scale de eloped by Ka a as-Doukas (1996), and by compa ing wha eache s e lec in his su ey wi h wha ac ually goes on in second language class ooms. These da a, i is hoped, will shed some ligh on he deg ee o communica i eness o English language eaching in seconda y schools in Spain. Once his deg ee o communica i eness has been es ablished, i will be necessa y o ind he easons o eache s’ commi men – o lack o commi men – o he p inciples unde lying communica i e language eaching. To do so, I will look a he oppo uni ies eache s ha e o becoming amilia wi h me hodological p inciples and issues, and he ex en o which hey can in eg a e hese in o hei ideas abou eaching. 2. The s udy The s udy is based on wo ypes o da a, which y o es ablish, on he one hand, how communica i e second-language eache s a e, and on he o he , wha ype o eaching goes on in seconda y schools in he Mad id a ea. The i s ype o da a was collec ed h ough an a i ude scale de eloped by De eloping seconda y s uden s’… 51 ELIA 3, 2002, pp. 49-68 Ka a as-Doukas (1996)1, which was sen ou o 20 seconda y schools in he Mad id a ea. Teache s we e asked o a e di e en s a emen s ela ed o language eaching/lea ning, and o say wha hey hough had exe ed he s onges in luence on hei ideas abou eaching. In addi ion, hey we e encou aged o commen on any hing hey hough ele an . The second ype o da a s ems om he analysis o uni e si y s uden s’ commen s abou he eaching o English hey had ecei ed a seconda y school. As ega ds he a i ude scale used, i is composed o 24 s a emen s abou language eaching/lea ning, which make e e ence o di e en aspec s o he eaching/lea ning p ocess. The hemes hey ocussed on we e: • G oup/pai wo k (s a emen s 2, 13, 21, 22). • Quali y and quan i y o e o co ec ion (s a emen s 6, 10, 14, 15). • The ole and con ibu ion o lea ne s in he lea ning p ocess (s a emen s 4, 5, 8, 9, 20). • The ole o he eache in he class oom (s a emen s 7, 11, 16, 19 , 24). • Place/impo ance o g amma (s a emen s 1, 3, 12, 17, 18, 23). In o de o inc ease he eliabili y and o a oid eache s answe ing wha hey hink is expec ed o hem, he ques ionnai e con ains bo h s a emen s ha e lec a communica i e app oach, and s a emen s ha con adic i (see Ka a as-Doukas 1996: 189-191 o he p ocess ollowed in he c ea ion o his ool). This made i necessa y, in o de o be able o wo k ou a sco e o he deg ee o communica i eness o he esponden s, o e e se he sco es gi en o he s a emen s ha do no e lec a communica i e app oach, he nega i e sco es o 1 and 2 becoming 5 and 4 espec i ely, and he posi i e 4 and 5 becoming he sco es 2 and 1 espec i ely. 1 Fo he a i ude scale, see Appendix I. 52 A. Halbach ELIA 3, 2002, pp. 49-68 Once he ques ionnai es (21 o he 98 sen ou )2 had been collec ed, he esponses we e colla ed and mean sco es ound o each o he eache s, he whole ques ionnai e by all he eache s and each o he ques ions by all he eache s. All o hese da a oge he we e expec ed o shed some ligh on eache s’ a i ude owa ds communica i e language eaching, and hus on he ex en o which wha has been legisla ed h ough he e o m o he educa ional sys em has eally been pu in o p ac ice by class oom eache s. Apa om he a i udes o eache s owa ds communica i e language eaching as e lec ed in hei answe s o he ques ionnai e, he o he sou ce o in o ma ion we ha e o wha goes on in class ooms is he s uden s’ expe ience. Thus, I will y o illus a e wha seems o go on in class ooms by looking a wha 10 uni e si y s uden s w o e in he s uden dia ies hey kep o hei cou se in Me hodology3 abou he way hey had been augh . By le ing he s uden s speak o hemsel es a he han asking hem di ec ly, and wi hou ocussing hei a en ion owa ds he eaching hey had expe ienced as s uden s, I assumed ha wha hey said e lec ed mo e u h ully wha wen on in hei English lessons a school ( o a simila poin , see Woods 1996: 27). To ind hese commen s, all he dia ies we e ead se e al imes, and hose passages whe e men ion was made o eaching and lea ning in a seconda y school con ex we e copied. I la e g ouped hem acco ding o he opic hey deal wi h, and coded each o he quo a ions so as o iden i y he au ho wi hou e ealing his/he iden i y. S uden s’ commen s we e no 2 The ac ha such a small p opo ion o he eache s asked o ill in he ques ionnai es ac ually e u ned hem, which o a ce ain deg ee is ine i able, ne e heless opens up ques ions abou he ex en o which hese eache s a e ep esen a i e o he whole eaching popula ion – a leas in he Mad id a ea. One could a gue ha only he mos commi ed o he eache s a e likely o answe a ques ionnai e like his – he mos commi ed also being hose ha end o be mo e willing o adop new me hods. 3 This is an op ional subjec which s uden s ake in he i 3 d o 4 h yea o s udy. Fo mo e in oma ion abou his cou se as well as abou he s uden dia ies, see Halbach (1999a; 1999b). De eloping seconda y s uden s’… 53 ELIA 3, 2002, pp. 49-68 edi ed, so as o a oid an e en g ea e bias han he one inhe en in a selec ion p ocess o he ype desc ibed abo e. 3. The esul s 3.1. The deg ee o communica i eness o seconda y school eache s The i s o he sco es ha was de e mined om he analysis o he ques ionnai es was an indi idual sco e o each eache . Thus, he "deg ee o communica i eness" o he eache s anges om a sco e o 2.7 o a sco e o 3.7 on a 5-poin scale. While nei he o he wo ex emes indica es a clea endency in a ou o agains a communica i e app oach o language eaching, hey can nei he be said o gi e an imp ession o g ea en husiasm owa ds i . The o e all mean sco e o 3.309 o all he eache s gi es a simila imp ession o indecisi eness. Howe e , as Ka a as-Doukas poin s ou , a sco e o 3 does no necessa ily indica e a neu al posi ion owa ds he communica i e app oach, since “a esponden can ob ain a middle-o - he- ange sco e by ei he being unce ain abou many i ems, o by holding inconsis en o s ongly a ou able and s ongly un a ou able a i udes owa ds he a i ude objec in ques ion” (Ka a as-Doukas 1996: 192). I he e o e becomes necessa y o look a each answe in g ea e de ail. To do so, and since he s a emen s a e ela ed o i e di e en aspec s o he eaching/lea ning p ocess, he mean sco es o eache s’ alua ions o he di e en s a emen s a e going o be g ouped and analysed acco ding o he issue hey make e e ence o. a) G oup/pai wo k S a emen 2 S a emen 13 S a emen 21 S a emen 22 3.5 3.25 3.05 2.91 All o hese sco es ep esen a ai ly neu al posi ion wi h no mo e han 0.6 a ia ion be ween he sco es gi en o each o he s a emen s, so ha 54 A. Halbach ELIA 3, 2002, pp. 49-68 in espec o g oup/pai -wo k eache s seem o ha e a a he neu al posi ion. This may be explained by he commen made by one o he eache s in he ques ionnai e: [g oup wo k]: i ’s pe ec in a small cen e wi h s uden s in e es ed in wha hey a e doing (T 3) implying ha in seconda y schools, wi h la ge g oups and unmo i a ed s uden s, using g oup-wo k is no easible. Thus, his neu al sco e migh e lec eache s’ ag eemen wi h he bene i s o pai - and g oup-wo k, bu hei impossibili y o use i because o p ac ical p oblems. b) Quali y and quan i y o e o co ec ion S a emen 6 S a emen 10 S a emen 14 S a emen 15 3.6 3.5 3.1 2.66 In ela ion o his second g oup o s a emen s we ind ha , again, eache s seem o ha e a mo e o less cohe en opinion abou he way in which e o s should be unde s ood and deal wi h in language lea ning, a leas as e lec ed by he sco e gi en o he i s h ee s a emen s. In his case, eache s seem o hold sligh ly mo e “communica i e” opinions, since hei sco es a e all sligh ly highe han he neu al 3, excep , once mo e, o he las s a emen . In e es ingly, his las s a emen is he mos gene al o he ou , s a ing ha he communica i e app oach o language eaching p oduces luen bu inaccu a e lea ne s.4 I eache s eally hold his o be ue hen his 4 This is one o hose s a emen s o which he sco es ha e o be e e sed in o de o ind ou how communica i e eache s a e. The e o e, al hough he sco e o 2.66 would indica e ha eache s a e indeed saying ha hey don’ ag ee wi h his s ance, because he sco es ha e De eloping seconda y s uden s’… 55 ELIA 3, 2002, pp. 49-68 con adic s wha hey ha e said abou he ac ha i is no necessa y o co ec s uden s’ mis akes (s a emen 10), o example. I shows, u he mo e, ha g amma ical co ec ness and accu acy a e alued highly, hus con adic ing he appa en alue gi en o he eaching o g amma as e lec ed in he i h se o s a emen s. c) The ole and con ibu ion o lea ne s in he lea ning p ocess S a emen 4 S a emen 5 S a emen 8 S a emen 9 S a emen 20 2.45 3.45 3.8 3.43 2.33 Gene ally speaking, eache s seem o be in a ou o gi ing lea ne s a mo e ac i e ole in hei lea ning p ocess, helping hem o ake on esponsibili y o hei lea ning (s a emen s 5 and 8) helping hem h ough lea ne aining o de elop hei ull po en ial (s a emen 8), and ha ing some con ol o e hei own lea ning (s a emen 9). Howe e , once again we ind sco es ha seem o con adic hese conclusions. Thus, he sco es gi en o s a emen s 4 and 20 a e mo e han 1 poin below hose gi en o he s a emen s discussed abo e. On close inspec ion, we ind ha hese wo s a emen s di ec ly men ion he eaching p ocess: numbe 4 men ions he con en o he lesson while numbe 20 makes e e ence o asks and ac i i ies. The selec ion o bo h o hese ha e adi ionally been he esponsibili y o eache s, and h ough he low sco es gi en o hese s a emen s eache s seem o be saying ha lea ne s a e in no posi ion o in e ene in his aspec o he eaching / lea ning p ocess. Once again we ind, hen, con adic ing opinions, which can be explained howe e , i we ake in o accoun ha one o he ecu en ideas ha appea s in he s a emen s a ed posi i ely is ha s uden s should ake on he esponsibili y o hei own lea ning. Al hough lea ne aining is al eady been e e sed, his alua ion indica es ha eache s ag ee a he han disag ee wi h i . Thus, wha his sco e e lec s is ha eache s do hink, o a ce ain ex en , ha he communica i e app oach p oduces luen a he han accu a e lea ne s. 56 A. Halbach ELIA 3, 2002, pp. 49-68 men ioned explici ly in s a emen 5, i is possible o unde s and e en his s a emen as dealing wi h he issue o s uden s’ esponsibili y alone, which would in no way con adic a mo e adi ional poin o iew. T adi ionally, i is he eache who selec s he asks and ac i i ies and o ganises he eaching, bu i is he lea ne s’ esponsibili y o ac ually do he lea ning. Maybe in his case, hen, he sco es all e lec a qui e adi ional dis ibu ion o oles in he class oom. Whe he o no his is ue needs o be decided in he ligh o he way in which eache s espond o he nex se o s a emen s, abou hei ole in he eaching/lea ning p ocess. d) The ole o he eache in he class oom S a emen 7 S a emen 11 S a emen 16 S a emen 19 S a emen 24 2.35 1.4 4.05 3.1 4.57 Al eady a i s sigh , his appea s o be he issue whe e mos con adic ions appea . I is he se o s a emen s whe e bo h he highes (4.57) and he lowes (1.4) sco es ha e been gi en. Ini ially, he alua ion gi en o he las 3 s a emen s would indica e ha eache s' opinions a e in line wi h he ideas unde lying he communica i e app oach while he i s 2 would indica e almos he con a y. As ega ds s a emen 7, in i eache s exp ess hei doub s abou he idea ha he eache as ‘au ho i y’ and ‘ins uc o ’ is no longe adequa e o desc ibe he eache s’ ole in he class oom. This would be in line wi h he in e p e a ion made o he sco es gi en o he p e ious se o s a emen s, whe e i became appa en ha eache s end o hold on o a a he adi ional unde s anding o he oles o eache s and lea ne s in he class oom. The nex s a emen , numbe 11, ouches on one o he p oblems o he Spanish educa ional sys em a e he Re o ma, he p oblem o mixed abili y classes. Thus, al hough ini ially, ollowing a mo e communica i e and lea ne -cen ed app oach we would say ha i is no impossible in a class o 30 s uden s o o ganise you eaching so as o sui e e ybody’s De eloping seconda y s uden s’… 57 ELIA 3, 2002, pp. 49-68 needs, i is almos a commonplace o say ha one o he g ea challenges eache s ace in hei e e yday eaching is he so-called “di e sidad”5. Thus, i is no su p ising ha hey almos unanimously gi e his s a emen a sco e o 1 o 2. One o he eache s e y nicely links he sco es gi en by mos o he colleagues o hese wo s a emen s by saying Si yo supie a cuál es la mejo mane a de enseña el inglés la hab ía pa en ado. No hay una única ía, pe o con el alumnado ac ual, an he e ogéneo, es casi mejo ol e a sis emas más adicionales que, de hecho, yo nunca había u ilizado. (T 1) In he ligh o his commen , i also becomes clea why he o he s a emen s a e gi en such posi i e sco es. In he case o s a emen 16, eache s ag ee wi h he ac ha he eache as ansmi e o knowledge is only one o he many di e en oles he/she mus pe o m in he cou se o a lesson, bu no because, as would be in line wi h a mo e lea ne -cen ed app oach, he eache has o ac as a acili a o oo, o example, bu a he because, as one o he eache s pu s i ... eache s can’ cope wi h e e y hing: s uden s, syllabuses, beha iou & discipline p oblems. (T 3) The eache is no only a ansmi e o knowledge, bu also an adminis a o , an educa o , a policeman... S a emen 24, ega ding he ex book and he need o complemen i wi h o he ma e ial, migh well e lec a mo e “mode n” unde s anding o he ex book as a sou cebook a he han a cou sebook (see Nunan & Lamb 1996: 183), bu can also be unde s ood as e lec ing, once again, he p oblems ela ed wi h ca e ing o a la ge numbe o e y mixed-abili y 5 Tha his is so is shown, among o he hings, by he ac ha many p e-se ice eache aining cou ses include an obliga o y subjec called “A ención a la di e sidad”, and by he ac ha many in-se ice eache - aining cou ses also deal wi h his issue. 64 A. Halbach ELIA 3, 2002, pp. 49-68 s ill necessa y o apply his knowledge and y o ind ou wha exac ly is no wo king, so as o be in a posi ion o make he necessa y changes o eache aining cou ses, o example. Fu he s udy is needed in his a ea, bu I hope o ha e o e ed a leas a s a ing poin o i . Appendix I A i ude scale Read he ollowing s a emen s, and gi e hem one o he ollowing a ings so as o e lec wha you hink abou his issue: 1 – I s ongly disag ee 2 – I disag ee 3 – I nei he ag ee no disag ee 4 – I ag ee 5 – I s ongly ag ee I you a e no su e wha he ques ion means, jus lea e i blank. Ra ing 1. G amma ical co ec ness is he mos impo an c i e ion by which language pe o mance should be judged. 2. G oup wo k ac i i ies a e essen ial in p omo ing genuine in e ac ion among s uden s. 3. G amma should be augh as a means o an end and no as an end in i sel . 4. Since he lea ne comes o he language class oom wi h li le o no knowledge o he language, he/she is in no posi ion o sugges De eloping seconda y s uden s’… 65 ELIA 3, 2002, pp. 49-68 wha he con en o he lesson should be o wha ac i i ies a e use ul o him/he . 5. T aining lea ne s o ake esponsibili y o hei own lea ning is useless since lea ne s a e no used o such an app oach. 6. Fo s uden s o become e ec i e communica o s in he o eign language, he eache s' eedback mus be ocused on he app op ia eness and no he linguis ic o m o he s uden s' esponses. 7. The eache as 'au ho i y' and 'ins uc o ' is no longe adequa e o desc ibe he eache 's ole in he language class oom. 8. The lea ne cen ed app oach o language eaching encou ages esponsibili y and sel -discipline and allows each s uden o de elop his/he ull po en ial. 9. G oup wo k allows s uden s o explo e p oblems o hemsel es and hus ha e some measu e o con ol o e hei own lea ning. 10. The eache should co ec all he g amma ical e o s s uden s make. I e o s a e igno ed, his will esul in impe ec lea ning. 11. I is impossible in a class o 30 s uden s o o ganise you eaching so as o sui e e ybody's needs. 12. Knowledge o he ules o a language does no gua an ee he abili y o use he language. 13. G oup wo k ac i i ies ake oo long and was e a lo o aluable eaching ime. 14. Since e o s a e a no mal pa o lea ning, much co ec ion is a was e o ime. 15. The communica i e app oach o language eaching p oduces 66 A. Halbach ELIA 3, 2002, pp. 49-68 luen bu inaccu a e lea ne s. 16. The eache as a ansmi e o knowledge is only one o he many di e en oles he/she mus pe o m in he cou se o a lesson. 17. By mas e ing he ules o g amma s uden s become ully capable o communica ing wi h a na i e speake . 18. Fo mos s uden s language is acqui ed mos e ec i ely when i is used as a ehicle o doing some hing else and no when i is s udied in a di ec o explici way. 19. The ole o he eache in he language class oom is o impa knowledge h ough ac i i ies such as explana ion, w i ing, and example. 20. Tasks and ac i i ies should be nego ia ed and adap ed o sui he s uden s’ needs a he han imposed on hem. 21. S uden s do bes when augh as a whole class by he eache . Small g oup wo k may occasionally be use ul o a y he ou ine, bu i can ne e eplace sound o mal ins uc ion by a compe en eache . 22. G oup wo k has li le use since i is e y di icul o he eache o moni o he s uden s' pe o mance and p e en hem om using hei mo he ongue. 23. Di ec ins uc ion in he ules and e minology o g amma is essen ial i s uden s a e o lea n o communica e e ec i ely. 24. A ex book alone is no able o ca e o all he needs and in e es s o he s uden s. The eache mus supplemen he ex book wi h o he ma e ials and asks so as o sa is y he widely di e ing needs o he s uden s. De eloping seconda y s uden s’… 67 ELIA 3, 2002, pp. 49-68 Think abou you answe s o a momen . Who o wha has in luenced you ideas abou eaching? • he way you lea ned English o ano he o eign language • one o mo e o you eache s • you obse a ions abou how child en lea n o speak • wha you lea ned in a ious subjec s du ing you s udies (Filología) • wha you ha e ead abou lea ning languages • one o mo e eache aining cou ses you ha e a ended • you p ac ical expe ience • o he s Numbe o yea s in eaching English: Thank you e y much o you collabo a ion (and ime)! 68 A. Halbach ELIA 3, 2002, pp. 49-68 Re e ences Halbach, A. 1999a. “Using ainee dia ies o assessmen : Type o en y and echnical e minology”. The Teache T aine 13/2: 3-7. Halbach, A. 1999b. “Using ainee dia ies o e alua e a eache - aining cou se”. ELT Jou nal 53/3: 183-190. Ha me , J. 1999. “Abide wi h me: Change o decay in eache beha iou ?” Changing Teache Beha iou . A Special IATEFL Join SIG Newsle e : 5-8. Ka a as-Doukas, E. 1996. “Using a i ude scales o in es iga e eache s’ a i udes o he communica i e app oach”. 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