Journal article

A narrative format design to improve language acquisition through social interaction

  • 2015
Published in:
  • Иновацијe у настави / Teaching Innovations. - 2015, vol. 28, no. 3, p. 83-98
English In this paper we present a research design devoted to create opportunities of learning and development through social interaction. Te study is part of a EU project called SOFT (School and family together for the immigrant children integration) that aims to favor linguistic and social integration of children through language learning activities that connect families and schools.
Cultural and linguistic diversities are considered as elements promoting learning and cooperation among diferent social actors: children, teachers, parents, researchers and schools. In the present paper, we will discuss two aspects: 1) how the pedagogical design named « Narrative format » can establish a peculiar social interaction in the classroom and how, in a developmental perspective, it ofers a real opportunity of cognitive and social skills improvement; 2) how social interactions between school and families help teachers, pupils and parents to develop an awareness of their roles and a strengthen their collaboration.
We have involved 15 teachers and 169 children (aged 3-7 years old) of three classes of primary schools and two kindergarten classes in Switzerland, proposing a design that provides pedagogical materials and activities devoted to teach/learn English and German language. Te main questions of our study are the following: How teachers implement the pedagogical design in order to involve children in activities based on an unknown language? How does the narrative format help children learn to speak the new language and to enable the integration between teachers, children and parents? Te results of our study show that the design we have implemented can create conditions that facilitate and imitate the natural (informal, discursive) acquisition of languages.
Language
  • English
License
CC BY-NC
Open access status
gold
Identifiers
Persistent URL
https://roar.hep-bejune.ch/hepbejune/documents/312205
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