L'acquisition de l'anglais écrit et l'exposition intensive en contexte d'immersion scolaire en Colombie
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Pérez Vidal, Carmen
Dommergues, Jean-Yves
Dommergues, Jean-Yves
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217 p.
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Tejada Sánchez, M. L'acquisition de l'anglais écrit et l'exposition intensive en contexte d'immersion scolaire en Colombie. Universitat Pompeu Fabra; 2014. handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10803/145503
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Doctoral program
Programa de doctorat en Traducció i Ciències del Llenguatge
Abstract
Cette thèse présente une étude descriptive visant à évaluer l’effet du temps total accumulé et de l’intensité d’exposition à l’anglais-L2 dans deux programmes d’immersion partielle précoce (espagnol-L1) en Colombie. Elle mesure leur effet sur la performance écrite en anglais d’apprenants. Des narrations issues de deux programmes d’immersion, Haute intensité (HI) et Haute intensité plus (HI+), ont été analysées de manière transversale et longitudinale. Chaque programme comprend des temps totaux accumulés différents, 7002h et 8760h d’anglais L2 respectivement, ainsi qu’une intensité différente d’exposition à la L2 dans les années du secondaire, mais dans chacun d’eux cette intensité diminue d’environ 30% à partir de l’âge de 12 ans. La performance écrite des apprenants est mesurée en termes de Complexité syntaxique et lexicale, d’Exactitude, de Fluidité et de Qualité Perçue. L’échantillon transversal (N=189) comprend 5 groupes d’âge de 12 à 17 ans, et le longitudinal (N=72) comprend 3 groupes d’âge G1 : 14-15 ans, G2 : 15-16 ans et G3 16-17 ans. Les résultats des analyses entre les programmes montrent qu’il n’y a pas de différences significatives entre HI et HI+ dans le deux échantillons. En revanche, le programme HI ayant un nombre inférieur d’heures d’exposition accumulées à la L2 se révèle plus performant que HI+ dans deux mesures concernant la complexité et la fluidité. Les analyses à l’intérieur des groupes montrent dans l’échantillon transversal que malgré les variations d’intensité d’exposition à la L2, le programme HI+ montre des progrès significatifs dans la performance écrite pour ce qui relève des tous les domaines considérés. Inversement, la performance des apprenants de HI demeure stable tout au long du programme. Ce constat suggère un niveau stabilisé atteint au début du secondaire (maintenance level), voire avant la diminution en intensité. Cette analyse fait ressortir tout de même un effet plateau dans le domaine de l’exactitude, mesurée par la proportion d’erreurs dans la L2. L’échantillon longitudinal révèle des différences dans la performance d’une année sur l’autre dans le programme HI (G1) dans les domaines de la complexité syntaxique et lexicale et la fluidité. Dans le cas de HI+, le G2 a montré des progrès sur le domaine de l’exactitude. Ces résultats mixtes mènent à deux conclusions globales déjà attestées par d’autres études (Turnbull et al., 1998 ; Bournot-Trites, 2006). D’une part, ils confirment que la quantité totale d’heures d’exposition ne signifie pas une meilleure performance dans la L2. Et de l’autre, ils semblent suggérer plutôt un effet important du seuil d’heures atteint avant l’âge de 12-15 ans dans le programme et par là, un effet du moment de démarrage des variations d’intensité d’exposition à la L2 sur la performance écrite des apprenants.
This dissertation explores a key issue in SLA research, the time factor in foreign language learning. It presents a descriptive study of the differential effects of two types of early-partial immersion programs on the development of written proficiency in a pool of adolescent learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Data were collected at 4 schools in mainstream education in Colombia where both programs are offered throughout the whole educational period between ages 4 and 17. Given the different intensity of L2 exposure within each program, they have been categorized as High intensity (HI) and High Intensity plus (HI+). They accumulate a total number of 7,002 and 8,760 hours of English exposure respectively. From age 12 both the HI and the HI+ programs present a 30% steady decrease of exposure to English. The aim of the study is twofold: first, it contrasts the impact of the accumulated total number of hours of (English/L2) exposure in the HI and HI+ programs. Secondly, it also analyses the effect of the decrease in intensity of English/L2 instruction within each program. Both programs were analyzed longitudinally and cross-sectionally in the secondary school years with a between/within-groups design, using a mixed-method approach. Quantitative and qualitative tests were administered on a yearly basis. The learners’ writing performance was measured in terms of Syntactic and Lexical Complexity, Accuracy, Fluency, and Perceived Quality in terms of Task fulfillment, Text organization, Grammar, and Vocabulary. The cross-sectional sample (N=189) included five age-groups (12-17 years-old), and the longitudinal sample (N=72) three different age-group pairs (G1=14-15; G2=15-16; G3=16-17). The results from the betweengroup analyses with both the cross-sectional and the longitudinal sample indicate that the higher total number of hours of English exposure in the HI+ program does not result in any significant improvement in the learners’ writing performance; moreover, the HI learners significantly outperform the HI+ learners in both Fluency and Syntactic Complexity. Hence, the higher accumulated total number of hours of exposure and intensity alone do not seem to guarantee increased levels of written performance. The within-group analyses exploring the possible effects of the decrease in intensity of English/L2 instruction conducted with the cross-sectional sample reveal no significant negative effect of such a decrease for the HI+ program as far as the three domains of written competence are concerned. On the contrary, results show significant improvement for Complexity and Fluency and a tendency towards improvement in Accuracy for this program. Hence, in the case of the HI+ program, a decrease in intensity of English instruction does not seem to have a negative effect on writing development, as progress appears to accrue which could be explained in the light of the prior high number of accumulated hours of English exposure (Turnbull et al.1998; Hart et al. 1996; Bournot-Trites 2007). Contrastingly, analyses conducted with HI reveal a stabilized (maintenance) level, suggesting a plateau effect in certain areas, especially in the accuracy domain. Regarding the longitudinal sample the results favor the HI program in terms of complexity and fluency, and are in agreement with those concerning total number of hours of English exposure, in that it is the learners in this program, and not those in the HI+, who show significant progress. Such mixed findings are in line with previous studies measuring the time factor on immersion learners’ performance.
This dissertation explores a key issue in SLA research, the time factor in foreign language learning. It presents a descriptive study of the differential effects of two types of early-partial immersion programs on the development of written proficiency in a pool of adolescent learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Data were collected at 4 schools in mainstream education in Colombia where both programs are offered throughout the whole educational period between ages 4 and 17. Given the different intensity of L2 exposure within each program, they have been categorized as High intensity (HI) and High Intensity plus (HI+). They accumulate a total number of 7,002 and 8,760 hours of English exposure respectively. From age 12 both the HI and the HI+ programs present a 30% steady decrease of exposure to English. The aim of the study is twofold: first, it contrasts the impact of the accumulated total number of hours of (English/L2) exposure in the HI and HI+ programs. Secondly, it also analyses the effect of the decrease in intensity of English/L2 instruction within each program. Both programs were analyzed longitudinally and cross-sectionally in the secondary school years with a between/within-groups design, using a mixed-method approach. Quantitative and qualitative tests were administered on a yearly basis. The learners’ writing performance was measured in terms of Syntactic and Lexical Complexity, Accuracy, Fluency, and Perceived Quality in terms of Task fulfillment, Text organization, Grammar, and Vocabulary. The cross-sectional sample (N=189) included five age-groups (12-17 years-old), and the longitudinal sample (N=72) three different age-group pairs (G1=14-15; G2=15-16; G3=16-17). The results from the betweengroup analyses with both the cross-sectional and the longitudinal sample indicate that the higher total number of hours of English exposure in the HI+ program does not result in any significant improvement in the learners’ writing performance; moreover, the HI learners significantly outperform the HI+ learners in both Fluency and Syntactic Complexity. Hence, the higher accumulated total number of hours of exposure and intensity alone do not seem to guarantee increased levels of written performance. The within-group analyses exploring the possible effects of the decrease in intensity of English/L2 instruction conducted with the cross-sectional sample reveal no significant negative effect of such a decrease for the HI+ program as far as the three domains of written competence are concerned. On the contrary, results show significant improvement for Complexity and Fluency and a tendency towards improvement in Accuracy for this program. Hence, in the case of the HI+ program, a decrease in intensity of English instruction does not seem to have a negative effect on writing development, as progress appears to accrue which could be explained in the light of the prior high number of accumulated hours of English exposure (Turnbull et al.1998; Hart et al. 1996; Bournot-Trites 2007). Contrastingly, analyses conducted with HI reveal a stabilized (maintenance) level, suggesting a plateau effect in certain areas, especially in the accuracy domain. Regarding the longitudinal sample the results favor the HI program in terms of complexity and fluency, and are in agreement with those concerning total number of hours of English exposure, in that it is the learners in this program, and not those in the HI+, who show significant progress. Such mixed findings are in line with previous studies measuring the time factor on immersion learners’ performance.
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81
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Universitat Pompeu Fabra
