Home truths from abroad? : a TESOL blueprint for the mediation of L1/L2 language awareness
The status of the cross-linguistic dimension of second language learning, and hence of L2 pedagogy, appears to have been systematically underplayed in epicentric, i.e. flowing from centre to periphery, theories of second language acquisition (SLA). Indeed, following the advent of cognitivism, mainstream SLA theory has frequently sought to marginalize anything suggestive of a contrastive paradigm. SLA conceptions of the nature of the influence of a learnerâs first language on L2 acquisition and performance have tended to take the form of reductive dichotomies of the interference versus facilitative resource type â a mutually exclusive either/or interpretation. Consciously or otherwise, epicentric theories of L2 learning and pedagogy have filtered down to the language improvement and language awareness components of TESOL initial teacher education (ITE) and in-service education and training (INSET), where the focus is exclusively monolingual L2 and necessity all too often masquerades as principle. Against this backdrop, the present inquiry set out to evaluate the perceived benefits of an explicitly cross-linguistic (L1/L2) approach to language awareness on an L2 ITE program for pre-service trainees from
Morgan, Neil L.
LB Theory and practice of education ; PE English
Home truths from abroad? : a TESOL blueprint for the mediation of L1/L2 language awareness. The status of the cross-linguistic dimension of second language learning, and hence of L2 pedagogy, appears to have been systematically underplayed in epicentric, i.e. flowing from centre to periphery, theories of second language acquisition (SLA). Indeed, following the advent of cognitivism, mainstream SLA theory has frequently sought to marginalize anything suggestive of a contrastive paradigm. SLA conceptions of the nature of the influence of a learnerâs first language on L2 acquisition and performance have tended to take the form of reductive dichotomies of the interference versus facilitative resource type â a mutually exclusive either/or interpretation. Consciously or otherwise, epicentric theories of L2 learning and pedagogy have filtered down to the language improvement and language awareness components of TESOL initial teacher education (ITE) and in-service education and training (INSET), where the focus is exclusively monolingual L2 and necessity all too often masquerades as principle. Against this backdrop, the present inquiry set out to evaluate the perceived benefits of an explicitly cross-linguistic (L1/L2) approach to language awareness on an L2 ITE program for pre-service trainees from
home truth abroad mediation language awareness status cross_linguistic dimension second_language learning hence pedagogy appear systematically flow centre_periphery theory second_language_acquisition_sla indeed follow advent cognitivism mainstream sla theory frequently seek marginalize anything suggestive contrastive paradigm sla conception_nature influence learner first_language_acquisition performance tend take_form reductive dichotomy interference versus resource type mutually_exclusive either interpretation consciously otherwise theory learn pedagogy filter language improvement language awareness component initial teacher_education service education training inset focus exclusively monolingual necessity often masquerade principle backdrop present inquiry set evaluate perceived benefit explicitly cross_linguistic language awareness program pre_service trainee