Variability in Learner Errors as a Reflection of the CLT Paradigm Shift (Fremdsprachendidaktik inhalts- und lernerorientiert / Foreign Language Pedagogy - content- and learner-oriented)

✍ Scribed by Joanna Pfingsthorn

• Publisher: Peter Lang GmbH, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften
• Year: 2013
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 334
• Edition: New
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

In the last three decades the field of language teaching and learning has undergone a paradigm shift towards Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), which has put an emphasis on meaningful interaction and implied an abrupt departure from an extensive study of learner errors. Although learners in CLT classes are expected to be competent, yet not perfectly accurate communicators, the impact of the CLT paradigm on learner errors has not been investigated thoroughly. This study examines the extent to which the CLT paradigm shift has left its mark on learner errors. Written production is analyzed and compared with learner data recorded in the early stages of the shift to CLT. The data reveal that while morphosyntactic errors have not undergone drastic changes, discourse organization and lexical skills have improved.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Learner errors
2.1 Defining key terms
2.1.1 Relativity
2.1.2 The contrasts between L1 and L2 learners
2.1.3 Errors vs. Mistakes
2.1.4 Measures of deviance
2.1.5 Defining language errors
2.1.6 Identifying Errors
2.1.7 Error gravity
2.2 Significance of errors in the process of language learning
2.2.1 Behaviorism and error eradication
2.2.2 Behaviorism under fire: Universal Grammar
2.2.3 Error Analysis
2.2.4 Cognitive approaches to language learning and errors
2.2.5 Summary
2.3 Pedagogical implications of errors
2.3.1 Error correction
Chapter 3: Errors and communicative competence
3.1 Canale and Swain’s model of communicative competence
3.2 Bachman’s model of communicative language ability
3.3 Celce-Murcia, Doernyei and Thurell’s model of communicative competence
3.4 The Common European Framework of Reference
3.4.1 General competences
3.4.2 Language-related competences
3.5 Models and competences: implications for error analysis
3.6 Communicative competence extended: What are we missing?
3.6.1 Interactional competence
3.6.2 Intercultural competence
3.6.3 Strategic competence
3.6.4 Communicative functions and theories of politeness
Chapter 4: The CLT paradigm shift and its implications
4.1 Classroom changes brought about by the CLT paradigm shift and their implications for the study of learner errors
4.1.1 Learner autonomy
4.1.2 The social nature of learning
4.1.3 Focus on meaning
4.1.4 Diversity and learning strategies
4.1.5 Summary: Implications for the study of learner errors
4.2 Theoretical underpinnings of the changes introduced by the paradigm shift
4.2.1 The relationship between the CLT paradigm shift and modern curricula
4.3 The impact of the paradigm shift on learners’ performance and lesson characteristics
4.3.1 Learner performance
4.3.2 Lesson characteristics
4.4 Summary and discussion
4.5 Research questions
Chapter 5: Methodological considerations
5.1 Recording communicative competence
5.1.1 Role plays
5.1.2 Oral interviews
5.1.3 Text reconstruction
5.1.4 Information gap tasks
5.1.5 Elicited response letter
5.2 Increasing test validity: models of writing
5.3 Increasing test reliability
5.4 Methods
5.4.1 Sample and design
5.4.2 Instruments and procedure
5.4.3 Example of a coded letter
Chapter 6: Error categorization
6.1 The limitations of error taxonomies
6.1.1 Fuzziness and interdependence of error categories
6.1.2 Descriptive vs. diagnostic levels of analysis
6.1.3 The structure of taxonomies
6.1.4 Focus on errors in educational contexts
6.1.5 Annotation vs. categorization
6.2 The proposed categorization system
6.2.1 General attributes
6.2.2 The proposed taxonomy: the descriptive level
6.2.3 The proposed taxonomy: the diagnostic level
6.2.4 The proposed taxonomy: degree of deviance
Chapter 7: Results
7.1 Errors: a general overview
7.1.1 Word Count
7.2 Linguistic errors
7.2.1 Morphosyntactic errors
7.2.2 Measures complementing morphosyntactic errors
7.2.3 Lexical errors
7.2.4 Measures complementing lexical errors
7.2.5 Linguistic errors: degree of deviance
7.2.6 Linguistic error causes
7.2.7 Summary: linguistic errors
7.3 Discourse organization errors
7.3.1 Types of discourse organization errors
7.3.2 Changes in error distribution of discourse organization over time
7.3.3 Measures complementing the analysis of discourse organization errors
7.3.4 Discourse organization errors: degree of deviance
7.3.5 Discourse organization errors: causes
7.3.6 Summary: discourse organization errors
7.4 Sociolinguistic errors
7.4.1 Changes in sociolinguistic errors observed over time
7.4.2 Measures complementing the analysis of sociolinguistic errors
7.4.3 Sociolinguistic errors: causes
7.4.4 Sociolinguistic errors: degrees of deviance
7.4.5 Summary: sociolinguistic errors
7.5 Performance evaluation: synthesis
7.5.1 Total errors
7.5.2 The relationship between various error types
7.5.3 The relationship between various types of successful realizations
7.5.4 The relationship between different aspects of raters’ evaluation
Chapter 8: Conclusion and discussion
Bibliography