Description and rationale for the learning theory:
We decided to apply sociocultural theory, a learning theory that emphasizes interactions and collaborations of learners, in designing an intermediate oral French course to K-12 students.
Sociocultural theory (SCT) states that learning is developed through interactions and social activities requiring cognitive and communicative functions within social environments (Lantolf et al., 2015). We designed learning activities to align with SCT; activity three (dubbing films) and four (acting a play) are representative examples of SCT that require individuals to participate and communicate in a social environment.
SCT allows us to develop an organized learning process, in which students will learn from more knowledgeable others through collaborations. Sociocultural theory in language learning contains essential features, including Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), activity theory, and three stages of the learning process: imitation, assessment, and independence. ZPD includes three zones: learner’s individual performance, potential development with the help of more knowledgeable others, and unreachable performance with or without the help from others (Vygotsky, 1978). The ultimate objective is that, through learning from more knowledgeable others, learners can eventually acquire the knowledge to work independently. In reaching this objective, instructors need to move the zone in and out to yield better results of both individual’s independence development (e.g., private speech, individual task) and feedback from peers and instructors (e.g., drama).
Imitation, assessment, and independence are three stages of the learning process in activity theory. Although imitation seems to occur in the forms of private speech and inner speech and thus considered as an individual learning process, it is essential to note that the act of imitation cannot take place without the object of imitation; SCT in language learning is from social to the individual, and from inter-mental to intra-mental. At the initial stage, learners tend to imitate their instructors or peers when encountering new linguistic affordances (Lantolf, 2006). After receiving feedback from others, learners can improve their performances and work independently. In our course, instructors will first inform students of new subjects with examples and formulas that students can imitate. After receiving feedback from instructors and peers, each individual is expected to apply and practice the learned knowledge in the following interactive group projects.
Photo retrieved from TSS
Description and rationale for the learning design:
For learning design, we choose to incorporate cooperative learning with SCT because SCT shares accidental features with cooperative learning which also focuses on social interactions in a learner-centred setting (Johnson, 2009). Both SCT and cooperative learning suggest offering learners more ownership of the activities in a learner-centred learning environment rather than a teacher-centred one. (Behroozizad et al., 2014). Autonomous learning allows learners to learn in a more active, creative and engaging way.
Description of our learning context (K-12):
We selected K-12 as our learning context target group. As an official language of Canada, French has an immersive influence over the Candian culture and the educational curriculum. Some K-12 Canadian students may have a francophone family background, and some may attend French immersion courses or schools before. While students may practice writing and grammar adequately in school, speaking practice is often limited by a lack of francophone environment, subject, time, and activities. Our course aims to elevate learners’ oral competence and confidence by offering an intermediate oral French course in French. Native speakers (English) and English language learners will find that French shares many linguistic features with English since they both belong to the Germanic family (e.g., vocabulary, pronunciation).
We recognize that teaching this course entirely in French can be a challenge for students; therefore, instructors will clarify confusion and aid students in English when necessary. We also recognize that English may not be the first language for some students; however, in this course, the use of English is limited, and instructors would always use plain language in clarification.
Reference:
Behroozizad, S., Nambiar, R., & Amir, Z. (2014). The Emergence and Development of Language Learning Strategies through Mediation in an EFL Learning Context. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 118, 68–75. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.02.010
Johnson, D., & Johnson, R. (2009). An Educational Psychology Success Story: Social Interdependence Theory and Cooperative Learning. Educational Researcher, 38(5), 365-379. Retrieved June 13, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/20532563
Lantolf, J. P. (2006). SOCIOCULTURAL THEORY AND L2: State of the Art: Studies in Second Language Acquisition. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263106060037
Lantolf, J. P., Thorne, S. L. & Poehner, M. E. (2015). Sociocultural theory and second language development. In B. VanPatten & J. Williams (Eds.). Theories in second language acquisition: An introduction (pp. 207-226). New York: Routledge.
Vygotskij, L. S., Rieber, R. W., & Veer René van der. (1997). The collected works of L. S. Vygotsky. New York: Plenum Press.