Quelle(s) langue(s) médiatrice(s) choisir en classe de langue étrangère ?

• Main Author: Rea Lujić
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: ACEDLE 2018-09-01
• Series: Recherches en didactique des langues et des cultures
• Subjects: mother tongue; mediating language; FFL; plurilingualism; didactics; second language
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/rdlc/3764

This study examines the representation of future teachers of French as a foreign language (FFL) on languages which should be used to teach and to learn in the context of the FFL. In the introduction, we present two theoretical paradigms that have varying focus on the place of the non-target languages in the language classroom. The monoglossic paradigm, according to which the language contact in the classroom should be prevented as it could hinder progress in the target language and the heteroglossic paradigm, which encourages the language contact in teaching-learning languages because it can be beneficial.In the second part of the article, we have analysed the FFL Masters students’ logbooks, written throughout their practical placement in primary schools. The analysis was carried out in order to understand their representations related to the choice of the languages used in the FFL class by the observed teachers that could help us to anticipate the place that the plurilingualism could take in the future of the FFL in Croatia.The qualitative analysis showed that, according to particular students the study was conducted on, the target language, in this case French, should be used as much as possible, and that students’ mother tongue should be used only if the students fail to understand teachers’ discourse in the target language. These results may indicate that the heteroglossic paradigm and its plurilingual values in the field of the Croatian FFL are far from being implemented.