EN STUDIE I MUNTLIG INTERAKTION - Spanska steg 5 och engelska 5 på lika villkor?

Abstract

Aim: The aims in this essay are to provide a description of interactional competence in a pair speaking test in Spanish and English, level B1.2 in a Swedish context. The investigated interactions are made by 14 pairs of students in upper secondary school studying the subjects English 5 and Spanish 5. The participating students in the investigation are highly performing with high grades with Swedish as mother tounge. English 5 and Spanish 5 represent an equal language level and have the same content and grade criteria. There is a documented English knowledge among Swedish students which they most likely have gained due to frequent exposure to extramural English. Therefore it is interesting to study and compare interactional competence in two languages; Spanish and English, with different conditions in a school situation. Theory: The investigation uses a socio-cognitive framework. This theory is based on the idea that learning occurs in social interaction and the possibility of developing language knowledge in dialogue between people. In the case of English, digital devices and the use of digital platforms and online gaming as mediating tools, help Swedish children and teenagers to develop their language knowledge in English. In Spanish, classroom content, vocabulary practice and grammar practice are highly important since exposure to Spanish occurs mainly in the classroom. The difference in how the two languages are learned has crucial consequenses for the teaching procedures. Method: Using a Conversation Analysis (CA) approach, the investigation describes language interaction in Spanish and English, focusing on topic development moves, listener support strategies and turn-taking management. With a mixed-method, the interactional pattern both qualitatively and quantitatively provides a wide pallet of aspects and features in interactional competence and shows different perspectives in the investigated Spanish and English interactions. Results: The results of the study show a difference between the interactions carried out in English and in Spanish. The differences are revealed in the frequency of pauses, turn taking management and listener support. The students can much more easily interact in English than in Spanish, even though the students are studying Spanish and English at the same language level.