French Interrogative Structures: A New Pedagogical Norm for the 21st‐Century Classroom

Abstract

AbstractThis study investigated interrogative structures most frequently used by native speakers of French, in an attempt to reconcile differences between language forms taught in the French as a foreign language classroom and those that are encountered in authentic input. Radio, television, and magazine interviews provided multiple examples of interrogatives in formal spoken contexts. Both yes/no and wh‐ interrogatives were identified. These were then examined for syntactic structure, the degree to which the interlocutor was implicated (event type), and pragmatic function. Based on these results, recommendations are made for the development of a pedagogical norm for presentation of interrogative structures in the French classroom. This new norm will allow instructors to consider learners’ developmental stages while at the same time mirroring the most frequent interrogative structures used by native speakers of French and observing important communicative and pragmatic distinctions between syntactic forms.