Abstract
Adopting an ‘exploratory action research’ design and drawing primarily on a reflective journal and interviews, this study recounts the process of supporting first-year Applied Languages students (learning French, German and Spanish) as they started to engage in language research. Certain challenges they faced in engaging with the inquiry-based learning were apparent at the outset, while others emerged; these were addressed ethically in the spirit of ‘exploratory practice’. Our narrative account is structured around key themes. These are subsequently the focus of our discussion, which highlights the process-oriented actions that arose from our developing understandings and the future actions still required. Conclusions focus on the benefits gained by learners and teachers.
Highlights
Our school of languages and area studies offers undergraduate courses in French, German, Spanish and combinations of these and others provided under the title: ‘Applied Languages’ (AL)
A core first-year unit for students doing English Language (EL)–based courses and AL is ‘Starting Language Research’ (SLR); this runs through the second semester, following on from: ‘Studying at University’ (SAU)
We discuss themes that emerged through this ‘exploratory action research’ narrative to highlight how we dealt with issues from our ‘selfreflective process-oriented stance’ (Smith et al, 2014)
Summary
Our school of languages and area studies offers undergraduate courses in French, German, Spanish and combinations of these and others provided under the title: ‘Applied Languages’ (AL). Doing AL, it would maybe be nicer to be in a class with just students doing languages so you could have the chance to do more relevant topics.” Concerned by this feedback, the SLR unit co-ordinator had highlighted issues to be addressed (in an email to the team): not interesting: we will need to work on this too early to be looking at research; this would appear to be something we need to counter early in the unit more difficult for AL students: we will need to think about that and see whether the AL students should be taught separately. I am wondering about having a meeting/focus group with a few AL students to tease this issue out but will talk about this first with (colleague) It is frustrating because they have the option to focus on their MFL (Modern Foreign Language): in the last class, I did ask the students why they didn't do this and they said it would be too difficult (personal correspondence).
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