Abstract
Little is known about contemporary L1-oral language lesson practices in secondary education. In The Netherlands experts work on an upcoming L1-educational reform. In this study, we investigate teachers’ and students’ perceptions of contemporary L1-oral language lesson practices as well as the underlying rationales of these lessons. Eleven L1-teachers were interviewed and 212 of their students completed a digital questionnaire. Both teachers and their students mentioned L1-oral language education is important, even though in most cases it forms a rather small part of the L1-curriculum. In general, both groups reported that in L1-oral language lessons attention is paid to cognitive (such as rhetoric and argumentation theory), linguistic and presentational content elements. Teachers also reported that they teach their students how to use feedback and how to give constructive peer feedback. Both teachers and students considered practising and receiving feedback as mutually reinforcing for developing oral language skills. However, due to shortage of time in the lessons, teachers and students in particular, expressed concerns about having insufficient opportunity to practise oral language skills. The teachers reported two other hindrances for good L1-oral language teaching: difficulties with organizing a safe learning environment and valid assessment procedures. These barriers have to be taken into account when designing educational innovations for L1-oral language lessons.
Highlights
L1-oral language education has been incorporated into the L1curricula for secondary education in many countries, such as Denmark, Finland, Flanders, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the USA and the United Kingdom (Van de Ven, 2005)
The OECD’s DeSeCo documents (2005) for the global educational PISA project clearly emphasized the importance of students’ verbal competency and described spoken and written language as ‘an essential tool for functioning well in society and the workplace and participating in an effective dialogue with others. Terms such as “communication competence” or “literacies” are associated with this key competency’ (p.10). This period has only produced a small body of scientific literature that addresses L1-oral language education in secondary schools (Hoogeveen & Bonset, 1998; Bonset & Braaksma, 2008; Kaldahl, Bachinger & Rijlaarsdam, 2019; Kaldahl, 2019; Wurth et al, 2019)
L1-experts have repeatedly underlined the importance of research into L1-oral language practices, including teaching practices, oral language curricula and the assessment of oral language competency, in order to empirically build a knowledge base to support the development of L1-oral language education (Lammers, 1993; Hoogeveen & Bonset, 1998; Bonset & Braaksma, 2008; Kaldahl et al, 2019)
Summary
L1-oral language education has been incorporated into the L1curricula for secondary education in many countries, such as Denmark, Finland, Flanders, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the USA and the United Kingdom (Van de Ven, 2005). The OECD’s DeSeCo documents (2005) for the global educational PISA project clearly emphasized the importance of students’ verbal competency and described spoken and written language as ‘an essential tool for functioning well in society and the workplace and participating in an effective dialogue with others. Terms such as “communication competence” or “literacies” are associated with this key competency’ (p.10). With a comprehensive reform of the Dutch L1-curriculum ahead, it seems even more pressing to build a solid, contemporary scientific foundation to inform the L1-oral language curricula changes
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