Abstract
This article contributes to the scarcity of research on the interface between task-modality and the use of previously known languages (PKL) in young learners. It examines the use of Basque/Spanish by CLIL learners (aged 10-11) during oral interaction while completing two collaborative tasks in English: a speaking task and a speaking + writing task. Findings indicate that these learners are extensive users of their PKL. Task-modality is particularly evident in the case of amount of PKL use, as a higher number of PKL turns are obtained in the speaking + writing task. However, task-modality has a limited effect on the functions of PKL, which contrasts with previous studies with adults. Despite the extensive use of their PKL, these young and low-proficient learners employ them as cognitive tools that facilitate the organization of the tasks, the co-construction of meaning and the attention to formal aspects of language such as mechanics.
Highlights
The use of previously known languages ( PKL) during task-based interaction has been the focus of attention of numerous English as a second language (ESL) and English as a foreign language (EFL) investigations, predominantly with adult learners
Recent years have witnessed the implementation of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) programs all over Europe, and with their inception, an explosion of research examining the effect of the more natural, meaningful and intense input provided in these learning contexts
CLIL studies on the use of PKL have mainly concentrated on secondary-school learners (Arratibel-Irazusta & Martínez-Adrián, 2018, 2019; Lázaro-Ibarrola, 2016; Lázaro-Ibarrola & García Mayo, 2012; Martínez-Adrián & Gutiérrez-Mangado, 2015), but a growing bulk of research exists with primary-school learners (Azkarai & Imaz Agirre, 2017; Gallardo-delPuerto, 2015; García Mayo & Hidalgo, 2017; García Mayo & Lázaro-Ibarrola, 2015; Gutiérrez-Mangado, 2015; Martínez-Adrián, 2020a)
Summary
The use of previously known languages ( PKL) during task-based interaction has been the focus of attention of numerous English as a second language (ESL) and English as a foreign language (EFL) investigations, predominantly with adult learners. These studies have tackled the effect of factors such as proficiency, onset age, gender, task-type (Alegría de la Colina & García Mayo, 2009; Cenoz, 2001; Muñoz, 2007), and to a lesser extent, task-modality effects (Azkarai & García Mayo, 2015, 2017; Payant & Kim, 2019). Unlike research with adults in ESL and EFL settings, CLIL research has mainly analyzed the variable proficiency and there is a need to examine a wider range of variables such as task-type or task-modality, with young learners
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