A emergência da competência oral como sistema dinâmico, adaptativo e complexo no ensino-aprendizagem de inglês como língua adicional para iniciantes

Abstract

In the field of second and foreign language learning, research on oral communication development has been demonstrating that it is a multi-dimensional phenomenon. Nakatani (2010) showed that the ability to use communicative strategies is related to linguistic performance and learner s proficiency level; Kang, Rubin and Pickering (2010) affirmed that learner s phonology affects perception over proficiency and intelligiblity; Hewitt and Stephenson (2011), as well as Ahmadian (2012), contended that individual psychological conditions interfere in the quality of production. Escribano (2004) suggested that contextual knowledge is essential to conceptualization; Gao (2011) pointed out the benefits of an approach based on conceptual metaphors (LAKOFF and JOHNSON, 1980), dual coding (CLARK and PAIVIO, 1991), and image schemas (LAKOFF, 1987); Ellis and Ferreira-Junior (2009) demonstrated that constructions exhibit priming and recency effects, which influence participants language use. These studies together instantiate the complex nature of L2 acquisition on the experimental psychology paradigm. In the scope of Complexity Theory, Larsen-Freeman (2006) demontrated that fluency, accuracy, and complexity increase over time, despite exhibiting high individual variability. By the same token, Paiva (2011) observed that SLA systems are self-organisable. Nevertheless, none of the above-mentioned studies addressed beginners, as we intend to do herein. By overlapping Complexity Theory and Cognitive Linguistics, we present a case study, with sprinkles of quantification, in order to specifically discuss the adaptation processes that emerged from the oral practice of a group of six English beginner female learners (n=6) in the vocational context. We understand that several complex (sub-) systems co-occur in the classroom, covarying and coadapting in different levels. The investigation counted on transcribed data (ATKINSON and HERITAGE, 1984) from three oral evaluations collected over 28 class hours, in the JOB INTERVIEW domain. After observing the learners oral production, we created a taxonomy to categorise the adaptations that emerged in target language syntax, meaning, fonology and pragmatics. Later, we displayed the categories in prototype levels (ROSCH et al, 1976) in terms of frequency. Finally, we classified the inteligibility of each learner s utterance in three levels. By means of these data, we were able to describe how participants oral expression emerged and evolved over 28 hours. The results reaffirm one of Cognitive Linguistics premises when showing that language description levels work jointly in favor of communicative success; and demonstrate that the teacher, rather than generate uniformity, ought to give rise to learning opportunities that provides a continuum between the world, the body and the mind, as discussed by Larsen-Freeman e Cameron (2008)