ABSTRACT
The purpose of this research was to discover the value of ‘deep’ talk in developing Cognitive
Academic Language Proficiency (CALP), with primary focus on a group of ‘under-prepared’ first
year university students for whom English is an additional language (EAL), who were registered
for an ‘extended degree’ in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Johannesburg,
Kingsway campus.
The method of research was qualitative and took the form of a teaching intervention in which
groups of students voluntarily participated in the performance of different learning activities
(such as reading, talking and writing) either as individuals of as members of a group. All of the
students were given identical background texts to read. The texts provided contextual
information on a topic pertaining to a gender debate. Some students read the texts prior to
participating in a discussion on the topic, after which they wrote an argumentative essay. Other
students talked about the topic first, and then read the texts before writing their essay. A
‘control’ group of students did not talk at all, but just read the texts and then wrote an essay on
the topic.
The researcher analysed transcriptions of tape-recordings of the group discussions, using
limited discourse analysis to highlight various ‘speech acts’ to assess how the students used
language to actively engage with each other and build their arguments. The research findings
were also assisted by an analysis of the essays and reflections written by each student.
The research found that the process of talk itself in which the students used language to
respond to each other’s ideas, helped to cognitively challenge the students in the development
of their arguments. The research also found that the cognitive development gained through the
talk was helpful in assisting students to formulate their written arguments in their essay. The
research found that some contextual support in the form of background readings was also
helpful. The order in which this took place was also found to be important. The research found it
to be particularly useful for students to be given background reading before their talk, rather
than after their talk, as this gave students a more informed perspective with which to approach
their group discussion. By examining the essays in relation to the transcripts of the talk, the
researcher explored the extent to which a more informed perspective on the topic, coupled with
the way in which students used language, helped students to develop a more balanced
approach in developing their written arguments.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/6873 |
| Date | 06 April 2009 |
| Creators | Layton, Delia |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf, application/pdf |
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