在EFL環境下的專業課程課堂上語言轉換現象之探討

Abstract

語言轉換(code-switching)在世界各地的雙語或多語環境中很常見，是日常生活中語言使用的方式。雙語人士的語言轉換通常被視為是溝通上的優勢。然而，在教室中的語言轉換現象通常不被視為優點。現代的語言教學領域，大都認為完全使用外語授課將有助於學生學習外語。例如，上英語課時，必須完全使用英語，主要目的是要讓學生在課堂上接觸到更多的英語。這也同時造成課堂上禁止使用母語的現象。若是課堂上有母語與外語的語言轉換現象，還會被認為是因為外語能力不足(language deficiency)所致。然而，近年來，有學者提出在外語課堂上使用學生的母語有助於學生學習外語，尤其是在學習策略方面(Auerbach, 1993; Macaro, 2006)。 許多在教室的語言轉換(code-switching in classroom)研究都著重於分析老師與學生之間的語言轉換現象(Adendorf, 1993; Pennington, 1995)，較少有分析同儕之間的語言轉換現象(Reyes, 2004)。另外，研究文獻也多著重於雙語兒童(bilingual children)的語言轉換現象(Arthur, 1996; Low, 2006; Salami, 2008)，研究成人之間的語言轉換現象則較相對較為少數(Fotos, 2001; Unamuno; 2008)。此外，現有探討語言課堂上同儕之間語言轉換現象的文獻中，雙語學生間互動(interaction)的目的多是為了增進雙語的其中一種語言能力，而這個語言通常是當地社會與學校所使用的語言(Canagarajah, 1995; Reyes, 2004)。較少有研究在外語環境(foreign language environment)下，課堂上的語言轉換現象。除此之外，目前絕大多數的文獻都探討語言學習者(language learners)在語言學習課程中(language classroom)的語言轉換現象，僅有極少數的文獻探討語言程度較高的學習者(advanced language learners)在專業課程的課堂討論中(content-based discussion)語言轉換的現象(Liebscher & Dailey-O’Cain, 2004)。 本計畫基於上述理念，擬探討分析老師與學生在英語教學研究所專業課程的課堂討論中語言轉換的現象，以及這種語言轉換現象的功用。本計畫擬在98學年度第一學期收集英語教學研究所的課堂討論之錄音錄影資料，為時八週，包括八個150分鐘的課堂討論資料。所有的錄音錄影資料都將轉錄成文字檔案，以便分析。另外，課堂資料收集完之後，也將與課堂上的老師和學生進行訪談，以了解其對語言轉換的使用與看法。本計畫將採用對話分析(conversational analysis)的研究方法來分析專業課程課堂上語言轉換的資料。訪談的資料也會轉錄成文字檔案，並加以分析。 本計畫結合社會語言學領域的語言轉換現象與英語教學領域的課堂上使用母語現象的相關文獻，並深入了解專業課堂上語言轉換現象的形成與其優缺點。本計畫研究分析的結果可提供語言教學以及專業課程教學對於課堂上語言轉換與母語使用的正面思考。

Code-switching, the use of more than one language in conversations, is a daily practice throughout the bilingual language communities in the world. The fact that bilinguals can code-switch is a very useful and valuable ability in their language use in communication. However, code-switching in the classrooms is considered by many to be neither a useful nor a valuable ability. In modern language teaching and learning, teachers often attempt to make the second or foreign language classroom a mirror of the outside world by providing the maximum exposure of the target language. Consequently, the use of the first language (L1) is discouraged and code-switching is seen as a result of language deficiency. However, recently researchers on the use of the L1 in the second or foreign language classrooms have found benefits in using students’ L1, especially in facilitating the development of useful learning strategies (Auerbach, 1993; Macaro, 2006). Most studies on code-switching practices in classroom analyze conversation between teachers and learners (Adendorf, 1993; Pennington, 1995) and few focus on peer code-switching (Reyes, 2004). In addition, most of the code-switching in classroom studies involve bilingual children or elementary school students (Arthur, 1996; Low, 2006; Salami, 2008), and few focus on the adult learners and university students or advanced language learners (Fotos, 2001; Unamuno; 2008). Moreover, much of the existing research on code-switching between classroom peers is based on data gathered from bilingual populations for whom the goal of interaction is to develop competence in one of their two languages, usually the educational system’s official language (Canagarajah, 1995; Reyes, 2004). Very few studies have focused on the code-switching in a foreign language environment where the L2 is neither a language of daily communication nor the official language in the educational system. Most importantly, nearly all studies on code-switching in the classroom focus only on language classrooms. Little attention has been paid to code-switching in the content-based classrooms where advanced language learners engaged in a content-based discussion about another field of study, as opposed to activities centered on language learning (Liebscher & Dailey-O’Cain, 2004). Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to investigate code-switching patterns and functions in a content-based classroom in a foreign language environment. Specifically, the study focuses on the way teacher and students use language in a graduate seminar in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) program in a university in Taiwan, and what their use of language reveals about the roles and functions of code-switching in the classroom. The collection of data will be made over two months during the fall semester of 2009. Eight 150-minute class sessions of will be audio- and video-recorded. In addition, interviews with the teacher and the students will be conducted after the completion of all the recordings. The classroom data will be transcribed, and instances of code-switching will be analyzed with conversational analysis approach. The interview data will also be transcribed and analyzed to obtain their views on code-switching in the classroom. It is hoped that the present study can provide a fuller understanding of code-switching in a content-based classroom. Results from this study will be of interest to practitioners and researchers in the fields of language teaching, TESOL, teacher education, sociolinguistics, pragmatics, and conversational analysis.