Sophie Morgan
DARE Project: Theoretical orientations in the French as a Second Language research field (2000-2020)
Program(s) of Study: Professional Writing and French Studies
Project Supervisor: Ibtissem Knouzi
I hope that this project will reveal which French as a second Language (FSL) groups are being under- or misrepresented within Canada's bilingual context. Hopefully, the findings of this research will inform future research in FSL and language studies.
Project Description:
The proposed project aims to survey empirical studies on teaching and learning French as a Second Language (FSL) in Canada published between 2000 and 2020 to identify the epistemological orientations shaping this body of work. This project looks back at 20 years of active research following a “knowledge pluralization [….] characterized as a social turn in SLA” by David Block that coincided with the end of the 20th century. This knowledge pluralization saw the emergence of poststructuralist and interpretive approaches to studying and explaining second language learning that complemented (some might say, competed) with the cognitive-interactionist approach that dominated most of the 20th century. This project aims to examine to what extent this turn has impacted FSL research in Canada. The proposed project will help FSL researchers and practitioners understand whether and how the current theoretical orientations in second language education have impacted the way FSL researchers conceptualize language, knowledge, and learning; what tools and research methods they select; and what theoretical frameworks they adhere to. This survey will help contextualize the FSL research in the broader literature on second language education and pinpoint areas of congruence as well as (possibly) idiosyncrasies that distinguish the Canadian FSL field. It will also reveal what epistemologies are being promoted as legitimate and which are being underused or misrepresented.The Dean’s Award for Research Excellence (DARE) – Undergraduate enables our students to meaningfully engage in research projects supervised by LA&PS faculty members. Find out more about DARE.