Embedding additive particles in the sentence information structure: How L2 learners find their way through positional and prosodic patterns.

Since 1986, Klein pinpointed the 'embedding problem' among the main tasks L2 learners have to cope with in L2 speaking, the term referring to the need of linking the semantic content of a sentence to the information already available in the ongoing discourse. Research in L2 acquisition has shown that, even when the lexical and morphosyntactic structures needed to express specific information configurations are in place, learners can still lack the ability to use them in the ongoing discourse according to target language preferences, thus sticking to their source language preferences (Carroll and Lambert 2003; Dimroth and Lambert 2008; Lambert, Carroll and von Stutterheim 2008). Use of additive particles can pose similar 'embedding' problems, as they typically occur in a peculiar, non-canonical information configuration, in which a given predicate – available in the ongoing discourse – is claimed to hold for a new referent, which is added to other – given, available – referents. Dimroth et al. (2010), comparing native speakers productions on the basis of the same narrative task (the Finite Story retelling), show that speakers of Germanic (Dutch, German) and Romance (French, Italian) languages differ in the way they embed additive particles in the sentence information structure. Our study focuses on the use of additive particles by intermediate learners of two language pairs (Italian L1 > German L2 and viceversa) in the Finite Story retelling. Results show that, in embedding additive particles (IT anche, GE auch) in the sentence structure, intermediate learners tend to adopt patterns that are compatible with the L1 both at positional and at prosodic level, thus partly discarding more target language-specific patterns

STIMOLARE L’INTERAZIONE PLURILINGUE SUI CONTENUTI DI SCUOLA NELLO STUDIO A CASA: LUSSO, NECESSITÀ, OPPORTUNITÀ

Il contributo analizza alcuni dati scelti del progetto Con parole mie, esplorando la possibilità di sostenere l’educazione plurilingue degli alunni di origine immigrata cogliendo le opportunità offerte dal contesto famigliare, in sinergia con il contesto scolastico. I dati mostrano come pratiche comunicative famigliari intorno ai contenuti scolastici possano essere stimolate incoraggiando un’interazione che coinvolga tutte le lingue del repertorio; tanto nel caso in cui il ricorso alla lingua di origine costituisca una necessità per la comunicazione genitori-figli, quanto nel caso in cui questo costituisca un “lusso”, data la disponibilità alternativa della lingua di scolarizzazione, l’interazione plurilingue risulta aprire spazi di partecipazione e di pratica comunicativa preziosi per lo sviluppo della competenza linguistica complessiva dell’alunno plurilingue.   Stimulating multilingual interaction on school content in home study: luxury, necessity, opportunity This paper analyzes some data from the project Con parole mie, exploring how to support multilingual education for students of immigrant origin by taking advantage of the opportunities offered at home, in synergy with school. The data shows how family communication practices around school content can be stimulated by encouraging interaction involving all the languages in the repertoire. If the use of the language of origin is a necessity for parent-child communication and if it is a “luxury”, given the alternative availability of the school language, multilingual interaction opens up spaces for participation and communicative practices that are valuable for the development of the overall language competence of multilingual students

Entre énoncé et interaction : le rôle des particules d’affirmation et négation

L’article propose une discussion de la notion d’‘énoncé’ dans les lectes d’apprenants de niveau prébasique et basique, sur la base des caractéristiques fonctionnelles - en tant qu’acte de langage accompli – et formelles – en tant que structure autonome du point de vue syntaxique et intonatif – qui devraient l’identifier. La discussion porte sur la valeur en contexte (en tant qu’énoncé autonome ou bien partie d’énoncé) des particules d’affirmation et de négation (sì et no) en italien L2 dans des conversations natif-non natif d’un apprenant de niveau initial (données du Projet de Pavia). L’analyse montre que la communication exolingue, en raison d’une intense activité d’étayage, produit plusieurs contextes ambiguës où les rapports entre les unités informationnelles se prêtent à des interprétations multiples, et en conséquence, les marges entre énoncés sont floues et la notion même d’énoncé affaiblie du point de vue fonctionnel.We discuss the notion of ‘utterance’ in basic learner varieties and prebasic learner varieties, both at the pragmatic level – utterance as a speech-act – and at the formal level – utterance as a syntactical and intonational unit. The analysis is based on the use of the affirmative and negative particles (sì and no) in Italian as a second language in conversations between native and non-native speakers (data from the Pavia Project), where the particles can function as a single utterance or can be part of more complex utterances. The analysis shows that communication between native and non-native speakers, and particularly the scaffolding activity by the native speaker, results in contexts where the relations between information units are ambiguous and can have multiple interpretations. As a result, the boundaries between information units are not clear-cut and the notion of ‘utterance’ itself is functionally weakened

QUANDO I BAMBINI FANNO I LINGUISTI. OSSERVARE LA COMPETENZA METALINGUISTICA IN UN LABORATORIO DI ÉVEIL AUX LANGUES

Il contributo illustra e discute lo sviluppo di competenze metalinguistiche in alunni di classi plurilingui di scuola primaria italiana, come esito di laboratori di esplorazione linguistica secondo la modalità dell’ Éveil aux langues (Candelier et al. 2007). I risultati della prova finale dei laboratori, condotta individualmente e in piccolo gruppo, mostra che gli alunni sono in grado di riadoperare efficacemente, con un approccio metalinguistico esplicito nell’analisi di fenomeni morfologici in lingue sconosciute, le conoscenze e abilità acquisite nel corso dei laboratori attraverso l’esposizione e la riflessione induttiva intorno a una varietà di lingue; mostrano inoltre come gli alunni sappiano, a questo scopo, richiamare in modo autonomo e sfruttare dove opportuno conoscenze relative alle lingue del proprio repertorio. L’approccio di éveil aux langues utilizzato si conferma quindi promettente non solo per sviluppare un atteggiamento positivo nei confronti del plurilinguismo e della diversità linguistica, ma anche per l’acquisizione di competenze metalinguistiche mature.   When children are linguists. Observing metalinguistic competence in an Éveil aux langues workshop The paper shows how metalinguistic competences developed in Italian primary school pupils thanks to linguistic workshops organized according to the Éveil aux langues (Candelier et al. 2007) program. Results from the final session activities show that pupils were able to exploit knowledge and abilities developed during the workshop in order to draw hypothesis and analyze morphosyntactic phenomena of unknown languages; they were also able to recall their linguistic competences in their own language repertoire in order to further advance and check hypotheses about language structures. The Éveil aux langues approach proves, therefore, to be helpful not only in developing a positive attitude towards languages and multilingualism, but also in developing more mature metalinguistic competences