Page 64 - Compétences plurilingues : perspectives et actions / Plurilingual competencies: perspectives and actions

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S. Prevratilova: Plurilingual Students in Tandem Language Exchange...
in previous language endeavours served as a foundation for her approach to acquiring ad-
ditional languages:
I already knew what to expect, and it wasn’t completely new to me. It wasn’t a completely new system […] I had to
learn the vocabulary, and because I had already learned it in English, I knew a little bit about how to approach it in
French.
As previously observed, Aneta struggled to identify positive interactions between the lan-
guages she was learning. However, she exhibited a remarkable ability to employ effective
learning strategies instinctively and spontaneously without external prompting.

Language Learning Motivation

Previous language learning experience showed as a vital language learning factor. In the
interview, Ella elaborated on the various languages she learned at home and formally at
school. Family and geographic background served as crucial motivational sources. On the
contrary, Aneta mentioned her parents, who paid for her extracurricular language courses
and study abroad. Her main motivational (or demotivational) sources were the language
teachers: She talked about ive different language teachers, their methods, and their effect
on Aneta as a language learner. The French and Spanish classes taught in the grammar-
translation method appeared ineffective and demotivating. She praised the teachers who
emphasized the communication aspect of language learning. Interestingly, she overcame
the demotivation by compensating for the lack of communication in the language class-
room by communicating with the target language speakers outside the class, enrolling in
extracurricular courses, and studying abroad in the summer. Thus, she demonstrated high
self-discipline, motivation, and autonomy in language learning, which are key pre-requisites
for successful learning in language tandem.

Plurilingual Approach

The exploration of plurilingual approaches within the tandem pair leaned chie ly on the
learner diaries, course re lections, and the lesson recording. The diaries, although modest
in extent, do unveil noteworthy dimensions related to the plurilingual approach. As an illus-
tration, Ella’s account of their language exchange sessions revealed occasions where they
discussed their language preferences: Czech, French, or English. One entry documented Ella
proof-reading an English paper that Aneta had, followed by reading a Czech fairytale that
Aneta chose. Furthermore, Ella’s description included Aneta initially reading the fairytale
in English before subsequently reading it in Czech for Ella. Aneta also shared her language
learning experiences, indicating her intention to focus on French during a session and high-
lighting Ella’s support in enhancing her written English production elsewhere. Moreover,
the lesson recording demonstrated a situation where all three languages interacted simul-
taneously in a spontaneous conversation and an instance where Aneta referred to and used
Spanish. The participants’ engagement with several languages – Czech, French, English,
(and Spanish) – showcased their linguistic versatility within the tandem pair. Their abil-
ity to ef iciently navigate these languages exceeded the primary intent of practicing two,
underscoring the dynamic nature of their language interactions.

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