Designing and testing tools for language awareness using the CARAP as a referential framework

Abstract

The key motive of this study is to promote Language Awareness. It is inspired by the eveil aux langues or awakening to languages, a sub-category of the Language Awareness approach to learning languages and about languages. The research consists of the design, implementation and evaluation of a Language Awareness programme tested out with secondary school students who participated on a voluntary-basis as an extra-curricular activity. Descriptors from the Framework of Reference for Pluralistic Approaches ( CARAP) were selected as aims to be achieved by means of activities focused on particular aspects of language. The activities are based on several topics such as animal and human communication, loan words, language families, writing systems, varieties of languages, non-verbal communication and grammatical gender. A general evaluation of the whole programme is also presented in which the pluralistic approach, the selected CARAP descriptors, the structure of the programme, the content of the activities, learners' motivation, learners' achievements, time-allocated and the programme as an extra-curricular activity, are discussed. A number of recommendations are given for further analysis and in order to encourage the implementation of the programme in schools.