Reflexión metalingüística en el proceso de composición escrita cooperativa en el marco de una secuencia didáctica

Abstract

The doctoral study, herewith presented, analyzes the development and results of the implementation of the didactic sequence (here on, DS) Are you what you write It is focused on the learning of textual cohesion mechanisms together with the discursive genre of critical review and for which the final task was a cooperative written composition review of a short film. In this sense, didactic sequences constitute an exceptional context to approach some fundamental aspects of the connection between the reflection on the language and training in its use. The underlying goal throughout this study is to analyze, describe and understand how, in the frame of a didactic sequence, students integrate the discursive-linguistic contents within their body of knowledge. This exercise includes the cooperative writing process (part of the didactic approach itself) as well as the use and knowledge that students demonstrate they have on the different cohesion mechanisms that they have worked on during the DS sessions and, especially important, the metalinguistic activity generated by this. The methodological approach of this doctoral study is based on the socio-constructive frame relative to learning and is qualitative. This case study can be divided in two main parts: on one side, the theoretical frame in which the research is based and on the other side the analysis of the data and the results obtained. The end goal is to expand knowledge on the current application of this didactic model created by Anna Camps, more than two decades ago. That is, provide concrete data that supports the viability of DS in middle-school classrooms; thus, expanding the research available on its potentiality in the teaching-learning process. This way, we look to incorporate innovative information that will facilitate the expansion of work and activities in middle-school classrooms. Per what we have been able to verify in this study, the DS approach brings great benefits to the teaching-learning process of the discursive-linguistic contents. Among other aspects, its clear organization, the holistic oriented activities and always being connected to the final project, benefits the process of writing. All has been performed in the classroom; from the vocabulary to the structure of the review and assures that the students understand which resources can be used to write the document for the required purpose. Additionally, cooperative writing inherent to DS, has positive repercussions in the composition process. For students to share such a complex task lightens the cognitive load and facilitates a recursive process in which all operations are present. The students help, complement and widen each other’s knowledge. Additionally, this type of group work potentiates metalinguistic reflection, and makes it easier for students to not make mistakes and fulfill the previously established guidelines. After the comparative analysis of the written reviews, we can conclude that, from a general point of view, there is a positive evolution in the use of cohesion mechanisms used during the sequence. Furthermore, this improvement is even more obvious when the students write in a cooperative way instead of individually. Finally, regarding vocabulary, this study confirms improved vocabulary through the DS, since the tests performed show us that the lexical quality improves after performing the DS. This growth is seen both in individual as well as group writing.

Date of Award	27 Jul 2017
Original language	Spanish
Supervisor	Teresa Ribas Seix (Director)