Meeting the challenge of diversity with TBLT:

Connecting speaking and writing in mainstream classrooms

Stefania Ferrari, Elena Nuzzo

Università di Verona

Meeting the challenge

Mainstream classroom (L1-L2)

Different levels of language proficiency

Common standards

TBLT

From oral retelling to written narrative production

TASK

“The mysterious movie”

- oral retelling

- written narrative

Subjects

Analysis

QuantitativeCAF measures- Complexity- Accuracy

Qualitative- Syntactic features- Textual features

Quantitative measures

CAF complexity

- word/clauses

- dependent clauses/AS-unit or T-unit

CAF accuracy

- % accurate dependent clauses/dependent clauses

Qualitative analysis

- variety of dependent clauses

- cohesive devices- connectors - anaphors

Results

Quantitative analysis

Complexity

Accuracy

Results

Qualitative analysis

Andrej: Variety of dependent clauses

oral written

adverbials causal (perché) 1 0

temporal (quando) 1 1

temporal (mentre) 0 1

temporal (dopo + inf) 1 0

final (per + infinitive) 1 1

relatives che (subj and obj) 1 2

dove 0 1

If we look at how the same events are reported in the oral and in the written versions, there seem to be no important differences in terms of variety of dependent clauses.

Andrej: Textuality

Qualitatively, no significant differences in the use of:

•connectors•anaphors

The written version seems the transcription of the oral retelling.

OP: … andò fuori vide una donna con i bottoni e cominciò a inseguirla… la donna vide un poliziotto e raccontò tutto e il poliziotto cominciò a rincorrerlo Charlie Chaplin tornò dentro la fabbrica…

… he went out he saw a woman with buttons and he started to follow her… the woman saw a policeman and told everything and the policeman started to run after him Charlie Chaplin went back into the factory…

WP: … andò fuori vide una donna che aveva i bottoni e la inseguì… la donna si fermò vicino a un poliziotto e gli raccontò quello che Charlie faceva. Il poliziotto lo inseguì. Charlie scappò dentro la fabbrica.

… he went out he saw a woman who had buttons and he followed her… the woman stopped next to a policeman and told him what Charlie was doing. The policeman run after him. Charlie run into the factory.

Andrej: Textuality

Ivan: Variety of dependent clausesoral written

adverbials causal (perché) 1 0

temporal (quando) 4 1 (2)

temporal (dopo che) 0 (1)

hyp. comparative (come se + subj) (1) (1)

final (per + infinitive) 0 (1)

argumentatives subject 2 (2) 0

object 2 (2) 3 (1)

relatives che (subj and obj) 3 (1) 2

dove 2 1

da dove 0 (1)

In brackets numbers of non standard realizations

If we look at how the same events are reported in the oral and in the written versions, there seem to be no important differences in terms of variety of dependent clauses.

Ivan: Textuality

One important difference between oral and written productions involves cohesive devices, and in particular the number and variety of connectors.

OP: 4 occurrences of one single connector, poi (then)

WP: 2 occurrences of poi2 occurrences of in seguito (later on)1 occurrence of dopo (afterwards)1 occurrence of dopodiché (after that)1 occurrence of dopo di questo (after that)1 occurrence of a un certo punto (at a certain moment)1 occurrence of alla fine (eventually)

As a result, the written retelling appears more accurately planned, as we in fact would expect from a written narration.

Andrea: Variety of dependent clauses

oral written

adverbials causal (perché) 1 1

modal (gerundive) 0 1

argumentatives object 0 1

relatives che (subj and obj) 2 3 (1)

In brackets numbers of non standard realizations

If we look at how the same events are reported in the oral and in the written versions, we find a wider variety and a higher number of subtypes of dependent clauses in the written version.

Andrea: Textuality

One important difference between oral and written versions involves cohesive devices, and in particular connectors.

OP: no connectors

WP: 1 occurrence of poi (then)1 occurrence of dopo (afterwards)1 occurrence of successivamente (later)2 occurrences of allora (then)

Another important difference: In the written versions the use of nominal and pronominal anaphors is clearer and more precise:

OP: ruba un portafoglio a un altro signore un altro signore lo vede però lui lo mette in una tasca la mette nella tasca di charlie chaplin (he) steals a wallet from another gentleman another gentleman sees him but he puts it in a pocket puts it (fem.) in the pocket of charlie chaplin

WP: aveva rubato ad un signore il portafoglio, ma un polizziotto lo vide e lo inseguì, allora il malfattore mise il portafoglio nella tasca del protagonista he had stolen from a gentleman his wallet but a policeman saw him and chased him, then the wrongdoer put the wallet in the pocket of the protagonist

Andrea: Textuality

Matteo: Variety of dependent clauses

oral written

adverbials causal (perché) 0 0

causal (gerundive) 0 1

temporal (quando) 0 1

temporal (mentre) 0 1

temporale (gerundive) 0 1

final (per + infinitive) 1 (1) 0

argumentatives object 0 1

relatives che (subj and obj) 4 0

Quantitatively, higher number of dependent clauses in OP, but…

If we look at how the same events are reported in the oral and in the written versions, we find a wider variety of dependent clauses in the written version.

In brackets numbers of non standard realizations

Matteo: Variety of dependent clauses

OP: il mattino seguente l'uomo che ha accettato il lavoro si reca per fare colazione e incontra una ragazza che è molto affamata la ragazza prende il cibo

The morning after the man who accepted the job goes for breakfast and meets a girl who is very hungry the girl takes the food

WP: Il mattino seguente mentre charlie si stava preparando la colazione una signorina molto affamata vide il cibo e ne prese un pezzo

The morning after while Charlie was preparing his breakfast a very hungry young lady saw the food and took some

Matteo: Textuality Some differences in cohesive devices, and in particular connectors:

OP: 1 occurrence of il mattino seguente (the following morning)1 occurrence of poi (then)

WP: 1 occurrence of il mattino seguente (the following morning)1 occurrence of a un certo punto (at a certain moment)1 occurrence of perciò (therefore)1 occurrence of così (so)

Summary of results

Quantitative analysis

in complexity:- NSs tend to be more complex in WP than OP, producing longer

clauses and more complex T-unit- NNSs show less important differences between WP and OP, with

WP resulting in general slightly more complex in terms of amount of dependent clauses

in accuracy:- NSs show mixed results, with some students more accurate in

OP and some students more accurate in WP- NNSs are more accurate in oral production

Summary of results

Qualitative analysis

variety of dependent clauses: - NSs use a wider variety in WP- NNSs do not show any difference

textuality:- Both NSs and NNSs use a wider range of connectors and

more precise and/or elegant anaphors

Thank you!