Risques d’inégalités liés à certaines caractéristiques des manuels contemporains de langues modernes en Belgique francophone

French-speaking Belgian teachers often use textbooks in their foreign language classes, especially at elementary and intermediate levels. Most modern textbooks follow the communicative approach which is based on four skills (reading, listening, speaking and writing). A few more recent textbooks adop...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Germain Simons, Daniel Delbrassine, Florence Van Hoof
Format: Article
Language:fra
Published: Nantes Université 2016-03-01
Series:Recherches en Éducation
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/ree/5694
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1841548547697147904
author Germain Simons
Daniel Delbrassine
Florence Van Hoof
author_facet Germain Simons
Daniel Delbrassine
Florence Van Hoof
author_sort Germain Simons
collection DOAJ
description French-speaking Belgian teachers often use textbooks in their foreign language classes, especially at elementary and intermediate levels. Most modern textbooks follow the communicative approach which is based on four skills (reading, listening, speaking and writing). A few more recent textbooks adopt the action-oriented approach recommended by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, based on tasks that have to be fulfilled in a given set of circumstances. These textbooks have lots of qualities such as the richness of the language input and the variety of learning activities; nevertheless, they also share some features that can lead to unequal learning. This is especially true when students use the textbooks at home. In this article, three textbooks (English, German, and Spanish) are examined in the light of learning (in)equality. Results show that they share the following features: the drafting language of the textbook, the length and density of the units, the units’ heterogeneous and composite nature, the inductive and “spiral” approach to grammar explanations, the lack of open-ended exercises preparing students for the complex final task, to name a few. Teachers may reduce these risks through their use of the textbooks in class provided they are aware of these characteristics and of their possible impact on unequal learning.
format Article
id doaj-art-111779c13e7a4d2c96a45c8dc5b85a1f
institution Kabale University
issn 1954-3077
language fra
publishDate 2016-03-01
publisher Nantes Université
record_format Article
series Recherches en Éducation
spelling doaj-art-111779c13e7a4d2c96a45c8dc5b85a1f2025-01-10T14:04:13ZfraNantes UniversitéRecherches en Éducation1954-30772016-03-012510.4000/ree.5694Risques d’inégalités liés à certaines caractéristiques des manuels contemporains de langues modernes en Belgique francophoneGermain SimonsDaniel DelbrassineFlorence Van HoofFrench-speaking Belgian teachers often use textbooks in their foreign language classes, especially at elementary and intermediate levels. Most modern textbooks follow the communicative approach which is based on four skills (reading, listening, speaking and writing). A few more recent textbooks adopt the action-oriented approach recommended by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, based on tasks that have to be fulfilled in a given set of circumstances. These textbooks have lots of qualities such as the richness of the language input and the variety of learning activities; nevertheless, they also share some features that can lead to unequal learning. This is especially true when students use the textbooks at home. In this article, three textbooks (English, German, and Spanish) are examined in the light of learning (in)equality. Results show that they share the following features: the drafting language of the textbook, the length and density of the units, the units’ heterogeneous and composite nature, the inductive and “spiral” approach to grammar explanations, the lack of open-ended exercises preparing students for the complex final task, to name a few. Teachers may reduce these risks through their use of the textbooks in class provided they are aware of these characteristics and of their possible impact on unequal learning.https://journals.openedition.org/ree/5694learning difficulties and students in difficultywriting and readingpedagogy: methods and toolseducational inequalitiesBelgium
spellingShingle Germain Simons
Daniel Delbrassine
Florence Van Hoof
Risques d’inégalités liés à certaines caractéristiques des manuels contemporains de langues modernes en Belgique francophone
Recherches en Éducation
learning difficulties and students in difficulty
writing and reading
pedagogy: methods and tools
educational inequalities
Belgium
title Risques d’inégalités liés à certaines caractéristiques des manuels contemporains de langues modernes en Belgique francophone
title_full Risques d’inégalités liés à certaines caractéristiques des manuels contemporains de langues modernes en Belgique francophone
title_fullStr Risques d’inégalités liés à certaines caractéristiques des manuels contemporains de langues modernes en Belgique francophone
title_full_unstemmed Risques d’inégalités liés à certaines caractéristiques des manuels contemporains de langues modernes en Belgique francophone
title_short Risques d’inégalités liés à certaines caractéristiques des manuels contemporains de langues modernes en Belgique francophone
title_sort risques d inegalites lies a certaines caracteristiques des manuels contemporains de langues modernes en belgique francophone
topic learning difficulties and students in difficulty
writing and reading
pedagogy: methods and tools
educational inequalities
Belgium
url https://journals.openedition.org/ree/5694
work_keys_str_mv AT germainsimons risquesdinegalitesliesacertainescaracteristiquesdesmanuelscontemporainsdelanguesmodernesenbelgiquefrancophone
AT danieldelbrassine risquesdinegalitesliesacertainescaracteristiquesdesmanuelscontemporainsdelanguesmodernesenbelgiquefrancophone
AT florencevanhoof risquesdinegalitesliesacertainescaracteristiquesdesmanuelscontemporainsdelanguesmodernesenbelgiquefrancophone