Teaching and Learning Language Functions in the Department of English at MMUTO: Students’ Awareness
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Date
2018
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Université Mouloud Mammeri Tizi Ouzou
Abstract
This current study investigates teachers’ implementation of Language Functions and third year
students’ awareness of these functions in the Department of English at Mouloud Mammeri University
of Tizi Ouzou. Its aim is to discover to what extent third year students are aware of language
functions, to identify the main reasons behind third year students’ inappropriate use of language
functions, and to get insights into teachers’ way of implementing language functions. This research
relies on MAK Halliday’s theory of Systemic Functional Linguistics (1960), some assumptions about
language awareness (Hawkin, 1984) and its importance in EFL context, and some information about
the notion of communicative competence, which entails the mastery of language functions. To reach
the aforementioned aims, a mixed method research has been adopted to gather the necessary data.
This investigation has used the Quantitative Statistical Procedure to analyze the numerical data
gathered from the questionnaires, and Qualitative Content Analysis to interpret the qualitative data
collected from the open ended questions included in the questionnaires. The results of this study
demonstrate that almost all third year students of the department of English at MMUTO are not aware
of language functions. Though they are taught about language functions, they do not possess
appropriate knowledge about the use of language functions in different social contexts. The findings of
the questionnaires have also revealed that the students’ lack of awareness is one of the major reasons
that contribute to their inappropriate use of language functions, and this lack of awareness is due to a
certain extent to the way those functions are taught.
Description
30cm ; 63p.
Keywords
Language Functions, Teachers’ Implementations, Students’ Awareness, Language Awareness, EFL Context.
Citation
Didactics of Foreign Languages