How can I improve my practice so that students spend more time communicating with myself and with others in the target language?

Seán Mac Corraidh

INTRODUCTION

In this assignment I report on an action research project I undertook in an attempt to maximise students' opportunities to interact through the medium of the target language (TL) during formal teaching time on a part-time BA Honours Course in Modern Irish Language and Literature. The assignment involves accreditation for a module entitled 'The Professional as Researcher', part of the taught element of an EdD degree course which I am presently pursuing. Nevertheless, it is important to mention here that reflection in and on teaching (Schon, 1983) and modifications of practice have always been integral to my work as a nursery teacher (1984-87), a primary teacher (1989-98), a teacher educator (1998-2002) and a third level lecturer (2002-). On leaving the primary classroom I published a series of reflective articles (Mac Corraidh, 1998a, b; 1999a, b, c, d, e) in the hope of illuminating their potential contribution to professional discourse around the complexities of Irish-medium education.

I feel that this action research enquiry afforded me the opportunity to work in the direction of some of my educational values. Firstly, I feel that adult learners should have opportunities to explore their learning during non-contact times and that learning should take place at all times and in all contexts. Secondly, I believe that a knowledge of the Irish language may provide adults and children in this society with a much wider cultural and educational experience in much the same way as Baker (1995, pp 10-1) wrote of the advantages of bilingualism as an awareness of 'different systems of behaviour, folk sayings, stories, histories, traditions, ways of meeting and greeting'. The outcomes of this project have been educative both to myself and to the students. The educativity for me lies in learning which teaching methods are least and most effective and for the students in realising that second language learning is a marathon task. The first section involves the background to the project, my reasons for wanting to research second language teaching and learning methods, personal and locational contexts of the research and a review of some of the literature on this area. My engagement with the methodology of action research, and the research design and ethical issues form the second section. I describe the project itself in section three and findings are laid out in section four. My learning from carrying out the project and its significance make up section five. Finally, conclusions and a reflective consideration of the action research approach are offered in section six.

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