How to improve the English Listening skills through media?

Publié le 31 décembre 2011 par ibouanga

Content

Acknowledgements

Dedication

Introduction 1-3

Place of English in the Gabonese educational system 4-5

The role of instructional materials in the teaching/learning EFL process 5-7

Commentary on the use of media in Gabon 7-8

Ways of using media in EFL teaching 9-10

Examples of using media in the EFL listening skill 10-16

Conclusion 17-18

Bibliography 19-20

Introduction

Knowledge is a key that governs and influences the life of a man within society. To get and/or improve that knowledge, people usually rely on education which can be defined as a discipline that is mainly concerned with the methods of learning/teaching subject matters at schools or school like environments. As opposed to the various informal means of socialisation that brings us a various and scattered knowledge, education always implies learners (ready to receive the sound knowledge) and teachers (devoted to transmit the needed knowledge).

Teachers have often used tools to help them present the materials or subjects to be learned. Richards, J. C. and Renandya (2002:65-66) note that the teacher uses a textbook […], instructional materials […] as the basis for much of the language input learners receive […]. The role and uses of materials in a language programme is a significant aspect of language curriculum development. As we can see, tools or materials play a significant role both in the learning/teaching process and learners’ input/output understanding.

Tools are classified as “low tech” equipment, e.g.: chalk, chalk board, magic markers and poster papers, as those “low tech” and rudimentary elements have always been used in the ancient educational systems even in some modern ones. Other tools, by comparison, are “high tech” (tape records, slide projectors, film stripe projectors and laser disc players) are combined in the learning/teaching system. Many years ago, Stoller (1990: 10) noticed that the use of films and videotapes in both ESL and EFL contexts has become an increasing more important component of second language instruction.

Today, the advanced materials called “high tech” educational tools including computers and interactive software have been or are being introduced in educational systems. As a matter of fact, the uses of computer networks and information technologies or media are becoming an increasingly more important part of everyday work in almost any profession, especially in scientific areas and education. In developed countries, some schools or colleges such as Harvard University, Cambridge University have already begun building classroom facilities equipped with information technologies in hope of improving both learning and teaching processes (Phuong Tao 2003).

However, the use of media or information technologies has not yet spread to, nor introduced in the schools of some developing countries such as Gabon and Sierra Leone (Pemagbi 1995:53). This thus results in a two-tier educational system in which the haves continue to advance, while the have-nots stay behind.

Nevertheless, while learning English as a second or foreign language, many elements such as vocabulary, grammar-patterns, the four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) as well as the study of phonetics have to be taken into account, each with its specific challenges or difficulties. EFL speakers most of time meet serious challenges in terms of listening and speaking skills, even when they have quite an extensive general background in English.

In this report paper, I intend to demonstrate how the use of media could improve the EFL learners’ listening skill; that is how the use of media could help improving the EFL speakers’ listening and understanding in the communicative process, with a view to witness if media should have a significant place in English teaching/learning process within the Gabonese educational system. As Bertram, Randy, Andendorff, Reed and Roberts (2001:120) argue that learning should enable learners to live and to work more successfully in society. Listening and understanding are two critical skills needed to do this.

Media such as radios, televisions, computers and the internet offer a wide range of listening activities useful for learners to train and develop their listening skill (Phuong Tao 2003). Therefore, the use of the media in the teaching process can create listening and understanding opportunities for learners to become used to different accents, utterances and expressions. This will make it possible for them to follow the speech of a variety of native and/or foreign speakers: understanding the meaning produced by the speech is a necessary condition for communicative participation.

In what follows, I will first discuss the place of English in the Gabonese education system. Second; I will tackle the role of instructional materials used in the learning/teaching process. Next, I will offer a commentary on the use of media in the Gabonese educational system. After that, I want to suggest ways of using media in the EFL teaching process. In addition, I will provide some examples of using media in the EFL teaching. Finally, I am going to stress the importance of using the media on the EFL listening skill in the Gabonese context.

Place of English in the Gabonese educational system

In Gabon, the educational linguistic policy authorizes the learning/teaching of a wide range of foreign languages. In this way, the decision to study foreign languages is a personal choice made by learners depending on what for they can see worthwhile.

However, the Gabonese educational system sets up French and English as obligatory school foreign languages. Some years ago, Boucher (1997) noted that French is a language enabling intercommunication between the different ethno-linguistic groups and foreigners living in Gabon (my translation).

In addition, French is also the language of the administrations and the symbol of the French colonizer’s culture. Therefore, specific strategies and learning programmes have been set up and developed to learn French accurately and fluently, without direct influence on the other (foreign and native ) languages as English and Spanish.

The advent of independence in both African and Asian countries has reduced the colonizers’ influence. It has thus broadened the cultural impact on some peoples. Gabon is featured by a linguistic heterogeneity (many mother tongue languages) which imposes French as the medium language in intercommunication. In terms of educational linguistic policies using French as an official and intercommunicative language, the educational system has also set up English as an obligatory foreign language. In this way, a wide range of public and private schools offer English teaching/learning programmes according to the schedules set up by the ministry of the national education, including other foreign languages.

Situation of foreign languages in the Gabonese education system

Sources: Boucher’s Investigations (1997)

The analysis from this table shows that, among the different foreign languages taught in Gabon, English is learned by 84,7٪ of learners, followed by Spanish (57,6٪), German (10,10٪) and Italian (3,4٪). As a result, English appears to be the first foreign language (Boucher 1997). The reasons for focusing more on English as the first foreign language can be seen at different levels: to provide local English teachers; to have future translaters in the bilateral and multilatreal relations; to set English as a business language in the trade exchanges; to be opened to the Anglo-saxon culture; to facilitate study and reseach in the international fields. As we can see, English is taught and learned as a foreign language not as a random action, but to enable Gabonese (native born and foreign born) people to have an extensive general grounding in the use of English. As matter of fact, English compared to the other foreign languages (Spanish, German, Italian and Latin) is ranked as the first foreign language in the Gabonese linguistic educational system. However, taking into account that Gabon is a French speaking country, EFL local teachers – who are non-EFL native speakers– refer to a wide range of materials and tools in the EFL learning/teaching process.

The role of instructional materials in the EFL teaching/learning process

Whatever country, whatever subject matter and whoever the teacher, the use of instructional materials is of crucial importance. This seems to have serious consequences when English is taught without suitable instructional materials in both native and foreign speaking countries. However, the role of instructional materials is relevant and inestimable value for both teachers (in transmitting the sound knowledge and the linguistic mechanics of the target language) and learners (inputting and outputting the linguistic competence knowledge) in communicative language practice.

In Gabon, instructional materials can help “even poorly trained teachers” to plan their content syllabuses: structures, topics, functions related to the grammar-patterns. In addition, they can be used to create some practical classroom activities related to the linguistic competence: listening, speaking, reading and writing skills (Johnson 1982 and Prabhu 1983 cited in Richards and Rodgers 2001:29). This implies that the instructional materials enable teachers to decide what to talk about (subject matter) and ways and means how to deal with it (linguistic matter) in the teaching process.

Instructional materials can also help teachers to sustain their cultural and intellectual background and understanding related to the target language patterns (Richards and Rodgers 2001:30). For instance, through reference works, written documents and oral materials, EFL teachers can learn about cultural and historical features. As a result, the teachers’ knowledge will not be limited only to grammar patterns and linguistic features, but will be more broadly based.

For learners, the instructional materials offer a wide range exposure to language and can advance the input/output learning process. For instance, materials [can] allow learners to progress at their own rates of learning. Materials [can] allow for different styles of learning. Materials [can] provide opportunities for independent study and use. Materials [can] provide opportunities for self-evaluation and progress in learning (Richards and Rodgers 2001:30-31).

Instructional materials can also create a bridge between the learners and the EFL culture, social life and historical facts. They can offer learners self-discovery, self-learning process about the target language. By the same token, Crawford (2002) states that instructional materials can scaffold the work of both teachers and learners and even serve as agents of change, provided that they act as guides and negotiating points, rather than straitjackets. As we can see, the role of the instructional materials is of a great importance in catering both learning/teaching processes in the educational system. In order for them to play this role, they have to be carefully designed.

Since English has been introduced and practiced in the Gabonese educational system, a wide range of instructional materials have been used depending on the choices made by the counsellors, who are employed by the ministry of national education. Indeed, the provision of instructional materials in the Gabonese educational system does not take due of the teachers’ goals, or the learners’ needs. They are simply selected and imposed on both learners and teachers in the grades which form part of the compulsory programme.

The taxonomy of instructional materials is too limited in Gabon in that it does not offer a wide range of tools to be used. As a matter of fact, the main materials used in the educational system are essentially grammar books (specific edition for each of the grades) and some literary books or books which deal with historical, grammatical, literary and social features. Moreover, the teachers are not allowed to go beyond particular books presented for the grade, otherwise they will be charged with not enforcing the programme and not using books created or selected by the pedagogic inspectors: IPN

In most of Gabonese schools, the main materials or tools used are those classified as “low tech”: chalk, chalkboard, magic markers, poster papers, textbooks and grammar books. This unfortunately presents difficulties for the learning/teaching processes. To demonstrate this in concrete terms, I will analyse the use of media (in Gabonese educational system) in the next section.

Commentary on the use of media in Gabon

The political, social and economical situation of Gabon ranks it as a third world country; i.e. a poor country lacking development in terms of social facilities: hospitals, roads and particularly schools. Of course, one may say that there are many primary and secondary schools, some institutes and universities. But these schools experience difficulties in introducing a wide range of media use within the academic programmes. Roughly speaking, the term media can be used to refer to all organisations set up in forms of televisions, radios, newspapers, magazines and the internet used to provide news, information, education and entertainment to a wide range of people in society.

Media are qualified either “popular media”when they are used by large numbers of people; or “educational media” when they are used for educational learning/teaching purposes (Bertram et al. 2001). In Africa, only English-speaking countries (South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana) have made significant steps and advances in including the use of media in their educational programs.

However, for French speaking countries, except Senegal, there is no real advancement in using media in the educational programs (Tudesq 2006). In Gabon, the situation is alarming, even deplorable and reveals the characteristic of a poor country. Assuredly, when making visits to some Gabonese classrooms, and in my own experience, media was or is rarely used in primary or secondary schools, or at university during classroom activities.

The reasons for not using media are numerous. First, there is no evidence that government is seriously investing in revolutionizing the educational system with “high tech” materials because they are too expensive. Second, there are not sufficient trained teachers (in high tech materials) to monitor the technology or to see that is being appropriately used in the educational system. Third, there is a severe lack of adequate – showy equipment in terms of technologies, except at Nelson Mandela high school and Leon Mba high school. Then, there is massive misappropriation of public goods (TV sets and radios). Indeed, some dishonest teachers and staff help themselves to public goods with no risk of prosecution. This results in a critical shortage of these useful materials.

Moreover, during some class activities, few teachers ever make use of some newspaper articles (used as texts) and some cassettes (for listening activities) to vary their teaching methods, or to avoid being too teachers-centred. Finally, in the inland schools, there is no access to power (so as to enable connection of TV sets, internet and radios). In these areas, Learners and even teachers are totally disconnected from the world’s news and have no training in terms of computer technologies (internet, CD-ROM, laser disc players and slide projectors). As we can see, in the Gabonese educational system, either media are not used at all or they are used on rare occasions.

On this basis, three years ago, former education minister Professor Ona Ondo stated that the Gabonese educational system is sinking because there is a lack of suitable materials including educational media, facilities and good performance in terms of efficient teachers and appropriate school background (BBC News report 9 March 2004) The study made on the use of media in the Gabonese educational system has made it clear that media are not used or are used inefficiently in classroom activities. Accordingly, I intend to suggest ways of using media in the EFL teaching in the next part.

Ways of using media in EFL teaching

The need for better understanding of media and information is echoed internationally. As societies become “knowledge” or “information societies”, so our ability to understand […], to read critically and be media literate becomes vital to our productivity and power in society (Bertram et al. 2001:5-6). These authors want us to understand that media through can contribute to shape our society in different ways. Within the educational system, particularly in EFL teaching, media can be utilized in diverse ways.

First, media can be used as “administrative tools” (computers) in word-processing notes, tests, examination papers, lesson planning and writing, in gathering information and figures (newspapers and magazines) to create or select scholarly books. Therefore, school staff, teachers and learners who use media become more and more efficient in terms of organization (computer technologies), sources – journals and newspapers dealing with a specific scholarly project – (Bertram et al 2001). Second, media can be used as “teachers or tutors” in teaching and helping learners to have easy access to sound knowledge (Morley and Lawrence 1971, 1972, cited by Stoller 1990:10).

For many experts, this raises the question of good teaching tools or “media teachers” in terms of availability [a good teaching tool has no value if it is not available.], affordability [newspapers are cheap and so both instructors and students can afford to by them.], relevance [learning materials are more relevant, interesting and motivating if they are structured within the experience, culture (…) of the learners] (Pemagbi 1995: 54). Where suitable, media are available and they can act as teachers in the teaching process.

Then, media can also be used as “tutees” or executors in so far as they can be programmed to deal with instructions or commands in someone’s will (Bertram et al 2001: 217, 223). Here, media such as computers, TV sets, laser disc projectors and film slide projectors can perform (teach) a given subject matter and linguistic matter. Media can thus transform the educational process, makes it more effective and efficient. If we agree with Bertram (2001:120) that learning should enable learners to live and to work more successfully in society. Listening and understanding are two critical skills needed to do this. Consequently, particular attention is needed to work on those two skills. In the next section, I am going to provide some examples of using media to improve the listening skill within an EFL programme.

Examples of using media to develop listening skill in an EFL programme

Learning a foreign language implies putting an emphasis on communicative competence skills: i.e. being able to use the target language fluently and accurately to meet the communicative demands of a particular context and situation. But, this cannot happen without challenging the learners as well as creating opportunities for them to develop communicative competence. Assuredly, many learners of English encounter more difficulties in listening and speaking than in reading and writing (Lam 2002: 248). This, because in real communication, if the listener (addressee) cannot decode, analyse and understand the message from the sender, there will be some form of negative feedback. For intercommunication to occur, some form of “repair” must be made. This is not always an easy activity to do. Many applied linguists advocate for exposure – as a possible solution – to (extensive and intensive) listening practice or activities (Field 2002:248). In the Gabonese EFL programme, I will argue that the exposure to extensive and intensive listening activities can be provided through strategic use of media.

For instance, radios can be used to improve listening skill. Indeed, the Gabonese EFL learners can listen to the BBC and VOA language teaching programme (Pemagbi 1995:54). This will help them to be accustomed to the native speakers’ accents. This exercise is not only useful, but also profitable for both learners and teachers for they will unconsciously develop this capacity to listen to and to understand (making sense) what they have listened to.

Another advantage of radios is that “large numbers of learners can assemble around a receiver”. In this way, learners – who cannot afford themselves to possess high tech electronics for personal practice – will have the opportunity to be involved in a listening classroom activity. As we can see, even in remote areas radios can help teachers to contextualize their teaching activities.

Moreover, as Bertram (2001:96) argues radio models appropriate use of language […], provides a means for learners to practice listening and note – taking skills. Here, we must understand that the “note – taking activity”implies focused listening comprehension activities. Therefore, learners are engaged in identifying sounds and in giving meaning to these sounds.

In addition, radios can also be used to motivate (interests) learners. Assuredly, music is one of the biggest interests of all young people. Therefore, selecting specific English songs can generate a passion for listening to radio to leer music programmes. Hence, learners will be more and more exposed to English sounds. As the English words are sometimes derived from others, the Gabonese EFL learners will have the opportunities to use their knowledge to acquire more knowledge. They will, however, have to be alerted to this so they can activate their prior knowledge and use this to input new words, thus creating links with what they know.

Finally, radios can be used as audiotapes for listening and audio comprehension. In fact, teachers can record selected programmes, speeches, interviews and even EFL learners’ utterances which they can play and replay during listening classroom activities (CLL) In this way, learners can recognise and pronounce the familiar sounds and thus can they use them in the communication. For community language learning proponents argue that the most important skills are understanding [listening] and speaking the language at the beginning (Larsen-Freeman 2000: 101). This means that if learners can encode sounds as part of the meaning-making process. Therefore, they can easily use the target language for intercommunication.

Another medium that can be useful in enhancing the listening skill is the videotape. Assuredly, English films/videos, music and some documentaries can be very helpful in creating contextualizing lessons. Here, there is no translation; the meaning is conveyed directly through the images and sound – based practices (Larsen-freeman 2000: 23). In fact, the author wants to emphasize the fact that the audiovisual comprehension can develop listening skill. Concrete images can help learners to make meaning of what they have listened to (sounds), to analyse and to understand the utterances. This creates opportunities for meaningful communication in the target language. As Stoller (1990: 10) argues,

another value of films and videos lies in providing students with natural exposure to a wide variety of authentic speech forms of the target language, speech forms not normally encountered in the more restricted environment of the classroom.

The videotape has the power and capability to trigger and to enhance the audio and visual comprehension with suitable guidance for the teacher. Bertram (2001:109) states that television, because it combines both visual and auditive means of explaining concepts, can be a very powerful educational media.

Moreover, there are computer-based communicative classroom activities. For instance, Phuong Tao (2003) describes:

a multimedia lab, which contains a network of 30 computers, all hooked to a server […]. Each computer has a monitor and headphones and is installed with the Tanberg TLC 3000 program which allows the teachers to play cassette tapes, videotapes, CDs, DVDs […].

Those materials afford opportunities for daily exposure English conversations or situational intercommunications that can help the EFL learners to develop their listening comprehension skill. In a nutshell, introducing and using media in the educational system can be very profitable for EFL learners in so far as the high tech tools will create a contextualized educational environment. This environment can thus develop and improve the listening skill of learners.

However, except the high tech up mentioned, we should not neglect the contribution of ordinary media (low tech tools). Indeed, newspapers, magazines and literary texts may help in developing the communication skills (writing, reading, speaking and listening) via description, analysis and synthesis, comparison and contrast (Pemagbi 1995:53) in aural oral–based classroom activities. Of course, the listening skill (the subject of my study) is not directly addressed. But, if those educational materials are used in well scaffolded aural oral–based tasks, they will inevitably develop and improve the communication skills. Thus listening skill will also be improved indirectly.

Similarly, the literary recorded texts are very useful for EFL learners because they afford the ability to read literary texts with pleasure and understanding (listening) […], improve the communicative competence […] which is the final gaol of foreign students and their teachers (McRae and Boardman 1984:1). As we can see, even low tech tools (educational media – when used in aural oral activities – can help to develop (indirectly) the EFL listening skill obviously a very important skill in the intercommunication language use.

Audio visual tape classroom activities

The use of media as tools to improve the EFL listening skill in Gabon can be applied to all levels in secondary and high schools. But for this particular example, I have chosen the form three (4è). The activity can be dealt both with small and over crowded classes. To use audiovisual tape (and other media) in these classes, we should integrate pre-viewing (pre-listening), viewing (listening) and post-viewing (post-listening) activities into the subject matter. Teachers can fuse the three activities in the same time, or reserve the others for the next sessions. These activities are part of standard communicative activities (Stoller 1990:12-14). But, a good choice of audiovisual tape is strongly recommended (films, documentaries, animated cartoons and video clips).

Pre-viewing activities: they aim at making learners ready for the audiovisual activities, to stimulate students’ own background knowledge and to avoid frustration. The needs of the students and the specific gaols should be considered before deciding on the pre-viewing option.

1/ Student interviews/Polls: learners can interview or poll the other students about the issues related to the film/document. Here, the teacher should set up or prepare with learners the series of questions according to the purposes. Students can record their findings so that once the interviews/polls are completed, they can report finding to other students.

The questions can be form of ‘wh/questions’, including some other specific questions.

-where…? For the setting

-when…? For time (past, present and future)

-who…? For the characters

-how…? For the manners and links (circumstances)

-why…? For the causes and consequences

-what for…? For the interest of using the tape

2/Problem solving: an issue can be presented to learners who will analyse, examine it and try to sort it out. Afterwards, they can report the possible solutions to the whole classroom.

3/ Discussion of the document (videotape/documentary/animated cartoon): learners can analyse the title of the document so as to find hyperlinks between the real life and the situation on the videotape document.

4/Summary of the document: the teacher can bring a series of questions helpful to understand the tape. Then learners, referring to these questions can sum up the main ideas and details.

5/ Information-Gap Exercises: learners can be asked to fill in a grid to assess their pre-knowledge about the topic, what they have listened to and understood from that topic.

6/ Dictionary/vocabulary work: while viewing or listening to the videotape, learners can discover new words and expressions .To help facilitate their understanding, they should be allowed to use dictionaries. Similarly, vocabulary activity should be dealt with the teachers who help understand the meaning in the context of the videotape.

Viewing activities: the gaols of the viewing activities are to develop the communicative skills in general. More specifically, to improve the EFL listening in real life communication (reciprocal and non-reciprocal listening). While viewing the videotape, learners can be asked to deal with different tasks. The activities described below can be taken into account or reshaped according to the purpose.

1/ Directed listening: learners can be required to listen for general and specific information, and details that can help them to understand the topic.

2/ Information Gathering: here, learners can be asked to select and write down relevant information and details. This task very important for it will enable the teacher to evaluate the learners’ degree of comprehension.

3/ Videotape interruption: from time to time, the videotape can be stopped in order to allow learners to take some notes, share their understanding (within the group), to discuss the content, to predict what will follow in the last sequences.

4/ More screening: As Gabon is a French speaking country, while performing the viewing activities, the videotape can be replayed many times so as to allow learners well input (careful and selecting listening) the information and to activate the communicative skills.

Post-viewing activities: the main gaols of the post-viewing activities are to develop the communicative skills, to stimulate listening skills, to help learners organise their information input in speaking, viewing and listening activities.

1/ In-class Polls/Interviews: learners can either interview their classmates (in order to trigger intercommunication and exchange of information) or to report orally their findings to the all class.

2/ Summary: learners can be asked to sum up the main points and details in the videotape. This will allow the teacher to assess what the learners have retained from the videotape topic.

3/ Discussion/Comparisons/Agreement/Disagreement activities: Orally or in written form, learners can be asked to discuss, to analyse facts, issues and details; to compare what they have discovered with they knew before about the topic. This will give rise to reactions and/or debates on part of the learners. Other media materials can be used to underpin the learners’ arguments.

To improve the EFL listening in Gabonese classrooms, the previous activities (pre-viewing, viewing and post-viewing) described above are samples of series of classroom activities which can be used to initiate and develop communicative skills. More specifically, my intention is to show how radios, televisions and computers can contribute to develop the listening skills, hence the communicative skills for understanding and communicative use of the target language.

Conclusion

As an epilogue to this study on how to improve the EFL listening skill through the use of media in Gabon, I will give a synopsis of the key points:

The Gabonese educational system, particularly the educational linguistic heterogeneity sets up English as both an obligatory language and a foreign (not compulsory). English is learned by more than 84.7٪ of the students in Gabon.

Instructional materials (media not necessarily included) should play a significant role in the teaching/learning process in Gabon. They can help teachers to

Plan their content based–syllabus: topics, to create linguistic competence activities (subject matter and linguistic matter), for the learners and to sustain their knowledge (cultural and intellectual).

Provide opportunities for learners: to be exposed to the target language, in the input/output learning process, to discover the culture, historical facts and social life of the native speakers. Instructional materials, in terms of media, are limited to poster papers, newspapers, magazines and few tapes (cassettes).

Real media, especially the educational media as television, radio, computers and other ordinary media are rarely used, if at all in the Gabonese educational system. At present, there has been no announcement from the public authorities, or even private entrepreneurs that this situation is due to change.

To improve the EFL listening skill in Gabon, both educational and popular media can be used:

- To underpin learners’ input/output learning process (assistant role) and to provide learners with information and knowledge (resource role).

- As educational administrative tools: to organize and perform educational–based tasks (texts, sources, examination papers).

- As media executors: to perform orders and other programmed tasks. Different examples of materials for the listening–based activities are:

Radio shows

TV shows

Excerpts from BBC and VOA.

Audiotape and Audiovisual tape

Computer software.

The importance of using media in the Gabonese EFL classrooms lies in:

Creating opportunities for exposure real life and English contexts.

Providing richer input.

Developing the communication and competence skills.

Creating dynamic classroom activities: description, debate, analysis, comparison.

Improving the teaching/learning process in all fields.

Creating data–based sources for learners, teachers and researchers.

Roughly speaking, the use of media could help to develop the communicative skills or multi-lingual skills. More specifically, to improve the listening skills: selective listening, careful listening, critical listening, creative listening, perceptive listening appreciative listening and evaluative listening. The importance of using media in EFL classroom activities lies on creating real life contexts, improving the listening and comprehension skills of the students; two important skills (including the others) needed to in (encouraging) natural language learning and successful use of the target language. In this way, learning English (if learners can easily listen to and understand the meaning of the speeches) will no longer be a difficult task, but a passion and a real source of information.

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msha.fr/msh/public/en_ligne/retafriq/home.htm. [15 May 2007].

- Pedagogic National Institute that is a cabinet of the national educational Ministry. It is in charge of crafting and drafting educational programs, selecting school instructional materials and orientating national educational policies

CLL is the community language Learning method which focuses on the “whole – person” learning process.meaning that teachers consider not only their students’ intellect, but also have some understanding of the relationship among students’ feeling, physical reactions, instinctive protective reactions, and the desire to learn (Larsen-Freeman 2000:88).

	First Language	Second Language	Third Language
English	84,7 ٪	5 ٪	11,8 ٪
Spanish	3,4٪	57,6٪	0٪
Arabic	0٪	5٪	11,9٪
German	0٪	10,1٪	32٪
Italian	0٪	1,7٪	3,4٪
Portuguese	0٪	1,7٪	3, 4٪
	First Language	Second Language	Third Language
English	84,7 ٪	5 ٪	11,8 ٪
Spanish	3,4٪	57,6٪	0٪
Arabic	0٪	5٪	11,9٪
German	0٪	10,1٪	32٪
Italian	0٪	1,7٪	3,4٪
Portuguese	0٪	1,7٪	3, 4٪
What I know about the topic	What I am sure of about the topic	What I hope to learn about the topic