El aprendizaje y la mejora de la competencia comunicativa en alumnos universitarios. Proyecto de investigación

Juan Lucas Onieva López / Concepción Torres Begines 6 | P á g i n a I S S N : 1988-8430 El aprendizaje y la mejora de la competencia comunicativa en alumnos universitarios. Proyecto de investigación Learning and improvement of the communicative competence in university students. Research project Juan Lucas Onieva López Universidad de Málaga. Facultad de Educación. Departamento de Didáctica de la Lengua y al Literatura [email protected] Concepción Torres Begines Miembro del grupo de investigación HUM550.Universidad de Sevilla [email protected]m DOI: 10.17398/1988-8430.24.1.6 Recibido el 10 de enero de 2016 Aprobado el 26 de mayo de 2016 Tejuelo, nº 24 (2016), págs. 6-30. El aprendizaje y la mejora de la competencia… I S S N : 1988-8430 P á g i n a | 7 Resumen: El presente artículo es el resultado de un proyecto de investigación que llevamos a cabo con estudiantes universitarios del grado de educación primaria de la Universidad de Málaga durante cinco meses. Teniendo en cuenta su deficiente dominio de la expresión oral y gestual, y con el objetivo de que mejorasen sus competencias comunicativas les propusimos la realización de diferentes actividades, tales como presentaciones de temas, exposiciones, dramatizaciones y talleres, así como improvisando y recreando ejercicios para diferentes contextos didácticos. En el estudio creamos y validamos nuestro test con el que los estudiantes se evaluaron y a través del cual pudimos conocer su nivel de adquisición y mejora de las habilidades de expresión oral y gestual. Palabras claves: Expresión oral; didáctica; competencia comunicativa; gestualidad; estudiantes universitarios. Abstract: This article is the result of a research project conducted during five months with university students from the degree in Primary Education at the University of Malaga. Due to their deficient command over the oral and gestural expressions and looking for the improvement of their communicative competences, several activities were proposed. For example: topic presentations, expositions, roleplaying and workshops; in addition to improvisation playing and development of activities related to diverse didactic contexts. Along this research, we create and validate the test used by the students for their self-evaluation. Through it we could know their level of acquisition and improvement of the oral and gestural abilities. Keywords: oral expression; communicative competence; body-language; university students; didactics. Juan Lucas Onieva López / Concepción Torres Begines 8 | P á g i n a I S S N : 1988-8430 1. Introduction In the recent years, we have been able to confirm the lack of fluency in the command of the oral and body languages presented by the majority of our students from the Education School at the University of Malaga. This aspect is especially significant in terms of oral and gestural expressions. This is highly alarming considering that they will become teachers in the future, becoming their voice and body their main work tools. In addition, their attitude will be a reflection of their professionalism and commitment with their students’ training. The control over the communicative competence is essential due to the fact that it doesn’t only contributes significantly to the integral development of the individual self, but because it helps us to success in our relationship with the environment an collaborates in our duty of being valued by others for what we say and the way we express ourselves (Carnegie, 2011). For this reason, and considering that our society is immersed in a process of continuous change, it is necessary for the young individuals to acquire, develop and command the communicative competence throughout their lives in a more functional than theoretical way (López, 2002). For the purpose of helping our young university students to improve their communicative competences, we have accomplished a project that takes two groups as a sample, a total of 122 students from the Education School, specialization of Primary Education, at the University of Malaga. This study is based on a detailed working plan used during the course. During its time of application, the students accomplished projects, activities and periodical evaluations with the aim of developing and improving their oral and gestural expression through presentations, expositions and workshops. In addition to these, we also included some activities referred to the improvisation and recreation skills in a wide range of didactic contexts. In the same manner, we reached, besides the consequent rise of their auto-esteem Tejuelo, nº 24 (2016), págs. 6-30. El aprendizaje y la mejora de la competencia… I S S N : 1988-8430 P á g i n a | 9 and self-confidence, the improvement of their creativity by the development of projects. These taught them how to transmit and inspire the communicative competence to their future pupils in an inspiring and stimulant way. With this aim, we used (among other resources) ICT tools, debates, drama activities and lecture and literature workshops. 2. Theoretical frame 2.1. Educative limitations for the improvement of the oral expression at Higher Education Since they were born the individuals keep acquiring (both in the familiar and educational environment) a wide experience in informal speaking for situations that require a low level of reflection and speaking control. But those same individuals, as they mature and succeed in different educative and academic stages, don’t stand out in their superlative domination of oral and gestural expression in more formal and complex communicative situations. In that regard, Romero (2001: 9) criticize the thoughts presented by many parents and educators who declare that “a hablar se aprende de manera espontánea y que los niños y niñas llegan a la escuela sabiendo hablar”. This is one of the reasons why a deficient training in the oral and gestural expression exists in the classroom. At the present, there is a general tendency to elaborate the academic programs (since primary school) giving a priority to the reading and writing skills at expense of the oral expression (Recasens, 2003). The most significant reasons are, according to Recasens: 1) the Grammar study implies an important and ancient tradition; 2) the presumption that the students learn how to speak and listen in a natural way, and 3) the young students keep quiet if they are reading or filling cards rather than conversing. We have to consider that if a university student that is going to become a teacher doesn’t receive an appropriate training on how to express himself/herself in different social situations, it will become very hard to surpass the existing barriers of teaching oral expression at the schools. Juan Lucas Onieva López / Concepción Torres Begines 10 | P á g i n a I S S N : 1988-8430 Another aspect that impedes the teaching of oral and gestural expression at school is the fact that some teachers based their educational philosophy on traditional learning methods. This way, they usually give priority to the domination of different aspects of the linguistic system (learn how to use the verbal modes and pronominal forms). To reach this objective they present activities oriented to the formal analysis of the language, which limits the education to a correct knowledge of the grammatical code and causes a lack of dominance over the oral expression (Zuccherini, 1992). Under these traditional methods of teaching the language, the problem of the “mistakes” becomes a nightmare for the student. The main reason is the consideration of the linguistic work as a constant correction of the student, who is not going to stop making mistakes in his/her own learning process. This way, the correction becomes a form of repression for his/her creativity and expression, which, in addition, reduces his/her motivation and self-confidence. The traditional teaching method has supposed a bad influence on the students’ training regarding the oral expression. Except for the primary school period, the teacher is the only one who usually communicates in an oral way while he/she asks his/her students to remain silent, becoming the only one who can speak while the students are writing and reading (Villanueva, 2013). If for the second language acquisition, the realization of oral exams is a need and most of the time is devoted to speak in that language, why the importance of the oral expression is forgotten in the teaching of the first language and the priority is given to writing and reading? In addition to the previously mentioned limitations, another barrier that prevent us from an adequate learning of the communication skill is the fact that the students don’t receive any help to face feelings such as shame, fear of making a mistake, fear of speaking in public and to improve their self-esteem. According to Brown (2010), shame is the fear of feeling ourselves rejected, a universal feeling that is not present in the classroom’s conversations and, consequently, it is suffered by the most insecure students or the ones who has very little confidence. Feeling shame or fear is good when it helps us to contain ourselves in certain situations. The negative aspect appears when the individual contains the desire to express his/her thoughts or feelings because “he/ Tejuelo, nº 24 (2016), págs. 6-30. El aprendizaje y la mejora de la competencia… I S S N : 1988-8430 P á g i n a | 11 she is not important enough to…”. This attitude leads to questions such as: “is it important for others what I think?” “if I fail, will they laugh at me?”; “what if I go blank?”, “I am sure what I am about to say is a stupid thing, it is better if I keep quiet”; “my reputation will collapse if what I am about to say is senseless”; or, “it is better if I don’t raise my hand. At least, it a stupid thing and although it is interesting, anyone is going to understand it”. Several people come to think that their comments and questions are not going to be accepted by others and they will be isolated for what they could say and who they are, being a source of mockery due to a simple ineptitude or a mistake. To improve the use of the language in an integrated way and from an educational methodology (distanced from the mere imitation, repetition and memorization of formal grammatical structures) the teaching and learning processes of the oral expression need to start from an early age. In contraposition to this, we should prepare activities and strategies to offer the students opportunities to cooperate with an active response (Reyzábal, 1993), encouraging the skills referred to the reflection and critical thinking. 2.2. Improvement of the communicative competence at schools To be a good or a bad communicator doesn’t necessarily imply to have a perfect control over the lexicon or the grammatical rules. On the contrary, it does imply to be motivating, convincing, entertaining and effective in his information. Consequently, only a constant training and a continuous practice would achieve the goal of becoming a professional in this field. Although in many aspects of our life personal and professional success implies the control over the communicative competence, “reducir toda la comunicación humana al uso de un código es, de entrada, descriptivamente inadecuado” (Escandell, 2005: p.15). For this reason, it is important to get rid of the generalized idea that several people expressing themselves in a superior oral way is debt to their acquisition of the ability in an inherent way. As a response to this though, López (2002) affirms that, although it is true that some people can stand out among others due to their possession of innate abilities Juan Lucas Onieva López / Concepción Torres Begines 12 | P á g i n a I S S N : 1988-8430 (such as the linguistic competence that facilitates the learning of manifestations related to oral and written languages), a formative process is needed to improve or acquire those abilities. If, in order to achieve a superior oral expression we need a constant practice, it is equally important to have as referees or models individuals who are superior in their use of the communicative competence, such as orators, pedagogues or educators. They must act in a very sensitive way while helping their pupils to learn how to communicate in a more efficient way. If among the teacher duties we can find the ability to guide, innovate, organize, stimulate, motivate and being a model, interlocutor and mediator in the classroom (Mendoza, 2003), to be professional, competent and motivating in this field it is also necessary to have control over the language, a “competencia básica en el desempeño profesional de todo maestro, pedagogo, en definitiva, de cualquier educador cuyo trabajo implicará necesariamente el trabajo con personas en contextos diferentes” (Fernández, 2008: 27). Promoting the control over the communicative competence also involves helping other people improve their self-esteem, their selfconfidence and their capability to socialize. This way they will learn how to act in diverse environments, with different kinds of people and to solve conflicts and problems through dialogue and respect, with a peaceful attitude and full responsibility of their actions. For this reason, it is necessary for the teachers to take advantage of their students’ qualities and favor their integral development, preventing them from their inhibition, subjugation and normalization (Reyzábal, 1993). In that regard, Zuchherini (1992) recommends to create a distance between the teacher and the students, which involves a more objective attitude at the moment of the moderation and regulation of the oral interventions accomplished by the students. This includes the moments when they defend their research works or make personal contributions, specially the in case of assemblies, debates and discussions. For the improvement of the communicative competence, Núñez (2002) proposes, for different educational stages, a language learning based on: 1) renovation of the old rhetoric (the art of speaking in Tejuelo, nº 24 (2016), págs. 6-30. El aprendizaje y la mejora de la competencia… I S S N : 1988-8430 P á g i n a | 13 public); 2) fomentation of the reading and the critical thinking; 3) creation of a space inside the classroom for the radio; 4) employment of dramatization and theatre as didactic resources to promote a regular and formal use of the language and the imagination; 5) employment of the video camera to analyze the work made in class; 6) promotion of language and literature workshops. 3. Research proposal 3.1. Research objective The main objective of our research was to improve certain aspects of the oral and gestural communicative skills in two groups of students facing their second year of their Degree in Primary Education at the University of Malaga. For this project, we decided to work with them during the time assigned in the class schedule to the Didactics of the Language and Literature subject. Furthermore, we tried to promote the students’ communicative skills, both oral and written, according to the objectives of the subject and making use of the ITC resources. To that effect, we prepared a detailed work planning to provide the students some activities and strategies to carry out the oral interventions in class, such as the use of diverse audiovisual resources. The learning process was evaluated through a questionnaire based on 30 items that we created and that was validated. According to it, the students evaluated aspects related to the oral and gestural expressions used in their public interventions. 3.2. Research questions Are there any differences between the first self-evaluation (T1) and the last one (T5)? Are there any significant differences between the different questionnaires (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5)? Are there any significant differences between the first selfevaluation and the peer-review questionnaires? Juan Lucas Onieva López / Concepción Torres Begines 14 | P á g i n a I S S N : 1988-8430 Are there any significant differences referred to the sex or the group? 3.3. Research hypotheses Invalid research hypotheses: There are no significant differences between the first self-evaluation (T1) and the last one (T5). There are no significant differences between the peer-review evaluations (T2, T3, T4). There are no significant differences between the first self-evaluation and the peer-review evaluations. There are no significant differences referred to the sex and the group. 3.4. Research project Our research project was structured in four phases. During the first one, we informed the students about the project and we requested their collaboration. Subsequently, we exposed, in detail and through several examples, the thirty items that composed the questionnaire. This way, the students could illustrate different situations where, for example, the individuals don’t express themselves fluently, aren’t convincing, move too much while speaking or don’t express the ideas with enough modulation and a suitable volume. Once the items were analyzed and understood, we delivered every student the questionnaire (T1) for the self-evaluation. The second phase consisted in working with the students different aspects related to the feelings of shame and insecurity that appeared while they were speaking in public. During the first week, and in an intensive way, we oriented and encouraged them to participate in a debate about this topic in the classroom. In addition, we facilitated them diverse strategies and resources so they could learn through the activities how to surpass the difficulties that appear when they are Tejuelo, nº 24 (2016), págs. 6-30. El aprendizaje y la mejora de la competencia… I S S N : 1988-8430 P á g i n a | 21 Table 3. Matrix of the main components contained in the questionnaires QUESTIONNAIRE-1. PRE-SELF-EVALUATION Matrix of the components Item Component 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 28, .740 -.328 4, .687 -.402 19, .682 23, .679 -.353 14, .670 -.362 20, .653 .326 15, .651 -.322 27, .648 10, .630 -.443 21, .621 .332 6, .615 .349 -.305 30, .602 -.362 17, .596 -.347 -.370 7, .591 -.377 22, .588 .371 18, .580 -.366 QUESTIONNAIRE-5. POST-SELF- EVALUATIONN Matrix of the components Item Component 1 2 3 4 7, .811 6, .766 5, .671 .390 29, .613 .308 8, .558 .485 .307 16, .540 .408 .411 21, .518 .319 22, .471 .395 .364 9, .460 .441 .351 10, .451 .408 .409 2, .750 .312 3, .688 1, .311 .688 4, .438 .543 .305 20, .377 .514 .363 .311 Juan Lucas Onieva López / Concepción Torres Begines 22 | P á g i n a I S S N : 1988-8430 11, .577 -.353 -.369 12, .573 -.313 -.360 24, .568 16, .567 -.380 .313 .302 25, .563 .460 29, .558 -.301 .451 13, .549 1, .535 .366 .326 2, .533 .434 .504 26, .524 .502 -.363 8, .522 .448 9, .519 -.384 .364 3, .493 .515 .485 5, .517 .584 15, .333 .471 .340 .358 19, .691 .412 28, .468 .683 26, .363 .641 27, .493 .591 30, .353 .579 17, .576 .338 18, .460 .563 25, .434 .464 .433 11, .314 .747 24, .351 .684 12, .371 .645 13, .330 .630 14, .463 .607 23, .433 .316 .447 Tejuelo, nº 24 (2016), págs. 6-30. El aprendizaje y la mejora de la competencia… I S S N : 1988-8430 P á g i n a | 23 Table 4 shows the decreasing evolution of the students’ learning process from the initial 7 dimensions to 4 in the last questionnaire. Both in that table and number 3 we can see how the knowledge of the 30 items stop being so abstract and dispersed, becoming gathered in four main topics. Questionnaires Pre-Self- E. (T1) Peer- Review-E1 (T2) Peer- Review-E2 (T3) Peer- Review-E3 (T4) Post Self-E. (T5) Dimensions 7 6 6 5 4 Table 4. Dimensions according to the questionnaires and the learning process 4.2. Comparative analysis of the averages presented in the questionnaires In table 5 we can see the average score obtained by all the students in each questionnaire. Next, we will analyze if this evolution (from the first questionnaire (T1) to the last one (T5) is significant or not when we compare the data obtained. Table 5. Comparison between the different measures obtained from the questionnaires To the question if any significant differences exist between the first self-evaluation (T1) and the last one (T5), with a temporary distance of 12 weeks, the response is that a difference of 0.8 points is Juan Lucas Onieva López / Concepción Torres Begines 24 | P á g i n a I S S N : 1988-8430 shown between the averages. Taking in consideration that the significant value of T5 regarding T1 is 0 points, we can affirm that significant differences exist. For this reason, we reject the invalid hypotheses and accept the alternate hypotheses, due to the existence of an improvement in the learning process of the oral and gestural communicative skills of the students based on the self-evaluation tests. To the question if any significant differences exist between the questionnaires used to accomplish the peer-review evaluations and comparing the data obtained from questionnaires T2, T3 and T4, the response is that there are no significant differences between them, although a progressive rise of the averages exists. The difference between T2 (4.11 points) and T3 (4.28) is 0.16 points and with an index of significance of 1. Consequently, it is not significant. The same occurs between T3 (4.29 points) and T4 (4.37 points), with a difference of 0.095 points of average and with an index of significance of 0.93. There are no significant differences. In the case of the questionnaires T2 and T4, with a difference of 0.26 between their averages, according to the statistical data, there are differences with a level of significance of 0.49. Therefore, we accept the invalid hypotheses and affirm that between the learning process and during the peer-review evaluations, no significant differences appeared, although there was a progressive increase of the learning. Tejuelo, nº 24 (2016), págs. 6-30. El aprendizaje y la mejora de la competencia… I S S N : 1988-8430 P á g i n a | 25 Table 6. Comparison between the tests’ averages To the question if any significant differences exist between the first questionnaire (T1) and the rest of them, according to the fist selfevaluation completed by the students, they had a perception of their own oral and gestural expression valued at an average score of 3.37 points with regard to a maximum of 6 (outstanding), meaning it was “acceptable”. As we accomplished the consecutive questionnaires and the peer-review evaluations, the average score increased to 4.11 points in the second questionnaire (T2), 0.74 points more than the first one, with a level of significance of 0.02. With regard to T3, the rise reached an average scores of 4.28 points, 0.9 points more that in T1, with a level of significance of 0. With regard to the last peer-review test (T4) and reaching to 4.37 points, 1 point more than T1 and with a level of significance of 0, we can reject the invalid hypotheses and accept the alternate hypotheses according to which there are significant differences with the rest of the tests. In graphic 7 we can see the difference between the last peerreview test (T4) and the last self-evaluation, with a difference of 0.17 average points and a level of significance of 0.6. Juan Lucas Onieva López / Concepción Torres Begines 26 | P á g i n a I S S N : 1988-8430 Table 7. Differences between the average scores and the level of significance of the tests To the question if any significant differences referred to the sex exist, it only happened statistically in 5 of 30 items, of which 4 are related to Dimension 3. It is worth stressing that the girls obtained higher values with respect to the boys in 4 of the 11 items of Dimension 3, which is referred to how to express feelings, enthusiasm and spontaneity through a suitable body language and visual contact. To the question if there are any differences between groups, significant differences exist in 8 of 30 items. Among them, one is referred to Dimension 1, another to Dimension 2 and 6 to Dimension 3. Regarding group 1, where there were more girls than boys, we see a non-significant relation between the differences by sex and group. Conclusions Although it is true that among the students who have access to the university exists a poor training in oral and gestural expression, one of the possible causes could be that their teachers haven’t been trained during their academic training in these communicative abilities. Therefore, they have not being able to teach it to their students due to their lack of knowledge about the topic. Nowadays, the future teachers Tejuelo, nº 24 (2016), págs. 6-30. El aprendizaje y la mejora de la competencia… I S S N : 1988-8430 P á g i n a | 27 can be trained at the university on oral and gestural expression through subjects such as “Didactic strategies for the development of verbal and written communication”, “Didactics of Spanish Language” or “Drama”, as long as their teachers have the appropriate training and are concerned about the competence and effectiveness of their students according to their future job. From our point of view, the data obtained from the first self-evaluation (T1) were excessively positive due to the fact that some students with an evident poor or deficient capability of express themselves in public or for making a good exposition valued themselves with 4 or 5 points being 6 the maximum. We wished to evaluate in a more objective way the oral expression of the students with the peerreview evaluations. After twelve weeks, we could observe a notable and evident improvement in almost the totality of the students, thanks partly to the high quantity of activities and projects accomplished in the classroom. This increased the opportunities given to the students to practice and improve their verbal and gestural abilities. In addition, the interest and the constant and voluntary participation of the students facilitated the learning process. In the different questionnaires, specifically in the peer-review evaluations, we could detect the existence of a gradual evolution in the training that was observed and valued by the students. In our opinion, these evaluations were quite low in many cases, sometimes among students of the same group, due to feelings of rivalry and competition that existed between them. This reason why we think they were not significant between them, but the progress was still evident and significant. Perhaps, if the first self-evaluation had been accomplished in a more objective way, the improvement in the development of the oral and gestural expression of the students would be more significant. This is an aspect we must improve in future researches. With the second and last self-evaluation, we could confirm that the students were concerned about their improvement in the learning process, aspect confirmed by the peer-review evaluations, although in many cases, the students were tough with themselves. The improvements were higher than the data provided by the young participants of the research in this last questionnaire. If we could have Juan Lucas Onieva López / Concepción Torres Begines 28 | P á g i n a I S S N : 1988-8430 kept working over the following weeks with the students, involving them in more projects and activities related to the improvement of their communicative competence, either only with them or collaborating with other teachers, we think we could have achieved more positive results. Regarding the questionnaire used to value the progress of their abilities referred to their oral and gestural expression, according to the data obtained after the analysis was made, it is a reliable and valid tool to identify the evolution of the students as regards to their verbal expression. To sum up, the project was effective, not only on the students, but also for the establishment of a starting point for future researches and collaborations with other teachers and schools, in addition to the students who would like to improve their communicative competence. Bibliography Araujo, J. C. 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