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Acquisition and learning

Research fields
The student who is interested in acquisition and learning studies may focus their research on the following fields:
the acquisition of second languages
didactics of languages
specific aspects of the acquisition and didactics of languages in multilingual environments

Groups and research projects
The GR@EL group encompasses a host of research fields in the sphere of linguistics applied to the teaching and learning of languages, whilst taking into consideration the conclusions of the study of language acquisition phenomena:

a) Analysis of various approaches to language teaching and learning
b) Analysis of the learning processes in the classroom
c) Analysis of the didactic materials for formal learning
d) Analysis of discourse in the classroom
e) Analysis of the competences of language learners

GR@EL is a multilingual research group that works with the following languages: German, English, Catalan, Spanish and French.

1. Basic research in language learning processes.

Within this field there are two R&D research projects funded by the Ministry of Education and Science:

1.1 "The analysis and description of the critical discourse competence of university students in situations of academic communication (scientific communication and conferences) and public communication (journalism, the media)".

The aim is to identify university students' critical discourse competence of oral and written texts, in both first and second languages. The particular goal of this field if to have data regarding which competence students show they possess in the reception of (oral and written) texts in the academic and public spheres. Here, critical competence shall mean the ability to understand all that is not explicitly stated in discourse (inferences, presuppositions, ideology, perspective, modalization, and so on). Moreover, critical competence also includes the ability to be able to respond or react to texts and, consequently, entails oral and written productive skills. The texts that will be taken into consideration in the academic sphere are:

- The reception of oral texts: conferences and master classes, etc.
- The reception of written texts: bibliographical references of various types (scientific articles, encyclopedias, class manuals, and so on), administrative documentation, etc.
- The production of oral texts: speeches, presentations, etc.
- The production of written texts: reports, course papers, articles, exams, etc.
- Oral interaction: seminars, interviews, etc.
- Mediation: translation of written texts.

In the public sphere, those texts are:

- The reception of written texts: opinion columns, editorials, reports, interviews.
- The reception of oral texts: radio, television.
- The production of comment texts: letters to the press, complaints, formal oral comments.

In this analysis, not only will the characteristics of critical textual competence per se be studied, but also the contrasts between the mother tongue and a foreign language and between first and second languages, from both a social and an individual standpoint, will also be taken into consideration.

1.2 "The study of the metacognitive processes that intervene in the learning of linguistic skills (reception and preparation of texts, metalinguistic analysis, in all its sublevels)".

The other field of research that, as we mentioned, is closely linked to the previous one is the case of various didactic tools that serve to foster metacognitive strategies in the development of the aforementioned linguistic skills in the learning of foreign languages likewise in the university context (German, English and French, intermediate level). The strategic element is paramount to fostering the autonomy of the language learner and, consequently, to the type of teaching-learning that the Horitzó Bolonya advocates.

The aforementioned didactic tools are:

- Metacognitive guidelines
- Student portfolio
- Learning itineraries with stages for reflection on the process itself
- Pedagogic discourse in the form of guidance

All these instruments, with their impact on the learner (that is to say, it is on the basis of this impact that the learner develops a metacognitive competence which helps him/her to take control of the very learning process) will be studied in various learning situations, both for face-to-face learning and for learning in virtual environments.

In order to achieve this goal, the following prior reflections will be taken into consideration:

- In order to encourage autonomy, on the basis of their metacognitive component, the learning activities must be organized in a determined manner. Specifically, they must be in the form of learning itineraries that allow stages for reflection on language and the way of learning it to be included in activities involving the reception and preparation of texts.
- It is also necessary to incorporate 'accompanying instruments' for autonomous use, instruments that accompany the learning itineraries. Said instruments are specifically 'metacognitive guidance' and 'the portfolio'.
- Finally, the aforementioned instruments make an 'accompanying discourse' necessary (an accompanying discourse in the form of guidance). Specifically, it is the incorporation of an explicit and specific 'pedagogic discourse'.

2. The practical application of the empirical research results: The development of resources for learning languages in the university context.

With respect to the first research project mentioned, namely 'the analysis and description of the critical discourse competence of university students', the results of the studies undertaken will make it possible to develop specific didactic proposals to foster critical reading on the basis of the identified components. Consequently, instruments for the diagnostic evaluation of the critical discourse competence of university students will be designed and didactic materials will be prepared for the development and learning of this competence.

With respect to the second project, namely 'the study of the metacognitive processes that intervene in the learning of linguistic skills', the results of the studies undertaken will make it possible to prepare a host of specific products, in electronic format, for improving the aforementioned skills:

- An activities program, transversal to all the various languages, in order to foster the metacognitive processes in high level language learning. This program will have two applications: use by individuals and by class groups.

Researchers
The professors of the department who work in this field and who are able to guide students in their research are: