Francais langue etrangere en milieu homoglotte et alloglotte: quels enseignements pour quelles pratiques effectives, quelles pratiques effectives apres quels enseignements? (French as a Foreign Language in Homoglot and Alloglot Environments: What Lessons To Teach for Which Effective Practices, Which Effective Practices Follow What Lessons?)

The articles in this volume are based on a survey of language learners carried out at five Swiss universities. The surveys (done through interviews and questionnaires) concern the ways that students encounter their second language (French) outside the classroom, and which of those practices are the most effective in improving their French. The research reveals the experience of language learners in "everyday" situations, and examines when and why the subjects use their second language outside of class. These articles also deal with the social context of language learning, especially as students move in and out of situations in which they belong to the linguistic majority or the linguistic minority. This research addresses the difference between communicative competence and grammatical skill, and the fact that students' linguistic competence reflects not only on their intellectual capability but also on their identity. Knowing how students use what they learn in the classroom, and what difficulties they encounter in those real-life situations, helps teachers and teacher-educators to make second language classes relevant to students' use of language and to take advantage of the increased autonomy of language learners in "immersion" situations. (JSS)