[Thesis defence] 24 October 2023 - Lina Marìa Serna Moreno: "Argument to persuade and get along in French as a target language" (ICTT)

Date and place

Colombia, Armenia, Quindío.

University of Quindío

Time: 12.45pm Armenia, Colombia and 7.45pm France

Discipline

Language sciences

Laboratory

ICTT Cultural Identity, Text and Theatricality

Framing

• Annemarie Dinvaut

Composition of the jury

• Véronique FILLOL, University of New Caledonia - Rapporteur
• Claude FINTZ, Emeritus University of Grenoble Alpes - Rapporteur
• Sandra TOMC, Jean Monnet University - Examiner
• Angelmiro GALINDO, University of Quindío - Examiner
• Annemarie DINVAUT, University of Avignon - Thesis supervisor

Summary of the thesis

In this thesis, I examined how the implementation of a multimodal metapragmatic approach improves the written and oral argumentation of fourth-semester learners enrolled in a modern languages degree course at the University of Quindío in Colombia. Two argumentative genres were studied: the production of persuasive opinion pieces and the negotiation of agreements.

The theoretical foundations of the present study are drawn from the sciences of language and education and the didactics of foreign languages. Thus, I explored the theory of argumentation of Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca (2000), the textual models of Anglo-Saxon linguistics (Kintsch and Van Dijk, 1978; Van Dijk, 1988), the theory of communicative action and negotiation of agreements of Habermas (1991) and the metapragmatic and multimodal approach to teaching.

My methodology is that of descriptive action research with a qualitative approach. Four stages were developed in line with the research objectives: diagnosis, design, implementation and evaluation. The data collection instruments were: an argumentative written production test in French as a foreign language of the persuasive opinion article, an evaluation grid for the argumentative written production test in French as a foreign language of the persuasive opinion article, the learners' portfolio, the teacher's diary, the oral debate (transcription) and structured observation of the oral debate.

Here are the main results: although improvements were observed at the organisational and pragmatic levels, learners should continue to improve their mastery of the logical relationship between arguments and the persuasive function of the position to be defended, as well as the relationship between the conclusion and the persuasive socio-pragmatic function. I have also noted that the active presence of learners in critical discussions is indicative of the application of methodological, intellectual and ethical criteria, which encourage the shared construction of knowledge.

Key words: multimodal metapragmatic approach, argumentation, persuasive opinion piece, agreement negotiation.