Predisposition to choose: the language of an information gap task in a multilingual primary classroom

Abstract

This paper focuses on an information gap task that was part of a larger critical action research project that sought to expand talk opportunities for children in multilingual classrooms. Little of the previous research on tasks and language learning has focused on children learning English as an additional language in the context of diverse, urban, multilingual mainstream classrooms. It is important therefore that these sites are investigated for the way tasks might be utilized to assist both language development, and crucially, academic content learning. The information gap task was investigated to determine the extent to which it predis-posed children to use particular patterns of language. Six groups of children were videotaped doing the task and the interactions transcribed. These transcripts were then analysed using aspects of systemic functional grammar in conjunction with a concordance tool. Across the resulting corpus there was a strong regularity in the language choices made by the children. Furthermore, the structure of the task pre-disposed the children to use patterns of language that might later be utilized in writing information reports. The task could be considered a bridge from the generally situated nature of spoken language to the more decontextualized nature of written language.