The present contribution considers the perception of difficulty of the use of pronouns in the address system in French by 23 native (NSs) and 102 non-native (NNSs) speakers of French. The NNS judged the system to be, « quite difficult »... more
The present contribution considers the perception of difficulty of the use of pronouns in the address system in French by 23 native (NSs) and 102 non-native (NNSs) speakers of French. The NNS judged the system to be, « quite difficult » on average, while the NSs described it as «easy », on average. Surprisingly, independent variables such as frequency of use of French and length of stay in a francophone environment-which have been linked to increased native-like use of pronouns of address in previous studies-did not significantly affect the perception of difficulty of the system of address among NNSs. A closer analysis revealed that increasing use of French and longer stays in francophone environment was not linked to a linear decrease in the values reflecting perception of difficulty. While NNSs at intermediate levels of contact judged the system to be easier than those with less intense contact, difficulty scores peaked again for NNSs who used French most frequently. This non-linear relation suggests that at some point in the development of their sociolinguistic competence NNSs feel quite confident about their mastery of the system, but at a later stage they realise that some aspects still elude them. NNSs with L1s having multiple address pronouns judged the address system in French to be more difficult compared to NNSs with an L1 with a single address pronoun. Résumé La présente contribution considère la perception de la difficulté du système des pronoms d'adresse en français par 23 locuteurs natifs (LNs) et 102 locuteurs non-natifs (LNNs). Les LNNs jugent le système en moyenne « assez difficile » alors que les LNs le jugent en moyenne « facile ». Les variables indépendantes qui avaient été identifiées dans des études antérieures comme étant liées au choix du pronom d'adresse, c'est-à-dire, la fréquence d'usage du français et la durée de séjours en pays francophone, ne déterminent pas significativement la perception de la difficulté du système de pronoms d'adresse en français. Une analyse plus approfondie a révélé une progression non-linéaire des valeurs de difficulté entre les différents groupes. Alors que les LNNs avec un niveau de contact intermédiaire jugent le système comme étant plus facile que ceux à un niveau de contact inférieur, il s'est avéré que les LNNs avec le plus de contact en français jugent le système comme étant plus difficile. Il se peut qu'à un certain point dans le développement de la compétence sociolinguistique, les LNNs estiment avoir compris le fonctionnement des pronoms d'adresse en français. Or, à un niveau plus avancé ils se rendent compte que certains aspect du système continuent à leur échapper. Les LNNs dont la L1 comporte un système à pronoms d'adresse multiples jugent le système français comme étant plus difficile comparé aux LNs dont la L1 n'a qu'un seul pronom d'adresse. Mots-clefs : compétence sociolinguistique, pronoms d'adresse, perception de difficulté.
Many books have been written to illustrate the position of the new technologies in teaching and learning a foreign or second language (L2); nonetheless, most of these books have not been successful. The Handbook of Technology and Second... more
Many books have been written to illustrate the position of the new technologies in teaching and learning a foreign or second language (L2); nonetheless, most of these books have not been successful. The Handbook of Technology and Second Language Teaching and Learning edited by Caral A. Chapell and Shanon Sauro and published by Wiley Blackwell in 2017, provides a comprehensive overview of the various facets of the use of technology in teaching and learning an L2. This book has not been translated into Persian and no critical review has been published for it; accordingly, this study sought to both introduce and critically review this book. The current critical review revealed some advantages including comprehensiveness of the whole book, the expertise of the writers, up-to-dateness, content and format integrity, and the use of valid sources. The main criticisms are the exclusion of some of the very recent technologies, perhaps due to the ever-changing and exponentially volatile nature of the technological improvements and expansions, the introduction of too many technologies at the theoretical level without providing information about their practical use. Generally, the book is an invaluable and academically written source for L2 practitioners, postgraduate students, and researchers.
