La conscience linguistique de l'apprenant avancé d'une langue seconde: points de vue des apprenants et perspectives pour l'enseignement

This article presents an investigation into the language awareness of advanced learners who learn their second language in school and regularly practice it in everyday encounters. Two types of data will be contrasted: (a) learners' statements about their difficulties, and (b) their actual language practice in various social contexts. Learners' perception of their communicative difficulties reveals a language understanding which is based on strictly linguistic (i.e. lexical and grammatical) criteria. It will be shown that such an understanding contrasts with the actual communicative practices and difficulties of these learners. And it will be argued that this understanding mirrors a language awareness which radically reduces the complexity and the diversity of language use and completely disregards the social-interactional dimensions of communicative competence. Implications for language learning and teaching will be discussed.