NEXUS : Connecting teaching practice and research

Le mot de la rédaction

2026-07-22T10:20:04+00:00

Point de vue sur l’évaluation des méthodes d’enseignement par la prise en compte des spécificités des savoirs

2025-06-27T09:35:53+00:00

This article highlights the importance of considering the specificities of knowledge when assessing the methods used to teach this knowledge. It is based on the importance of the epistemological dimension of didactics and on the history of science when it is problematized. This evaluation perspective is taken with caution, but it emphasizes the value of knowledge by giving priority to it in the evaluation of the effectiveness of teaching methods. At the conceptual level, we rely on the distinction between information and ability to consider two types of knowledge transmitted in school, as well as on the distinction between goal and method to show the need to consider the teaching goal of a method when assessing it. The chosen example concerns the teaching of the discontinuous nature of matter.

Correction, annotation des copies et pratiques enseignantes en contexte de français langue seconde

2026-03-22T21:43:11+00:00

This study analyzes the annotation practices in a sample of 182 argumentative essays from French as a Second Language (FSL) classes in Tunisia, supplemented by a survey of 50 10th-grade students. The analysis reveals a predominance of the “Guardian of the Code” stance. Teachers focus primarily on linguistic correction (spelling, syntax) at the expense of text structure. The annotations are predominantly judgmental, pointing out errors without offering clear strategies for improvement. The study also highlights the influence of timing. In the context of summative assessment (Final Exam), the paper is treated as a final product; annotations often disappear (39% of cases) in favor of the grade alone. In formative assessment (Quiz), the teacher adopts the “Naive Reader” or “Editor” roles: the teacher engages in dialogue with the student or directly corrects the error to produce a compliant final product. Although 84% of students view the comments positively, a disconnect remains. While they acknowledge the importance of the grading rubric (96%), they reject the “Judge” role and overwhelmingly call for a “Mentor” role. They want explicit corrections, rewriting advice, and encouragement to overcome their linguistic insecurity. In conclusion, the study recommends making correction codes more transparent and integrating rewriting into classroom instruction to transform annotation into a genuine tool for learning.

Difficultés lexicales en lecture-compréhension chez les élèves de la classe terminale du cycle primaire tunisien

2026-04-30T08:57:48+00:00

This study examines the impact of lexical difficulties on reading comprehension performance among pupils in the final year of the Tunisian primary school cycle. It focuses on a sample of 275 pupils and 6 French teachers from 6 schools in the Takelsa district (Nabeul governorate). The research adopts a mixed-methodology approach combining a documentary analysis of official texts (official curriculum guidelines, teaching guides, and resources for teachers and pupils) with a questionnaire survey administered to both target groups. The aim is to analyse the importance accorded to vocabulary in the formal curriculum as well as in the reported practices of teachers and pupils, in order to identify the main difficulties encountered in reading comprehension, the reading strategies employed by pupils and the vocabulary teaching practices implemented in the classroom. The results highlight a lack of consideration given to vocabulary in official documents and reveal that many pupils experience significant difficulties in reading and understanding texts. These difficulties are mainly linked to the inadequacy of their vocabulary, the presence of a large number of unfamiliar words in the texts, and decoding problems. These findings confirm that vocabulary mastery is a fundamental prerequisite for the development of reading comprehension skills.

L’usage de l’IAG pour l’enseignement/apprentissage de la production écrite en FLE/FLS : une revue de portée

2026-03-07T13:59:47+00:00

This scoping review examines the uses of generative artificial intelligence (GAI)—notably ChatGPT and related tools—in the teaching and learning of written production in FLE/FLS. In accordance with PRISMA-ScR, we conducted a “all-source/all-type” search and then applied inclusion criteria based on the PCC (Population-Concept-Context) framework, requiring access to the full text. Recent studies point to several applications: text revision with AI-generated feedback, aimed at improving linguistic aspects (vocabulary, syntax) and coherence; typologies of prompts and responses useful for supporting writing (error detection/explanation, correction suggestions); training programs for student teachers and teachers that use AI-generated texts to design writing instruction (task design, criteria); and case studies documenting autonomy, motivation, and reasoned mastery in French as a Foreign Language (FLE). The reported benefits include linguistic correction, rapid feedback, and support for revision. Recurring limitations include reliance on prompts, variability in the quality of responses, and ethical issues (integrity, disclosure/traceability of use). Gaps remain: a scarcity of rigorous comparative studies by CEFR levels, few longitudinal protocols, and a need for alignment between instruction and assessment. Consequently, we propose approaches to scenario design (prompt engineering, metacognitive instructions, transparency of use) and a research agenda aimed at the responsible integration of IAG into the teaching of written production in FLE/FLS.

Quelle place pour la « lecture » d’images en classe de français ?

2024-11-04T14:49:02+00:00

This article examines the didactic role of the image in French language education, questioning the epistemological, institutional, and theoretical resistances that have historically hindered (and, in practice, continue to hinder) its autonomous integration. It aims to demonstrate the significant influence of mental representations shaped by iconographic motifs, which impact the values attributed to images. Although the image has been increasingly integrated into French courses since the 1970s, it still raises methodological, hermeneutic, and conceptual questions: To what extent can the image be introduced into French curricula without crossing bold boundaries that redefine disciplinary limits? What types of images should be prioritized, and for what purpose? What obstacles hinder the use of images in French class? How should the diversity of possible interpretations be managed? And what specific skills are developed through the study of images?

Drawing on historical and pedagogical analysis, this study explores how recent theoretical and practical shifts influence the current educational approach to images in schools. It argues that, beyond its often reductive illustrative function, the image can play a central role in fostering critical thinking and analytical skills, both aesthetically and semiotically. This perspective paves the way for a redefinition of the educational framework, where images hold a more balanced position in the curriculum, enabling students to more effectively navigate between different visual and textual languages.

Enhancing EFL learners' connected speech processes through music

2024-09-05T15:02:12+00:00

Native speakers of English tend to exhibit a highly effective articulation pattern during speech production. This phenomenon results in the flow of linguistic units within a speech continuum, where words are interconnected without clear boundaries between them. Concurrently, various linguistic and articulatory simplifications occur, accompanied by processes characteristic of connected speech. These processes encompass, but are not limited to, sentence stress and rhythm, reduction, elision, intrusion, assimilation, linking, liaison, among others. Scholars often advocate for the integration of authentic connected speech into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) curriculum. Accordingly, a spectrum of pedagogical techniques and approaches has been proposed in EFL instruction to cultivate EFL students' proficiency in producing and comprehending natural connected speech. This study aims to investigate the impact of musical activities on the development of connected speech production skills among university-level EFL students. In addition to music's inherent relaxation benefits in EFL pedagogy, it nurtures learners' rhythmic and melodic sensibilities, heightens their awareness of specific (foreign) sounds, and facilitates bilateral hemispheric engagement in the brain, thus fostering improved information retention. Furthermore, singing entails the temporal overlap of successive phonetic segments, creating a continuous stream of sound and requiring meticulous word linking, thereby promoting the natural acquisition of connected speech. Findings from this research indicate that implicit music instruction positively influences connected speech production among EFL students. Specifically, the participants' speech demonstrated enhanced fluency, stronger adherence to natural linguistic rhythm and stress patterns, compared to a control group undergoing traditional text-based instruction.

Strengthening teacher collaboration across Circle U. with communities of practice

2026-03-27T15:38:22+00:00

Based on social learning theories, communities of practice (CoPs) have arisen as a unique opportunity for teacher professional development. They promote collaboration on new pedagogies, strengthen professional networks, encourage reflection on teaching practices, support the adoption of pedagogical innovation, and ultimately enhance teachers’ self-confidence and well-being. Against this backdrop, this paper presents the Circle U. Language Teacher Nexus (CU.LTN) project, which offers a model for fostering long-term, cross-institutional collaboration among language educators within the Circle U. University Alliance. Building on existing good teaching practices and expertise across partner institutions, the project aims to create synergies among teachers at both local and international levels within the alliance. We also report on how the project has evolved into a mid- and long-term endeavour in order to better address challenges such as differing teaching approaches and perspectives on learning, syllabus demands, and varying degrees of engagement. Most importantly, we show how the project’s flexible design, which includes different types of communities of CoPs varying in depth and intensity of collaboration, has enabled adaptation to the different local ecologies of the partner institutions. The paper also reflects on how such an initiative can support the implementation of the principles of the European Profiling Grid (eGrid), particularly by promoting collaborative professional development and integrating into the alliance’s existing professional development frameworks.