From effective lecturing behaviour to hidden cognitions: a preliminary model explaining the Language-Teaching Methodology Interface

This contribution reports on the findings of a project whose aim was to explore the construct of the language-teaching methodology interface (LTMI) in lecturing through English. Evidence of its existence will be provided and implications for teacher training will be considered. On the assumption that the LTMI can be characterised by the co-existence of a practical and a cognitive dimension, in previous contributions we focused on such elements. First, following Björkman ([2011] “Pragmatic Strategies in English as an Academic Lingua Franca: Ways of Achieving Communicative Effectiveness?.” Journal of Pragmatics 43 (4): 950–964), we carried out an intensive analysis of a number of observed lectures with the aim of exploring the interplay between the use of pragmatic strategies and non-standardness at the morphosyntax level in EMI lectures in an Italian context. Afterwards, through qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews, we sought to uncover those conditions lying underneath observable behaviour. In the present contribution, first, the extensive analysis of observed lectures is described. Second, steps taken within the framework of fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (Ragin [2000] Fuzzy-set Social Science. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, [2008] Redesigning Social Inquiry. Fuzzy Sets and Beyond. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press) to analyse all findings obtained are illustrated. Empirical findings seem to support the claim according to which the two dimensions of language and teaching methodology do have blurred boundaries: the results obtained may therefore be interpreted as a first confirmation of the existence of the multifaceted construct of the LTMI.