PhD Oral Exam - Edward Griffiths, Education

When studying for a doctoral degree (PhD), candidates submit a thesis that provides a critical review of the current state of knowledge of the thesis subject as well as the student’s own contributions to the subject. The distinguishing criterion of doctoral graduate research is a significant and original contribution to knowledge.

Once accepted, the candidate presents the thesis orally. This oral exam is open to the public.

Abstract

Although oral communication is often identified as the primary goal of core French (CF) programs in Canadian schools, the program has struggled with a reputation for poor communicative outcomes. Despite this, research on speaking in CF remains limited. This dissertation examines why speaking remains such a persistent challenge in CF, investigating materials, classroom practices, and the systemic conditions in which teachers operate.

In Study 1, materials analysis was used to examine how communication strategies (CSs) – tools speakers can use to manage communicative difficulty – are represented in 17 CF textbooks and accompanying resource books. The results showed that problem-oriented communication strategies were largely absent from textbooks and rarely meaningfully integrated into activities; where speaking strategies appeared, they often addressed presentation skills rather than the communicative challenges of second language (L2) speech. The materials surveyed therefore seem to offer insufficient preparation for the unpredictable demands of L2 interaction.

In Studies 2 and 3, template analysis of semi-structured interviews with 24 CF teachers was employed. Study 2 examined how CF teachers approach the teaching of speaking, finding a tension between creating a safe space for speaking and providing spontaneous speaking practice. Teachers also expressed a need for realism about what CF students can achieve, pointing towards message simplification and acceptance of mistakes as realistic goals. A mixed picture around CS instruction emerged, often rooted in the absence of spontaneous speech in CF classrooms. Challenges with assessment of speaking, teaching methodology, and the multilingual classroom are also reported, alongside some positive findings, including teachers who have leveraged their own L2 identities productively, teachers who have changed teaching method to address low speaking outcomes, and students who have made meaningful communicative progress. Study 3 examined an overarching theme that emerged from the same data: the wider systemic issues present in CF teaching across four levels – school, program, community, and national – including the institutional marginalisation of CF, lack of curricular clarity and guidance, and attitudes that frame French as irrelevant in parts of anglophone Canada.

Implications for materials development, classroom practice, professional development, and future research are also discussed.