English Language Learning Agency Performance of Second Graders in a Public School

Abstract

Agency is seen every day at the university and at the school level. This study reports what two groups of second grade at Carlo Federici School experimented being agents in their classrooms. In doing so, the teacher was seen as a guide and not as a taskmaster. This qualitative case study used video recordings, artifacts and an interview as instruments to collect data. Regarding the pedagogical focus, students were taught some basic vocabulary in English taking into account their context. These words along with their previous knowledge helped them to create stories in English. The pedagogical approach used was CL. Thus, the view of language was language as doing things, the view of learning was analytical and the philosophy for this intervention was based on progressivism. The key words of the literature review were related to critical pedagogy, agency and social interaction. The results of the study show that these children developed their agency in English language through creativity, action and choices, responsibility, initiative, project design, doubt, strategy, will and purpose, effort and ability, freedom and self-hood. These issues were synthesized in three general categories: decision making, skills development and management.