Building a Classroom Discourse Community para Desarrollar la Competencia Discursiva Oral en Ambientes Bilingües de aprendizaje

Abstract

This research analyzes how teachers apply one of the High Leverage Teaching Practices (HLTPs) called Building a Classroom Discourse Community (BCDC) in virtual bilingual learning environments, with the purpose of developing oral discursive competence in students of English as a foreign language. The research, with a qualitative approach and based on a case study, was conducted at a Colombian language academy, involving the participation of 11 teachers. Through asynchronous training, non-participant observations, and oral reflections, three forms of practice implementation were identified, in addition to highlighting the roles of the different actors in these contexts. The results show that the practice of Building a Classroom Discourse Community (BCDC) can be successfully applied in virtual environments, despite the challenges that arise in these contexts, especially in classes that promote active participation, contextualized language use, and collaboration among students. The effective implementation depends on factors such as instructional design, the creative use of technological tools, and the teacher's willingness to create inclusive discursive environments. This study contributes to the understanding of innovative methodologies to strengthen bilingualism in virtual contexts and highlights the importance of authenticity and dialogue in language teaching in the 21st century.