Analyzing the Incidence of the Sister Classroom Strategy in Regard to the Communicative Competence in 8th-Grade Students from a Bilingual Public School in Barranquilla, Colombia

Abstract

This paper examined the incidence of the Sister Classroom strategy in regard to the communicative competence in a group of 8th-grade students of a bilingual public school in Barranquilla, Colombia. The research was conducted through a qualitative case study using an inductive analysis method and employing mixed instruments of data collection such as document analysis and a Likert scale survey. The analysis of the data evidenced three major aspects that resulted from students' participation in multiple Sister Classroom sessions: cultural awareness enhancement, the articulation of language with meaningful contexts, and the construction of interpersonal connections. These at the same time were divided into two subcategories each to detail the incidence in these aspects. It was concluded that these three aspects represented a great incidence on students in their communicative competence from the Sister Classroom strategy. Thanks to their exposure and interaction with students from other countries, they were able to develop and/or improve cultural, interpersonal, and sociolinguistic skills that contribute to the growth of bilingualism.