French Language Analysis

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The statement of problem of this article derives from our recognition of the fact that the subjunctive mood constitutes a major challenge to a good number of our students studying the French language. Relying on the theoretical framework of traditional grammar and on a simple method of analysis, this study discusses empirical data gathered from a fieldwork on students learning French at the University of Benin. The research findings show that linguistic interference, the lack of linguistic competence, lack of interest, and inadequacy of teaching methodology, among others, are factors responsible for difficulties in the appropriation of the present subjunctive by students. Consequently, recommendations are made on how to improve the learning…show more content…
To achieve this, we created a questionnaire to serve as the principal instrument of research on the fieldwork. The issues discussed in this article come from the data emanating from the questionnaires. According to the dictionary Le petit Larousse illustré (2007), the word "analysis" is defined as a "study in order to discern the different parts of a whole to determine or explain e their relationships with each other", the word "syntax" as "part of the grammar that describes the rules by which the language units combine into phrases- the totality of these rules, characteristics of a specific language " and "appropriation" as "the act of appropriating, to appropriate." So, this article aims to study the set of rules governing the subjunctive mood to determine and explain the problems of its appropriation by the students of the…show more content…
After, a syntactic analysis of the response of the students, it was discovered that linguistic interference, the lack of linguistic competence, lack of interest, overpopulation and inadequacy of teaching methodology contribute to the difficulty that students face when they learn the French subjunctive mood. 1. The theoretical framework According to De Greve and Van Passel (1978), if one wants to trace the history of grammatical theories in the teaching of grammar, one can identify traditional grammar, structural grammar and transformational generative grammar. For the amenities of this article, we rely on traditional grammar to serve as the theoretical framework of our research. In 6th century, the Greeks and the Romans lunched the traditional grammar which emphasizes the parts of speech. In the 18th century, the traditional grammar was of a prescriptive or normative form in which grammar was conceived as it should be and not as it is (Boniface Igbeneghu 2000: 106). Traditional grammar, as it is commonly known, depends on intuition. It is atomic, prescriptive and presents language in fragments. Most grammatical terminology such as name, verb, pronoun, etc .; and notions of gender, voice, cases, tense, etc .; are originated from traditional grammar (Boniface Igbeneghu 2000:
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