Abstract

HORMIGA-SANCHEZ, Marcela; BARBOSA-CHACON, Jorge Winston; CASTANEDA-PENA, Harold Andrés  and  MARCIALES VIVAS, Gloria Patricia. Competencia informacional en lengua extranjera en estudiantes universitarios de Colombia. Cienc. docencia tecnol. [online]. 2014, n.48, pp.13-47. ISSN 1851-1716.

In this paper, we explore the "relation" between informational competences (IC) and English as a foreign language by employing discourse semiotics. Thirty-seven students who were native speakers of Spanish and had previous learning experiences in English were observed and characterized. In the study, we used an observation instrument (profile instrument, think-aloud protocol and interview) which allowed us to: 1) demonstrate that the participants are, in informational terms, collectors and verifiers; 2) show a link between IC and foreign language proficiency and 3) confirm the student's disposition to learn English and the importance they give to this language in their professional life. In this work, we also argue there are possible research topics regarding the object of study and suggest two other aspects to be further explored: the bidirectional support and the relation between performance in both competences.

Keywords : Higher education; Research in education; Foreign language; Informational competence; Semiotics.

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