The ICAR (Interactions, corpus, apprentissages, représentations) laboratory is developing research into the oral and written corpus of the French language (syntax, semantics, pragmatics, history of French).
Allocating a very special place to the analysis of verbal exchange within the framework of an interactive and cognitive approach to language and speech, it devotes a large part of its activity to research in language and science learning.
The laboratory has a vast amount of experience in the scientific constitution and use of corpus made up of written documents and oral interaction.
ICAR has a structure of five teams; the agency is a partner of ICAR 2.

Managers: L.Mondada, S. Mailles.

1) Analysis of interaction
2) Corpus: methodology, processing, use
3) Cultural and social variation
4) Group activities: work, learning and ICT in education

The team is behind the development of the theme, CLAPI “Corpus de langue parlée en
Interactions” (Corpus of spoken language through interaction)

Managers: A. Tiberghien, R. Bouchard, C.Develotte.

1) Language learning
- Team R. Bouchard
- Team C. Develotte

• study of Internet sites, focusing on the educational use of Internet sites within the context of learning
• study of on-line communication.

2) Science learning
- Team COAST /A.Tiberghien

• Textometric approach
• Development, for Arabic, of software for special applications

• Syntax: multi-lingual approach to syntax, relations between syntax and semantics
• Lexicology: concepts and methods of lexical semantics, polysemy and metaphor.
• • Political lexicology (in collaboration with the CERIEP, political science centre of Lyon, director:
  P. Bacot): study of political vocabulary in language and speeches

• Multimedia, mediation, semiotics and interaction.
• Reference, intersemioticity and interactions:
  multiple semiotic representations of fictive dialogues.
  

ADIS team: Learning, discussion, interaction, linguistic, science and technical skills.

1. Language learning

The work of “ADIS Languages” involves the interactive learning and practice of mother-tongue and foreign languages. Its particularity lies in that it associates this practice with the learning of other subjects (cf. COAST) and that it considers both verbal interaction (between teacher and learners or between learners) and speeches as tools for teaching/learning.
Its current target is school and university teaching. The goal is to develop precise knowledge of these diverse teaching methods, to identify their influence on specific learning and to build and assess new teaching systems.

Specific projects are devoted to the question of school and multilingualism:

• acceptance and schooling of non-French mother-tongue children and adolescents in French schools and establishments;
• the beginnings of learning a foreign modern language;
• foreign languages at secondary school; difficulties and innovations.
  

2. Science learning

The “Communication and learning of scientific and technical skills” (COAST) group is an element of the ADIS team.
It works on the communication and learning of scientific and technical skills. Its current field of study is the teaching and learning of science and technical skills at high school level, the training of teachers and vocational sandwich courses. New research is beginning for secondary and high school level. An area relating to informal situations for the circulation of knowledge in science is being developed.

Research directions:

• links between teaching and learning
• methods and vocational training, in particular for teachers
• design of teaching or training “tools” and study of their use (including ICT in education).

The methodologies used in these research projects, although mainly case studies, also include surveys.

Research projects in progress:
KANT: role and evolution of students’ previous knowledge in the dynamics of education.
SESAMES: science teaching situations:
modelling, assessment and simulation activities, relations between students’ activities, teaching assessment and methods.
Enphyspsy: physics and social psychology teaching.
Study of class practices and knowledge acquired by students at the end of secondary school/start of high school in physics and maths in several countries
Study of the use of videos as a means of observing students in teacher training (in collaboration with the university institute for teacher training (IUFM) of Limousin).

tools/products
PÉGASE SITE
teachers and their students: a guide for teaching and learning science.
CD ROM
designs and analyses experimental activities in physics.

LANGUAGE ACQUISITION, LEARNING,
ARGUMENTATION, VERBAL BEHAVIOUR,
RESEARCHER/TEACHER COOPERATION, LINGUISTIC CORPUS, DIALOGUE, DIDACTICS, CULTURAL EXCHANGE, SCIENTIFIC EDUCATION,
LANGUAGE TEACHING, VERBAL INTERACTION, MAN/MACHINE INTERFACE, FRENCH LANGUAGE,
LEXICOLOGY, LEXICOMETRY,
LINGUISTICS, PRAGMATICS, PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING, SEMANTICS, SEMIOTICS,
SYNTAX.