The meaning of meaning: Affective engagement and dialogue in a second language

This article examines the affective dimension of comprehension of a second language. A Bakhtinian/Vygotskian theory of language is used to analyze a transcript from a case study in which children talked about their engagement with stories. Several children said that, although they could. obtain information from stories in French after five years of French immersion, they did not 'understand' or enjoy them. The author suggests that texts may be understood in the informational sense without true comprehension of meaning at the affective level. At the same time, some experts on language and learning believe that the latter kind of understanding is crucial to children's education (Rosenblatt, 1991; Wells, 1988). The nature of dialogue and its role in second language teaching are explored. Implications for classroom practice are suggested.