What is Didactic Transposition? A Guide for Language Teachers

For many new educators, the transition from being a student of linguistics to being a teacher of English can be daunting. You may know the complex rules of "Transformational Generative Grammar" or the intricacies of "Phonological Assimilation," but how do you explain these to a room full of 7th-grade students? This process of taking complex, expert knowledge and reshaping it into a form that is teachable and understandable for students is known as Didactic Transposition.

This concept, originally developed by the French sociologist Michel Verret and later expanded by the mathematician Yves Chevallard, is fundamental to the art of teaching. In this guide, we will explore the different levels of transposition, the "distance" between expert and taught knowledge, and why this process is essential for effective ELT (English Language Teaching).

I. Defining Didactic Transposition

Didactic transposition is the set of transformations that "knowledge" undergoes when it is moved from its place of origin (the scientific or academic community) to the classroom. It is the process of adapting "Scholarly Knowledge" into "Knowledge to be Taught" and finally into "Taught Knowledge."

In our field, scholarly knowledge might be a 500-page book on English syntax. As a teacher, you cannot simply read that book to your students. You must transpose it: you select the most relevant parts, simplify the language, create examples that relate to your students' lives, and design activities that help them practice. This is not just "simplification"; it is a sophisticated pedagogical reconstruction.

II. The Three Levels of Knowledge

To understand didactic transposition, we must recognize the three distinct stages that information passes through as it enters the education system.

1. Scholarly Knowledge (Savoir Savant)

This is the knowledge produced by experts, researchers, and scientists. It is usually complex, abstract, and highly technical. In ELT, this would be the work of linguists like Noam Chomsky, Stephen Krashen, or David Crystal. This knowledge is not designed for students; it is designed for other experts.

2. Knowledge to be Taught (Savoir à Enseigner)

This is the version of scholarly knowledge that has been selected and organized by curriculum designers, textbook writers, and educational authorities. In the Moroccan context, this is represented by the National English Curriculum and textbooks like Spotlight or Ticket to English. This knowledge has already been through one level of transposition—it has been broken down into units, levels, and learning objectives.

3. Taught Knowledge (Savoir Enseigné)

This is the final stage: what actually happens in your classroom. It is the knowledge as it is presented by you, the teacher. Every time you use a specific drawing on the board, a particular video, or a unique analogy to explain the "Present Perfect," you are creating Taught Knowledge. This is where your personal creativity and pedagogical skill come into play.

III. The "Pedagogical Triangle" and Transposition

Connection	Role in Didactic Transposition
Teacher-Knowledge	The teacher must master the scholarly knowledge before they can transpose it.
Teacher-Student	The teacher uses transposition to bridge the gap between the student's current ability and the target knowledge.
Student-Knowledge	The student interacts with the "Transposed" version of the knowledge to achieve mastery.

IV. Why is Transposition Necessary?

Without this process, education would be impossible. Here are the three primary reasons why we must transpose knowledge:

Accessibility: Most scholarly knowledge is far too abstract for students, especially younger learners or those at a beginner level. Transposition makes it accessible.
Relevance: Scholarly knowledge is often "decontextualized." Transposition re-contextualizes it, making it relevant to the students' local culture, interests, and future needs.
Time Constraints: A teacher has only a limited number of hours per year. Transposition involves choosing what is most important and what can be left out.

V. The Risks of "Internal Transposition"

As teachers, we must be careful during the transposition process. There are two main risks:

Excessive Simplification: If we simplify a concept too much, we might actually make it incorrect or lose the "scientific" truth of the information.
Dogmatism: Sometimes, in the process of making things clear, we present a concept as a fixed rule with no exceptions, which can hinder a student's ability to handle more complex language later on.

VI. Transposition in the Moroccan English Classroom

In our Moroccan context, we are often transposing Western linguistic concepts for learners who speak Arabic, Amazigh, or French. This adds an extra layer to the process. For example, when transposing the concept of the "Definite Article," we must consider how it differs from the "Al-" prefix in Arabic. This type of Contrastive Transposition is a high-level skill that the best teachers master over time.

Conclusion: The Teacher as a Bridge

In conclusion, didactic transposition is the heart of our professional identity. We are not just "repeaters" of textbooks; we are bridges between the world of expert knowledge and the world of the learner. By thoughtfully selecting, adapting, and presenting information, we turn "dry" facts into living knowledge that our students can use to change their lives.