206 research outputs found
An investigation into the nature of pair work in an ESL classroom and its effect on grammatical development
No full textDeposited with permission of the author. © 2001 Dr. Neomy StorchThis study investigates patterns of dyadic interaction in the context of an advanced level ESL class, where the learners work in pairs on language focused tasks. It also considers reasons why different patterns of interaction form and the links between these patterns and second language development. (For complete abstract open document
Languaging when providing and processing peer feedback
No full textTwo commonly used activities in second language (L2) writing classes are collaborative writing and peer response. Our study compared the quantity and quality of languaging generated by these two activities. In this study, conducted in Saudi Arabia, 34 college English language learners worked in the same self-selected small groups (predominantly pairs) on three successive activities. They completed a collaborative writing task, provided written feedback on a text written by another group, and revised their text in response to the peer feedback received. Analysis of recorded talk during these three activities found that the collaborative writing activity generated more languaging episodes than the other activities. We discuss the implications of these findings for L2 writing pedagogy and propose research directions
Introduction: Languaging in Language Learning and Teaching
No full textThis book is the first to bring together a collection of recent empirical studies investigating languaging, an important construct first introduced by Swain in 2006 but which has since been deployed in a growing number of L2 studies. The contributing authors include both established and emerging authors from around the globe. They report on studies which elicited languaging in oral or written form, via a range of individual and group tasks, and from a diverse range of student populations. As such these studies extend the scope of extant research, illustrating different and novel approaches to research on languaging. The findings of these studies provide new insights into the language learning opportunities that languaging can afford language learners in different educational and linguistic contexts but also the factors that may impact on these opportunities. As such the book promises to be of relevance and interest to both researchers and language teachers
Critical Feedback on Written Corrective Feedback Research
No full textRecently we have witnessed a large growth in research on written corrective feedback (WCF). However, the question posed here is: are researchers and L2 writing teachers now any wiser about the efficacy of WCF? I begin with a summary of early studies and some of their major shortcomings. I then examine more recent studies and conclude that, although many of the shortcomings of earlier research have been largely addressed, research findings are still inconclusive. I argue that currently, in the desire to conduct more robust research, the pendulum has swung too far towards experimental studies. Such studies tend to employ ‘one off’ treatments, often provided on a very restricted range of errors, and ignore the learners’ goals and attitudes to the feedback provided and to improvement in accuracy. I conclude by suggesting directions for a more meaningful and ecological valid research agenda on written corrective feedback.</jats:p
Authorial voice in doctoral writing: Published advice
No full textAuthorial voice is now acknowledged as an important aspect of academic writing, but one that may be particularly challenging for multilingual students writing a thesis in English as an additional language (EAL). There is also an increasing volume of published advice on writing a thesis. Yet to date few studies have investigated whether the advice provided reflects recent ethnographically oriented research on voice and scholarly identity (e.g. Morton & Storch, Developing an authorial voice in PhD multilingual student writing: The reader’s perspective. Journal of Second Language Writing, 43(1), 15–23, 2019). In this chapter, we report on a study that analysed the advice provided by six thesis writing guidebooks and a range of online resources on authorial voice. We found an interesting distinction between guidebooks targeting students and those targeting supervisors, particularly in terms of the complexity with which voice was dealt, if at all
Development in L2 writing after a semester of study in an Australian university
No full textThere is a common expectation, particularly amongst international students, that studying in an English-medium university would lead to an improvement in their writing skills (as well as other language skills). However, to date there has been very little research about the impact of studying in an English medium university on the development of learners’ writing. This paper reports on study which was part of a larger project. The larger project, using a test-re-test design, investigated whether the reading and writing skills of international students improved after one semester of study in an Australian university. The study reported here analysed the writing test scripts of 20 students whose global writing scores indicated improvement in writing and who had not accessed any language support during the semester. A range of quantitative and qualitative measures were used to analyse the data, including measures of linguistic fluency, accuracy and complexity. The study found that the greatest improvements occurred in how learners structured their writing and developed their ideas. There was also a marked improvement in the formality of learners’ language, but less evidence of improvement in language accuracy and complexity. These findings suggest that some aspects of written language may need more explicit language instruction in order to improve
Collaborative Writing
No full textThe Handbook of Second and Foreign Language Writing is an authoritative reference compendium of theory and research on L2 writing
Using activity theory to explain differences in patterns of dyadic interactions in an ESL class
No full textC1 - Journal Articles RefereedVariations in how L2 learners work in pairs/groups have been noted by a number of researchers. However, explanations for such variations are often made in terms of differences in L2 proficiency or culture. What has often been overlooked is the participants' orientation to an activity and, in particular, their motives and goals. The importance of human motives and goals in explaining human behaviour is encapsulated in activity theory (Leont'ev, 1981). It is this theoretical perspective that guided the study reported in this article. The study attempted to explain variations found in the ways students interacted in pairs in a university ESL class. The data consist of interviews with eight participants who formed four case study pairs, each case exemplifying a distinct pattern of dyadic interaction. The findings suggest that patterns of dyadic interaction can be traced to the nature of the participants' goals and to whether or not members of the dyad share these goals
- …
