Source use in the story continuation writing task

Abstract

Abstract The story continuation writing task (SCWT) is a newly developed type of integrated writing task that is observed to be able to stimulate language learning efficiently. Nevertheless, little is known with respect to what source knowledge test-takers notice and how they process the noticed information during the task. This paper contributes to the literature by investigating what and how source information is attended to and utilized in SCWT. Think-aloud protocols and retrospective interviews were collected from 19 students. In addition, nine teachers were interviewed for their perceptions about source use in SCWT. Findings indicated that the SCWT required knowledge-transforming process, as the test-takers attended to both conceptual and textual aspects of the source text. The SCWT represented a unique integrated writing task, because test-takers could rely on the conceptual information for source interpretation and writing development. They could directly employ or imitate the noticed textual information in the continuation. The implications of adopting SCWT as an integrated writing task for assessing students are discussed.