YouJin Kim

The effect of interlocutor proficiency on the collaborative dialogue between Korean as a second language learners

Previous research has shown that second language (L2) learners reflect on language form when carrying out collaborative activities in L2 classrooms. This study explored which language forms Korean as a second language (KSL) learners focused on and how their linguistic issues were resolved when collaborating with interlocutors from different proficiency levels. Eight intermediate Korean L2 learners interacted with an intermediate interlocutor (n= 8) and with an advanced interlocutor (n = 8). Their collaborative dialogue was analyzed in terms of (a) the occurrence and resolution of lexical and grammatical language-related episodes (LREs) and (b) the patterns of interaction with their interlocutors. Results showed that the collaborative dialogue with advanced interlocutors contained significantly more lexical LREs and correctly resolved LREs. In terms of their patterns of interaction, the learners showed different pair dynamics when collaborating with interlocutors from different proficiency levels. The findings are discussed in terms of the pedagogical implications for the use of collaborative tasks in L2 classrooms.

Using pretask modelling to encourage collaborative learning opportunities

The current study examines the impact of pretask modelling on the collaborative learning opportunities that occurred when Korean learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) carried out three tasks: dictogloss, decision-making, and information-gap. Forty-four adolescents who were enrolled in a required English course at a middle school in Korea completed the tasks over a two-week period. Half of the learners viewed videotaped models of collaborative interaction prior to carrying out the tasks, while the other learners did not receive pretask modelling. The interaction between the learners was analysed in terms of the type and resolution of language related episodes (LREs) and the learners’ pair dynamics. Results indicated that learners who received pretask modelling produced more LREs and correctly resolved a greater proportion of those LREs than learners who did not receive any models. They also demonstrated more collaborative pair dynamics than learners who did not receive models. Trends in the data are discussed in terms of the potential benefits of pretask modelling for encouraging collaboration between young learners in EFL settings.

TASK COMPLEXITY, LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, AND KOREAN EFL LEARNERS’ QUESTION DEVELOPMENT

Building on the cognitive and interactive perspectives of task research, the cognition hypothesis states that increasing task complexity promotes greater interaction and feedback and thus facilitates second language (L2) development (Robinson, 2001 b, 2007 a). To date, very little research has explored this claim during learner-learner interactions in English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom contexts in which a task-based syllabus is implemented. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of task complexity on the occurrence of interaction-driven learning opportunities and question development in such a classroom context. Korean university students ( N = 191) from four intact English classes were randomly assigned to one comparison group and three experimental groups with various task-complexity levels (i.e., simple, +complex, and ++complex) based on Robinson’s framework. Their interactions were audiorecorded, and occurrences of learning opportunities, operationalized as language-related episodes (LREs), were identified. Question development was identified between pretest and posttests on the basis of the learners’ stage advancement using Pienemann and Johnston’s ( 1987 ) developmental sequence. Results indicated that more complex tasks promoted a greater number of LREs and particularly led to LREs targeting developmentally advanced question structures, which result in question development.

Task-Based Learner Production: A Substantive and Methodological Review

ABSTRACT Tasks are frequently used to elicit learner language in second language (L2) research. The purposes for doing so, however, vary widely, covering a range of theoretical models, designs, and analyses. For example, task-based researchers have examined a range of linguistic and interactional features (e.g., accuracy, language-related episodes) that are found in learner production and that vary as a function of task conditions (e.g., +/− complex), modes (oral, written, computer-mediated), and settings (second vs. foreign language). This article presents a synthesis of substantive interests and methodological practices in this area. We first collected a sample of 85 primary studies of task-based language production published from 2006 to 2015. Each study was then coded for the target features it analyzed as well as other contextual and demographic variables. We also coded for methodological features related to study designs, sampling, analyses, and reporting practices. The results indicate a strong preference toward analyses of grammar, vocabulary, accuracy, and different features of L2 interaction, and very little interest in task-induced pronunciation, pragmatics, and the quality of task performance. More fundamentally, this domain may be hindered by a lack of theoretical and operational consistency. The data also point to a number of concerns related to research and reporting practices (e.g., low statistical power; missing data). Based on our findings, we outline a number of pointed recommendations for future research in this domain.

THE INTERSECTION OF TASK-BASED INTERACTION, TASK COMPLEXITY, AND WORKING MEMORY

The extent to which individual differences in cognitive abilities affect the relationship among task complexity, attention to form, and second language development has been addressed only minimally in the cognition hypothesis literature. The present study explores how reasoning demands in tasks and working memory (WM) capacity predict learners’ ability to notice English question structures provided in the form of recasts and how this contributes to subsequent development of English question formation. Eighty-one nonnative speakers of English completed three interactive tasks with a native speaker interlocutor, one WM task, and three oral production tests. Prior to the first interactive task, participants were randomly assigned to a task group (simple or complex). During task performance, all learners were provided with recasts targeting errors in question formation. The results showed that learners’ cognitive processes during tasks were in line with the cognitive demands of the tasks, at two complexity levels. The findings suggest that WM was the only significant predictor of the amount of noticing of recasts as well as of learners’ question development. With regard to interaction effects between WM and task complexity, high WM learners who carried out a complex version of the tasks benefitted the most from task-based interaction.

8. Engagement with the language: How examining learners’ affective and social engagement explains successful learner-generated attention to form

Interactive tasks that have successfully promoted attention to form and language learning in face-to-face (FTF) can be ineffective when performed online (Baralt 2013, 2014). This research is concerning, given the push for online language classes in higher education (Leow, Cerezo, & Baralt 2015). One reason that interactive language tasks do not translate to online settings may be the diminished affect and socialization present in online settings (Baralt 2014). Despite this hypothesis, researchers continue to explore learners’ attention to form from exclusively the cognitive perspective. Recently, Svalberg (2009; 2012) proposed a new model for exploring how learners achieve awareness of forms: a threefold construct including cognitive as well as social and affective engagement. The present chapter is the first to empirically operationalize Svalberg’s model for analyzing learners’ attention (or not) to forms during task-based peer interaction. Forty intermediate-level learners of Spanish performed either cognitively simple or complex interactive dyadic tasks in person or online. Learners’ interaction and post-task questionnaires were then coded for the three types of engagement. Results showed more cognitive engagement (e.g., attention to language forms, reflection), social engagement (e.g., supportive interaction) and affective engagement (e.g., positive feelings) in FTF, particularly during the more complex task. All three types of engagement were diminished or were entirely absent in the online interactions. We argue that the lack of social and affective engagement is what deterred cognitive engagement with language forms. The chapter concludes with a discussion on why researchers must consider social and affective engagement to understand how language awareness can be differentially experienced online.

The Role of Lexical Properties and Cohesive Devices in Text Integration and Their Effect on Human Ratings of Speaking Proficiency

There has been a growing interest in the use of integrated tasks in the field of second language testing to enhance the authenticity of language tests. However, the role of text integration in test takers’ performance has not been widely investigated. The purpose of the current study is to examine the effects of text-based relational (i.e., cohesion) and propositional-specific (i.e., lexical) features on subsequent source text integration in spoken responses. In addition, the current study investigates the effects of word integration on human ratings of speaking performance. Sixty test-takers’ speaking samples from the listen/speak section of the TOEFL-iBT were analyzed in terms of textual integration at the lexical and cohesion level and how this integration predicted human scores of speaking proficiency. The results indicate that the properties of the source text are strongly predicative of which words test takers will integrate into their response. Moreover, it was found that text integration is an important factor that affects human ratings of speaking proficiency. The findings of the study are discussed in terms of item difficulty and construct representation.

Implementing Ability Grouping in EFL Contexts: Perceptions of Teachers and Students.

Ability grouping – defined as a practice that places students into classrooms or small groups based on an initial assessment of their readiness or ability – has received considerable attention in educational research for years in many countries (Ireson & Hallam, 1999, 2001; Slavin, 1987). In Korea, ability grouping has been implemented in elementary, middle, and high school settings for certain subjects such as English. The purpose of the current study was to determine how the ability grouping policy has been implemented in Korean middle school English classes and to examine the perceptions of teachers (n = 55) and students (n = 754) regarding this policy. The results showed that schools implemented the policy in a variety of ways (e.g. different number of grouping levels). Teachers and students indicated their concerns regarding students’ emotional problems and showed mixed attitudes towards ability grouping. They also argued that schools need large support to maximize the putative effectiveness of ability grouping in different areas such as curriculum design, materials development, and teacher training. The findings are discussed in terms of pedagogical recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of ability grouping in English classes and other options for future research to investigate this and relevant educational language policies.

Korean lexical bundles in conversation and academic texts

Over the past few decades, there has been growing interest in phraseology and the extent to which natural language use consists of prefabricated linguistic chunks (Biber et al., 2004; Ellis, 1996; Howarth, 1998; Moon, 1997; and Wray, 2002). One approach to this issue has involved the analytical construct of ‘lexical bundles’, which are defined simply as the most common recurrent sequences of words in a register. This study explores the use of multi-word sequences in Korean based on Biber et al.s (1999) frequency-driven approach to the identification of lexical bundles. Building on previous lexical bundle studies in English and Spanish (Biber et al., 2004; Cortes, 2004; and Tracy-Ventura et al., 2007), the study examines lexical bundles in a large corpus of Korean texts consisting of academic prose and conversation. The analysis focusses on three major characteristics: the overall distribution of bundles, their typical structures, and their typical functions in discourse. More lexical bundles were identif...

The Role of Task Repetition in Learning Word-Stress Patterns through Auditory Priming Tasks.

This study focused on an instructional component often neglected when teaching the pronunciation of English as either a second, foreign, or international language—namely, the suprasegmental feature of lexical stress. Extending previous research on collaborative priming tasks and task repetition, the study investigated the impact of task and procedural repetition on eliciting target-stress patterns during collaborative priming tasks. It employed a pretest-posttest design with 57 Korean high school students who were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a control, priming with task repetition, and priming with procedural repetition. Learners participated in a pretest, two priming sessions, and two posttests over a 4-week period. Learners’ ability to produce target-stress patterns was measured through sentence read-aloud tasks. The task repetition group repeated the same primes and prompts twice, whereas the procedural repetition group performed priming tasks with different primes and prompts during two sessions. Results indicate that the amount of primed production was significantly more than unprimed production. Additionally, both experimental conditions promoted learners’ accurate production of target-stress patterns, though, in relation to long-term impacts, repeating the same task (i.e., same procedure and same content) twice was more effective than repeating the procedure for a second time with different content. The results are discussed in light of pronunciation teaching using auditory priming tasks.