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Lancaster University

Promoting Learners’ Language Production through Computer-Mediated Interactive Tasks

Ali Hussain Al-Bulushi

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Content

4. Research4. Research

2. The role of TBLT in interaction 2. The role of TBLT in interaction

3. Interactive tasks in CMC 3. Interactive tasks in CMC

1. Learner-learner interaction 1. Learner-learner interaction

6. Some initial findings 6. Some initial findings

7. Conclusion 7. Conclusion

5. Data Analysis 5. Data Analysis

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Learner-Learner Interaction

The Interaction Hypothesis postulates that a crucial ground for language development is when L2 learners are engaged in negotiating meaning and resolving communication breakdowns while interacting among each other (Long & Robinson, 1998:22).

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Learner-Learner Interaction cont.

The notion of negotiation of meaning while interacting around a language learning task has been investigated extensively in relation to various areas.

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The Role of TBLT in Interaction

In a classroom setting, research has shown that well-designed and implemented tasks can engage learners in meaningful interaction and that negotiation can occur through these interactions (see Pica, 1994).

Pica, Kanagy, and Falodun (1993) established four main categories of task features.

interactant relationship, interactional goal, communication goal, and outcome option.

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The Role of TBLT in Interaction cont.

(Table 1: Communication task types for L2 research and pedagogy analysis, Adapted from Pica et al. 1993: 17)

Task Type Interactant Relationship Interactional Goal

Communication Goal

Outcome Option

Jigsaw Both participants possess, request, and supply

information

Required Convergent One

Information Gap

Either participant possesses, requests, and supplies

information.

Required Convergent One

Problem-Solving

Participants posses information, but may or may

not request or supply it.

Optional Convergent One

Decision-Making

Participants posses information, but may or may

not request or supply it.

Optional Convergent More than one

Opinion-Exchange

Participants posses information, but may or may

not request or supply it.

Optional Not convergent More or less than one

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The Role of TBLT in Interaction cont.

According to the four characteristics, jigsaw tasks are the most conducive to the negotiation of meaning whereas opinion-exchange tasks are the least conducive to negotiation of meaning.

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Interactive Tasks in CMC

CMC is basically a type of CALL environments that refers to a situation in which L2 learners use the computer to pedagogically communicate via emails, bulletin boards, chat lines, and within MOO (Multi-user domains, Object Oriented) environments (Beatty, 2003).

Why CMC Rapid increase in the use of CMC in

education and EFL/ESL

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Interactive Tasks in CMC cont.

More equitable learner participation and better quality language than that found in face-to-face interaction (Smith, 2003)

CMC interaction creates less threatening and less stressful environment

Logging makes it easier to capture and assess the interaction for research and pedagogical purposes.

CMC can promote TBLT/TBLL and interaction-oriented approach to SLA.

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Interactive Tasks in CMC cont.

Conducting network-based discussions entails meaningful use of the TL and encourages teachers and learners to treat language as a medium of communication rather than an object.

Other benefits mentioned by (Mydlarski, 1998) include: Learners contributions (amount, pace, time) The interactivity of the writing and the

learner-centred orientation of CMC enable the learners to take control of their interaction.

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Interactive Tasks in CMC cont.

In asynchronous communication, learners can utilize the time to plan their messages and edit them before posting which would enhance their productive L2 strategies and processes.

Exposure to a substantial amount of comprehensible input produced by peers of a similar level and shared background.

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Interactive Tasks in CMC cont.

The implementation of computer-based activities in the EFL classroom should be based on sound SLA theory that can facilitate language learning.

Based on the principles of TBLT, using CMC synchronously or asynchronously appears to have potentials for language learning and teaching.

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Research

Research Questions How do learners negotiate for meaning

during task-based CMC? Does the task type affect how learners

negotiate for meaning during CMC? If so, how?

Do L2 students believe that online interactive tasks actually benefit their language reception and production?

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Research cont.

Participants Students doing an intensive English

language program in the language centre at SQU.

First pilot (21 learners) but the second pilot (one dyad)

Instruments Pre-treatment questionnaire WebCT

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Research cont.

The TasksFirst Pilot Second PilotJigsaw (pictorial + narrative) Information gap Decision making Contact Problem solving Opinion exchange

Jigsaw (pictorial) Information gap Decision making

Semi-structured interviews

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Research cont.

Procedures Participants randomly chosen and met

at least once a week during their scheduled computer lab session.

First session: they’ll do the pre-treatment questionnaire

They will do 2 warming-up activities namely chatting with each other about their plans for the rest of the day and doing an example task from each task type chosen for the main treatment.

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Research cont.

Each student will be allocated a partner to do the online tasks

After each session, all the chat scripts will be compiled and saved

Eventually interviews will be conducted

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Data Analysis

Varonis and Gass (1985) of NfM was used to identify the NfM incidents

Trigger Trigger

IndicatorIndicator

ResponseResponse

Reaction to the Response Reaction to the Response

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Data Analysis cont.

First pilot study Yielded only 9 incidents of NfM. This

paucity can be attributed to: Tasks’ language level may have not

corresponded with the participants’ proficiency level.

The characteristics of the tasks lacked some linguistic challenges (lexical, structural, discoursal, or instructional)

The participants’ shared background helped them in anticipating discourse especially in the opinion-exchange task.

Same pairs lessened the collaboration towards NfM

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Data Analysis cont.

Second pilot study The discourse produced tends to follow

pedagogic tasks format over the real-world format. Example: (Excerpt from the pen pal gift jigsaw task)

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Hind: jasmine , we must do step by step OK

Hind: First you must write for me about George

Hind; every thing you have about Geore, Please?

Jasmine: ok but i think we need to now some difficult word

Hind: I know that but first tell me what u have about Geore? OK

Jasmine: ok as you like

Hind: I will tell you what I have then you tell me Ok

Jasmine: ok

Hind: About George:Likes outdoor activities Loves music Wears suits at work Gave up smoking last month Diagnosed with asthma recently

Jasmine: he lives in manchester he enjoys gardening he likes water sports this is some of what i have about him

Excerpt (1) Participants avoiding the task roles (Names are pseudonyms)

Data Analysis cont.

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Some Initial Findings

Amount of NfM calculate negotiated turns and compare it to the total turns for the dyad across the 3 task typesTask Type NfM

Incidents Negotiated

TurnTurns Total

Mean Percentage of Turns Negotiated

Jigsaw 5 20 121 16.5%

Decision making

7 26 115 23%

Information gap

2 5 60 8%

Total 14 51 296 17%

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Some Initial Findings cont.

Findings run contrary to Pica et al.’s (1993) and reveal that DMT helped the learners initiate 6% more negotiations than the jigsaw task.

Triggers are basically the catalyst of interaction which spur the NfM incidents among learners.

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Some Initial Findings cont.

Type of triggers

Description Jigsaw DM IG Total %

Lexical The problematic utterance can be clearly linked to a specific lexical item

3 2 5 38.5%

Syntactic The problematic utterance can be clearly attributed to a structural or grammatical

construction

Discourse Related to the general coherence of the discourse or conversation

Content Refer to the entire content of a previous message

1 4 5 38.5%

Task-specific

The utterance refers to a non-understanding of a task feature rather

than language-oriented utterance.

3 3 23%

Total 4 7 2 13 100%

Triggers initiated the NfM incidents and their percentages in the task types

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Some Initial Findings cont.

Not all the NfM routines went through the same phases of the model.

Hind: OK what you losed?

Jasmine: first i want to know what is relatives mean

Hind: It is mesn: like family members

Hind: Jasmine I will tell you about what i have

Exerpt (2) The task as a trigger rather than an explicit utterance

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Some Initial Findings cont.

Negotiation Sequence

Number of routines terminating at this

stage

Percentages of routines terminating at this

stage

T I 0 0%

T I R 0 0%

T I R RR 8 57%

I R 3 21.5%

I R RR 3 21.5%

Total 14 100%

Note: T = Trigger, I = Indicator, R = Response, RR = Reaction to Response

Stages of Negotiation Routines Completed by Dyads

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Some Initial Findings cont.

17% of the negotiated turns are NfM incidents

Although IGT did initiate a couple of NfM incidents, the majority of them are found in the DMT and jigsaw task types.

Task-dependency seems to help online interlocutors to produce more negotiated routines. pen pal gift jigsaw task

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Conclusion

Comparisons with other studies or generalizations should be warranted.

More data is needed to make strong claims about the conduciveness of task types as well as the different possible phases of NfM in a CMC-based interaction.

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