Synchronous Computer-Mediated and Task-Based Communication: The Quantity of Language Production
A growing body of literature have reported the benefits of Task-based approach via Synchronous Computer-mediated Communication (SCMC) on second language (L2) learning (e.g., Burrell, 2005; Hardy & Moore, 2004; Schwienhorst, 2004; Smith, 2005; Thoms, Liao, & Szustak, 2005). The purpose of this study is to examine the quantity of language produced by learners engaging in task-based SCMC. More specifically, this study will investigate whether or not task structure and language support influence learners’ participation in an SCMC context. The participants in this study were 96 engineering learners at a university in Malaysia doing English for Professional Communication course. Using a 2x2 experimental design, they were placed in one of four experimental groups defined by low and high task structure, and without or with language support. In smaller teams, learners participated in a 45-minute chat session performing a simulation of an engineering task. The chat sessions were saved in log files and analyzed. Interviews were conducted with randomly selected students to gauge their perceptions of the chat task. The presentation will include a description of the study, its preliminary findings and implications for the use of SCMC especially in distance education.
Keywords: Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication, Task-Based Learning
Nik Aloesnita Nik Mohd Alwi
PhD candidate, School of Linguistics & Applied Language Studies, Victoria University of Wellington
|
Ref: LS7P0070