TY - JOUR
T1 - Text-based peer-peer collaborative dialogue in a computer-mediated learning environment in the EFL context
AU - Zeng, Gang
AU - Takatsuka, Shigenobu
N1 - Funding Information:
The first author wants to thank Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology for their financial support for the research. Both authors are grateful to Professor Toshihiko Yamaoka, Professor Kinune Hirano and Professor Tatsuhiro Yoshida for their continued support and helpful and insightful comments. Our deep thanks also go to Editor Norman F. Davies and the reviewer for their valuable comments and suggestions for improvement.
PY - 2009/9
Y1 - 2009/9
N2 - This study investigates EFL learners' dialogues in synchronous task-based computer-mediated communication (CMC). The focus is on whether learners engage each other in text-based dialogues regarding the language use in pursuit of the task goal in the CMC context and how their mutual engagement impacts their language learning. Sixteen Chinese tertiary-level learners voluntarily participated in this study. They were randomly assigned to eight virtual pairs, and completed four collaborative tasks via Moodle, a course management system. The study was conducted within a sociocultural framework, especially Swain's concept of collaborative dialogue. Language-related episode (LRE) was employed as a research tool to analyze the learners' dialogue concerning their language use during the completion of the tasks. The data set includes recorded online chat logs, a post-task survey that elicited the learners' perspectives on the online collaborative learning and two individualized posttests (immediate and delayed). The findings revealed that learners did assist each other in attending to language forms through collaborative dialogue, which consequently enhanced their language learning.
AB - This study investigates EFL learners' dialogues in synchronous task-based computer-mediated communication (CMC). The focus is on whether learners engage each other in text-based dialogues regarding the language use in pursuit of the task goal in the CMC context and how their mutual engagement impacts their language learning. Sixteen Chinese tertiary-level learners voluntarily participated in this study. They were randomly assigned to eight virtual pairs, and completed four collaborative tasks via Moodle, a course management system. The study was conducted within a sociocultural framework, especially Swain's concept of collaborative dialogue. Language-related episode (LRE) was employed as a research tool to analyze the learners' dialogue concerning their language use during the completion of the tasks. The data set includes recorded online chat logs, a post-task survey that elicited the learners' perspectives on the online collaborative learning and two individualized posttests (immediate and delayed). The findings revealed that learners did assist each other in attending to language forms through collaborative dialogue, which consequently enhanced their language learning.
KW - Collaborative dialogue
KW - Computer-mediated communication
KW - English as a foreign language
KW - Language-related episode
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=67650999513&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=67650999513&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.system.2009.01.003
DO - 10.1016/j.system.2009.01.003
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:67650999513
VL - 37
SP - 434
EP - 446
JO - System
JF - System
SN - 0346-251X
IS - 3
ER -