The effects of synchronous written corrective feedback on learning speech acts through technology-mediated collaborative writing

Abstract

Due to the increasing use of online resources in second language (L2) classrooms, synchronous written corrective feedback (SWCF) has received greater attention. The current study examined the role of SWCF in learners’ production of complaint strategies and their learning of pragmatically appropriate use of the English speech act of complaints. It further examined the extent to which the frequency of SWCF episodes predicted learning outcomes. Forty-four Japanese university students were assigned to either a SWCF or no-feedback group. As part of their regular course curriculum, they completed a pretest, two writing tasks, and two posttests. The writing tasks, pretest, and posttests asked students to compose drama scripts based on scenarios involving interlocutors with varying power dynamics ([+power] complaining to [-power], [-power] complaining to [+power], [=power] complaining to [=power]). Students’ production of different complaint strategies in their pretests and posttests responses was tallied, and their written output was scored for appropriateness using a rubric. Findings showed that SWCF generally facilitated the appropriate use of complaint strategies, particularly in the context of [-power] complaining to [+power]. However, this facilitation was not related to the frequency of SWCF episodes. 第二言語 (L2) 教室におけるオンラインリソースの利用が増加する中、同期的修正フィードバック (Synchronous Written Corrective Feedback, SWCF) が注目されるようになってきた。本研究では、学習者の苦情ストラテジーの産出および英語における苦情言語行為の適切な使用の習得におけるSWCFの役割を検証した。さらに、SWCFエピソードの頻度が学習を予測する程度についても調査を行った。日本人大学生44名をSWCF群と非フィードバック群に分けた。通常のカリキュラムの一環として事前テスト、2つのライティング課題、および2つの事後テストを実施した。ライティング課題、事前テスト、事後テストでは、異なる力関係([+power]から [-power] への苦情、 [-power] から [+power] への苦情、 [-power] から [-power] への苦情)における対話者間の苦情場面に基づいた対話形式の脚本の作成を求めた。事前・事後テストにおける学習者の異なる苦情のストラテジーの産出を集計し、ルーブリックを用いて記述出力の適切性を評価した。結果として、SWCFは全般的に苦情のストラテジーの適切な使用を促進することが示され、特に [-power] から [+power] への苦情の文脈において顕著であった。ただし、この促進効果はSWCFエピソードの頻度とは関連性が見られなかった。 In this study, we investigated how online feedback helps students learn to use complaints in English appropriately. The focus was on synchronous written corrective feedback (SWCF), which refers to feedback given in real-time while students are doing writing tasks. The study included 44 Japanese university students divided into two groups: one group received SWCF, and the other did not. As part of their coursework, students completed a pretest, two writing tasks, and two posttests. The writing tasks required students to compose drama scripts that involved complaints in three social power dynamics: lower-to-higher status complaints, (2) higher-to-lower status complaints, and (3) lower-to-lower status complaints. We then compared the two groups in terms of students’ use of complaint strategies and how appropriate their complaints were in the posttests. The results indicated that in general students who received SWCF used complaint strategies more appropriately, especially when complaining to someone with more power. However, the study found that the amount of feedback did not affect how much students improved overall.