Correction to: Feedback-seeking behavior in second language writing: motivational mechanisms

Reading and Writing - The original publication of the article contained errors in the tables.     

Effects of motivational regulation strategies on writing performance: a mediation model of self-regulated learning of writing in English as a second/foreign language

Motivational regulation has long been recognized as an essential but insufficiently investigated aspect of self-regulated learning (SRL), especially in relation to learning English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) writing. This study intends to fill the gap by investigating the predictive effect of motivational regulation strategies on EFL students’ writing performance mediated by SRL strategies. Data were collected from undergraduate students in mainland China (N = 512) through self-report questionnaires and an English writing test. Results of structural equation modeling (SEM) confirmed a partial mediation model in which motivational regulation strategies, as a whole, not only had direct and indirect effects on students’ writing performance but were also significantly correlated with their reported use of SRL strategies relating to cognition, metacognition, and social behavior. In addition, only cognitive and metacognitive strategies were found to be significant mediators in the model while social behavior strategies were not. The findings suggest that cumulative knowledge of motivational regulation is an antecedent of the reported use of other SRL strategies in affecting EFL writing performance. The inclusion of SRL strategies in the mediation model also contributes to a clear understanding of L2 writing processes within the SRL mechanism for improving writing outcomes.     

浅谈克拉申二语习得理论以及对写作的启示

英语作为全球通用语,是学生们必须学习的科目之一。可惜的是,如今有很多学生找不到正确地学习英语的方法和策略。然而,克拉申的二语习得理论可以很绝妙地解决这个问题,可以看清语言的本质,了解影响语言的因素等等,从而使学习者更好地学习。本文主要从克拉申的二语习得理论,其包括五个假说组成,依次为习得和学习假说、监控假说、输入假说、情感过滤假说和自然顺序假说进行简要分析。     

Predicting second language writing proficiency: the roles of cohesion and linguistic sophistication

This study addresses research gaps in predicting second language (L2) writing proficiency using linguistic features. Key to this analysis is the inclusion of linguistic measures at the surface, textbase and situation model level that assess text cohesion and linguistic sophistication. The results of this study demonstrate that five variables (lexical diversity, word frequency, word meaningfulness, aspect repetition and word familiarity) can be used to significantly predict L2 writing proficiency. The results demonstrate that L2 writers categorised as highly proficient do not produce essays that are more cohesive, but instead produce texts that are more linguistically sophisticated. These findings have important implications for L2 writing development and L2 writing pedagogy.     

关于二语习得关键期的脑神经语言机制研究及思考

在对国内外有关第二语言习得的有关研究结果进行分析的基础上,对第二语言习得关键期问题进行了探讨。关于第二语言习得的脑神经机制研究发现,第二语言习得的关键期显而易见没有母语关键期影响突出,而且不同的语言能力发展的关键期有所不同;对第二语言习得关键期假设应持审慎的态度,因为语言熟练水平、语言能力等一系列心理的、认知的、社会的因素对第二语言习得也起着关键性的影响作用;最后提出了关于当前研究的一些思考。     

非英语专业学生二语写作语言石化错误调查研究

笔者使用错误分析的方法,比较分析了所收集到的85份作文样本中的错误。通过研究,笔者发现了自己所任教的非英语专业学生在二语写作中石化错误的总体趋势,并发现了被研究对象经常出现的石化错误。根据研究结果,笔者提出了一些教学建议。     

语法隐喻对二语写作研究的资源贡献

二语写作的语篇意义构建、语篇意义功能、写作复杂性、中介语发展、学术写作等研究维度都有语法隐喻的贡献。语法隐喻以意义为核心,关联语境层和词汇语法层,是系统功能语言学就书面语篇意义构建提供的符号资源;是实现抽象概括、衔接连贯等语篇功能的资源;是复杂性语义生成、以及满足高级语篇写作交际复杂性需求的资源;中介语发展和学术写作也以其为语法资源。语法隐喻框架下二语写作研究本质是以语言意义为核心,故写作教学应该以“意义写作”为本,运用语法隐喻资源,构建具有语境契合度的语篇意义。     

The Web as a source of unconventional research materials in second language academic writing

This study examined 68 Web sources selected by 19 second-language (L2) students while preparing to write research papers. Students submitted an annotated bibliography consisting of ten sources from print or electronic media. Each Web source was classified according to type (e.g., news or advocacy). Of the 68 sites, 29 were considered conventional, i.e., similar to materials housed in libraries (e.g., books and journal articles), and eight were “dead” links. The remaining 33 were rated unconventional, consisting of materials from interest groups, commercial enterprises, and informal academic materials. This paper presents an assessment of the 33 unconventional sites based on WATCH, a rating scale consisting of four broad criteria: author's reputation; the site's objectivity; its academic rigor; and the transparency of its publishing information (Stapleton, P., and Helms-Park, R. (in press). Evaluating Web sources in an EAP course: Introducing a multi-trait instrument for feedback and assessment. English for Specific Purposes). In addition, the paper analyzes seven unconventional sources to illustrate the need to focus on Website evaluation skills in academic contexts.     

Issues of cultural appropriateness and pedagogical efficacy: exploring peer review in a second language writing class

This paper reports on a study designed to investigate (a) whether peer review is an effective pedagogical activity with adult Chinese students in the teaching of second language (L2) academic writing and (b) how factors such as perceptions of the influence of peer reviewers’ L2 proficiency, previous experience with peer review, feedback preferences, and culturally-based beliefs and practices relate to the effectiveness of the pedagogical activity. Participants were 20 English-as-an-L2 learners from China who were enrolled in an academic writing class for postgraduate students at a Singaporean university. Data included first drafts of an academic writing assignment, written peer comments, revised drafts of the assignment, responses to a questionnaire, and interviews. Quantitative analyses of the peer comments and revisions to the drafts show that significant improvement in the revised drafts was linked to peer feedback. Further statistical analyses indicate that the learner variables of interest did not affect the effectiveness of the peer review activity. In addition, qualitative analyses of the questionnaire data and the interviews reveal a general acceptance of peer review as a socioculturally appropriate pedagogical activity for Chinese students. The results of the study are interpreted with an understanding of its limitations, and directions for further research are also discussed.     

Unconventional Internet genres and their impact on second language undergraduate students' writing process

The Web has become a vast and appealing source of information for undergraduate students writing academic papers. While some online resources are comparable in quality to the materials housed in a library, newly accessible, Web-specific genres, such as interest groups, often undermine traditional expectations of scholarly authority, rigor, and objectivity. Since many of these genres harbor hidden agendas, their impact is often manipulative. Giving the illusion of rigor, they can present challenges for novice undergraduate second language writers who are unfamiliar with North American academic guidelines, yet few studies have examined the impact of such sites on their writing. In order to assess this influence, unconventional, opinion-supporting Web citations in argumentative essays from 70 undergraduate ESL students were isolated and evaluated. Findings revealed that the students who cited unconventional sources appeared to be unaware of their ideological agendas. Additionally, viewing such sources as objective, they used them to support their own viewpoints.     

对外汉语学生语法用书的考察与编写

对外汉语学生语法用书从质和量两方面都不能满足学生的需求.本文明确教学语法和学生语法的内涵,提出几点对外汉语学生语法用书编写的大胆建议.     

Predicting human judgments of essay quality in both integrated and independent second language writing samples: A comparison study

This study explores whether linguistic features can predict second language writing proficiency in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT) integrated and independent writing tasks and, if so, whether there are differences and similarities in the two sets of predictive linguistic features. Linguistic features related to lexical sophistication, syntactic complexity, cohesion, and basic text information were investigated in relation to the writing scores for both integrated and independent samples. The results of this study show that linguistic features can be used to significantly predict essay scores in the integrated as well as the independent writing. When comparing across the two writing tasks, there are both similarities and differences in the two sets of predictive features. For instance, lexical sophistication was found to be a significant predictor for both tasks while features such as verbs in 3rd person singular form and semantic similarity were only significant predictors for the integrated task. These findings demonstrate that evaluation of the two writing tasks rely on similar and distinct features, and are at least partially assessed using different linguistic criteria. Implications of these findings for the assessment of second language (L2) writing are also discussed.     

Implementing technology-enhanced collaborative writing in second and foreign language learning: A review of practices,technology and challenges

Education and Information Technologies - Technology-enhanced collaborative writing (TECW) for second language development is receiving increasing research attention from educators and teachers....     

词块输入对学生二语写作效度影响的实证研究

通过实证研究,论证出词块输入和存储量对英语写作效度的相关性,丰富二语习得的研究。词块对语言输出有促进作用。词块输入能促使二语学习者有意识使用词块,提高写作水平,对于语言产出和教学都有积极的意义。     

The potential formative benefits of portfolio assessment in second and foreign language writing contexts: A review of the literature

This article identifies the potential formative benefits of using portfolio assessment (PA) in second/foreign language classrooms by reviewing the up-to-date research. Three methods were used to search for relevant research: database search, manual search, and citation search. According to the literature, PA has potential benefits due to its process-oriented, authentic, integrated, interactive, and learner-centered characteristics. PA leads to increased motivation, learner autonomy, and improved writing performance. However, not many studies include observation as a method of collecting data. Through observation a researcher can investigate how the benefits of PA are acted upon and negotiated. There is a need for more empirical research in the juxtaposition of PA and formative assessment, particularly in primary and secondary education.     

对外汉语写作教学之"疯狂写作"导入法探析

根据多年在对外汉语写作教学第一线的经验,摸索出"疯狂写作"导入课堂的理念和方法,旨在引领学习者以放松、忘我的状态进行无主题、无限制的自由写作,经多年教学实践证明,该方法在消除学习者对写作的畏难情绪,短期内提高汉语写作速度、增强对汉语写作的自信,以及指引教师合理有效地设计课堂教学等方面都起到了一定的积极作用,是辅助对外汉语写作教学的一种有意义的尝试.     

The relation of play and sensorimotor behavior to language in the second year

The concurrent and predictive relations of sensorimotor behavior and play to language in the second year were assessed. 19 preterm and 20 full-term infants were tested at 13 1/2 and 22 months of age. Functional play directed toward dolls and other persons and meaningfully related sequences of functional and symbolic acts at 13 1/2 months were associated with language measured at 13 1/2 months and 9 months later. Concurrent positive relations between sensorimotor behavior and language were found only at 22 months for object-permanence skills. There were no significant positive relations between sensorimotor behaviors at 13 1/2 months and language at 22 months. The consistent relations found between play and language in this research derived from the infants' ability to translate experience into symbols that are used as a means of interacting and communicating with others. Sensorimotor behavior and language were much more loosely associated in the same age period.