Assessing episodes in verbalization process of EFL students’ collaborative writing

Ani Susanti, Utami Widiati, Bambang Yudi Cahyono, Tengku Intan Suzila Tengku Sharif

Abstract


One of the ways to engage EFL students in writing is to assign them to work collaboratively. Collaborative writing requires a verbalization process resulting in episodes related to language, texts, and scaffolds. This study examined the use of episodes in collaborative writing of EFL students set in pairs by the teacher. It identified the most productive type of episodes which include language-related episodes (LREs), text-related episodes (TREs), and scaffolding episodes (SEs). It also scrutinized the categories of episodes within each type of episode. The study involved 20 pairs of Indonesian students from the English Department of a reputable university in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The students were given an integrated reading-writing task and asked to work in pairs. The results of the study showed that SEs were the most productive type of episode, followed by LREs in the moderate occurrence, and TREs, which were the least productive type of episode. The results also revealed that among the categories in each type of episode, lexis-focused (LREs), organization-focused (TREs), and repetition (SEs) were more productive than the other categories of episodes. These results imply that the most productive categories of episodes could be catalysts in the teaching of writing, which employs collaborative writing tasks either in pairs or in small groups. This study offers insights into creating activities to encourage writing activities that especially involve types of pairings.

Keywords


collaborative writing; English as a foreign language (EFL); episodes; pairings; verbalization process

Full Text:

PDF

References


Adodo, S. O., & Agbayewa, J. O. (2011). Effect of homogenous and heterogeneous ability grouping class teaching on student’s interest, attitude and achievement in integrated science. International Journal of Psychology and Counseling, 3(3), 48-54.

Brown, G., & Yule, G. (1983). Discourse analysis. Cambridge University Press.

Cahyono, B. Y., & Amrina, R. (2016). Peer feedback, self-correction, and writing proficiency of Indonesian EFL students. Arab World English Journal, 7(1), 178-193. https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol7no1.12

Chan, S., Inoue, C., & Taylor, L. (2015). Developing rubrics to assess the reading-into-writing skills: A case study. Assessing Writing, 26, 20-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2015.07.004

Dabao, A. F., & Blum, A. (2013). Collaborative writing in pairs and small groups: Learners’ attitudes and perceptions. System, 41(2), 365-378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2013.02.002

Deveci, T. (2018). Student perceptions on collaborative writing in a project-based course. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 6(4), 721-732. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2018.060415

DiCamilla, F. J., & Anton, M. (1997). Repetition in the collaborative discourse of L2 learners: A Vygotskian perspective. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 53(4), 609-663. https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.53.4.609

Dirgeyasa, I. W. (2016). Genre-based approach: What and how to teach to learn writing. English Language Teaching, 9(9), 45-51. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v9n9p45

Donato, R. (2004). Aspects of collaboration in pedagogical discourse. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 24, 284-302. https://doi.org/10.1017/S026719050400011X

Fauziah, H., & Latief, M. (2016). The effect of working in heterogeneous and homogeneous pairs on the students’ writing skill. Arab World English Journal, 6(2), 174-188. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2834389

Hanjani, A. M., & Li, L. (2014). Exploring L2 writers’ collaborative revision interactions and their writing performance. System, 44(3), 101-114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2014.03.004

Hassaskhah, J., & Mozaffari, H. (2015). The impact of group formation method (student-selected vs. teacher-assigned) on group dynamics and group outcome in EFL creative writing. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 6(1), 147-156. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0601.18

Hyland, K. (2003). Second language writing. Cambridge University Press.

Hyland, K. (2016). Teaching and researching writing (3rd ed.). Routledge.

Issacson, S. (1988). Assessing the writing product: Qualitative and quantitative measures. Exceptional Children, 54(6), 528-534. https://doi.org/10.1177/001440298805400606

Karim, S. M. S., Maasum, T. N. R. T. M. I., & Latif, H. (2017). Writing challenges of Bangladeshi tertiary level EFL learners. E-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 14(2), 296-306.

Khatib, M., & Meihami, H. (2015). Languaging and writing skill: The effect of collaborative writing on EFL students’ writing performance. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 6(1), 203-211. https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.alls.v.6n.1p.203

Kim, Y. (2009). The effects of task complexity on learner - learner interaction. System, 37(2), 254-268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2009.02.003

Kim, Y., & McDonough, K. (2008). The effect of interlocutor proficiency on the collaborative dialogue between Korean as a second language learners. Language Teaching Research, 12(2), 211-234. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168807086288

Kim, Y., & McDonough, K. (2011). Using pre-task modelling to encourage collaborative learning opportunities. Language Teaching Research, 15(2), 183-199. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168810388711

Kusumaningrum, S. R., Cahyono, B. Y., & Prayogo, J. A. (2019). The effect of different types of peer feedback provision on EFL students’ writing performance. International Journal of Instruction, 12(1), 213-224. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2019.12114a

Leeser, M. J. (2004). Learner proficiency and focus on form during collaborative dialogue. Language Teaching Research, 8(1), 55-81. https://doi.org/10.1191/1362168804lr134oa

Li, M., & Kim, D. (2016). One wiki, two groups: Dynamic interactions across ESL collaborative writing tasks. Journal of Second Language Writing, 31, 25-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2016.01.002

Maftoon, P., & Ghafoori, F. N. (2009). A comparative study of the effect of homogeneous and heterogeneous collaborative interaction on the development of EFL learners’ writing skill. The Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2(1), 127-158.

McCarthy, M. (1991). Discourse analysis for language teachers. Cambridge University Press.

McDonough, K. (2004). Learner-learner interaction during pair and small group activities in a Thai EFL context. System, 32(2), 207-224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2004.01.003

McDonough, K., & Fuentes, C. G. (2015). The effect of writing task and task conditions on Colombian EFL learners’ language use. TESL Canada Journal, 32(2), 67-79. https://doi.org/10.18806/tesl.v32i2.1208

Mozaffari, S. H. (2017). Comparing student-selected and teacher-assigned pairs on collaborative writing. Language Teaching Research, 21(4), 496-516. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168816641703

Neumann, H., & McDonough, K. (2015). Exploring student interaction during collaborative prewriting discussions and its relationship to L2 writing. Journal of Second Language Writing, 27(1), 84-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2014.09.009

Niu, R., Jiang, L., & Deng, Y. (2018). Effect of proficiency pairing on L2 learners’ language learning and scaffolding in collaborative writing. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 27(3), 187-195. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-018-0377-2

Nunan, D. (1999). Second language teaching and learning. Heinle & Heinle Publishers.

Oshima, A., & Hogue, A. (2007). Introduction to academic writing (3rd ed.). Pearson Education.

Plakans, L., & Gebril, A. (2012). A close investigation into source use in integrated second language writing tasks. Assessing Writing, 17(1), 18-34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2011.09.002

Rahayu, D. (2020). Interaction in collaborative writing between international and domestic students in an Indonesian university. Studies in English Language and Education, 7(1), 113-128. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v7i1.15773

Rezeki, Y. S. (2016). Indonesian English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners’ experiences in collaborative writing [Doctoral dissertation, University of Rochester]. UR Research. http://hdl.handle.net/1802/30856

Rosário, P., Högemann, J., Núñez, J. C., Vallejo, G., Cunha, J., Rodríguez, C., & Fuentes, S. (2019). The impact of three types of writing intervention on students’ writing quality. Plos One, 14(7), e0218099. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0218099

Shehadeh, A. (2011). Effects and student perceptions of collaborative writing in L2. Journal of Second Language Writing, 20(4), 286-305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2011.05.010

Storch, N. (2005). Collaborative writing: Product, process, and students’ reflections. Journal of Second Language Writing, 14(3), 153-173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2005.05.002

Storch, N. (2008). Metatalk in a pair work activity: Level of engagement and implications for language development. Language Awareness, 17(2), 95-114. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658410802146644

Storch, N. (2018). Collaborative Writing. In J. I. Liontas (Ed.), The TESOL encyclopedia of English language teaching. John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118784235.eelt0395

Storch, N., & Aldosari, A. (2013). Pairing learners in pair work activity. Language Teaching Research, 17(1), 31-48. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168812457530

Swain, M., Brooks, L., & Tocalli-Beller, A. (2002). Peer-peer dialogue as a means of second language learning. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 22, 171-185. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190502000090

Swain, M., & Lapkin, S. (1998). Interaction and second language learning: Two adolescent French immersion students working together. The Modern Language Journal, 82, 320-337. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1998.tb01209.x

Swain, M., & Lapkin, S. (2002). Talking it through: Two French immersion learners’ response to reformulation. International Journal of Educational Research, 37(3-4), 285-304. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-0355(03)00006-5

Swain, M., & Watanabe, Y. (2012). Languaging: Collaborative dialogue as a source of second language learning. In C. A. Chapelle (Ed.), The encyclopedia of applied linguistics (pp. 3218-3225). Blackwell Publishing Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0664

Vonna, Y., Mukminatien, N., & Laksmi, E. D. (2015). The effect of scaffolding techniques on students’ writing achievement. Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora, 3(1), 227-233.

Watanabe, Y. (2014). Collaborative and independent writing: Japanese university English learners’ processes, texts and opinions [Doctoral dissertation, University of Toronto]. http://hdl.handle.net/1807/68376

Watanabe, Y., & Swain, M. (2007). Effects of proficiency differences and patterns of pair interaction on second language learning: Collaborative dialogue between adult ESL learners. Language Teaching Research, 11(2), 121-142. https://doi.org/10.1177/136216880607074599

Weigle, S. C. (2002). Assessing writing. Cambridge University Press.

Weigle, S. C. (2004). Integrating reading and writing in a competency test for non-native speakers of English. Assessing Writing, 9(1), 27-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2004.01.002

Williams, J. P. (2003). Preparing to teach writing: Research, theory, and practice (3rd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum.

Yi, J. (2009). Defining writing ability for classroom writing assessment in high schools. Pan-Pacific Association of Applied Linguistics, 13(1), 53-69.

Yoshida, R. (2008). Functions of repetition in learners’ private speech in Japanese language classrooms. Language Awareness, 17, 289-306. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658410802146909

Zamani, M. (2016). Cooperative learning: Homogeneous and heterogeneous grouping of Iranian EFL learners in a writing context. Cogent Education, 3, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1149959

Zhang, M. (2018). Collaborative writing in the EFL classroom: The effects of L1 and L2 use. System, 76(5), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2018.04.009




DOI: https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v9i2.20165

Article Metrics

Abstract view : 0 times
PDF - 0 times

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Print ISSN: 2355-2794, Online ISSN: 2461-0275

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.


View Journal Stats