The Effects of Authentic Audience on The Effects of Authentic Audience on ESL Writers:ESL Writers:

A Task-Based, Computer-Mediated ApproachBy Julian Chen & Kimberly Brown

The StudentsThe Students

WorldviewWorldview

Pragmatism

Theoretical FrameworkTheoretical Framework

TBLTSelf-Determination Theory (motivation): (Deci

& Ryan, 2000)L2 Self-Perspective on Motivation (Dornyei,

2005)Constructivism

Interest in Authentic Audience?Interest in Authentic Audience?

Based on experiences using service learning in ESL.

Students’ English is useful at any proficiency level.

Students’ awareness of audience and motivation to write can be increased by removing the audience abstraction associated with traditional writing assignments.

English at any proficiency level can be used for a real purpose.

Interest in Task-Based Language Interest in Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT)Teaching (TBLT)

10 teaching methodological principles (MPs) for TBLT (Doughty & Long, 2003):

•Use tasks, not texts, as the unit of analysis•Promote learning by doing•Elaborate input•Provide rich input•Encourage inductive

learning

•Provide negative feedback•Focus on form•Respect learner syllabus•Promote collaborative learning•Individualize instruction

Interest in CMCInterest in CMC

New computer platforms have changed the meaning of ‘audience.’

Students have access to a widely distributed audience.

An immediacy in interaction exists in CMC that does not exist on paper.

Creative, innovative tasks can be created at a low cost.

CMC environments can motivate students in new ways. Students have greater opportunities to construct knowledge.

PurposePurpose

To empower and motivate students and to generate findings that will aide ESL teachers in creating higher-quality task-based CMC lessons.

To examine the effect of task-based instruction targeting an authentic audience in a CMC environment on six ESL adult learners’ development of writing proficiency

To explore their perceptions about the task-based CMC approach, on their motivation to work to improve their English writing skills.

The LiteratureThe Literature

Task Based Language Teaching

Language teachers should select tasks that will motivate learners, present appropriate cognitive/linguistic challenge and promote their language development as efficiently as possible (Willis, 1996)

TBLT can foster cooperative learning, sense of engagement and accomplishment in CMC environment (Warschauer et al., 1996)

Research on the impact that task-based CMC targeting an authentic audience has on learner motivation and language development is still in paucity.

The Literature continuedThe Literature continued

Motivation

                            

          

  

                            

          

  

MotivationMotivation

New Web tools warrant new explorations into how computer technology can serve as a motivator to learn (Warschauer, 1996).

Additional research regarding student motivation as generated by a task-based approach to language teaching is needed in order for educators to design motivating tasks (Dornyei, 2003).

Some studies have been done on the impact of audience in CMC environments. However, little research linking motivation and authentic audience within a task-based, CMC environment has been done (Bloch, 2007; Oladi, 2005).

I think I can

Research QuestionsResearch Questions

Does task-based instruction, targeting an authentic audience in a CMC environment, have an effect on ESL learners’ overall writing quality?

If so, to what extent is their writing quality due to the task-based CMC approach infusing authentic audience, different from that of their counterparts who were not exposed to this new approach?

What are students’ perceptions about the authentic task-based CMC instruction?

Does this approach facilitate or debilitate their motivation toward English writing?

Task DescriptionsTask Descriptions

Task 1: Travel Websites – Students were asked to collaborate with a classmate and create a travel website. The audience members for this task were other international students and program faculty.

Task 2: State Department Websites – Students were asked to research the role of State Department English Language Officers and create an informative website about their own countries that would be useful for a business traveler going abroad to train English teachers.

Task 3: Culture Gap Websites – Students were asked to create a needs analysis survey using an online program and administer it to a group of American students. They then created a informative website based on the needs analysis.

MethodsMethods

Research Design Concurrent, mixed-methods, case study

Participants & Setting 6 adult English language learners, age 18 – 33. Turkish, Ivorian, Saudi Arabian, Vietnamese, Korean, Spanish Post-secondary, Intensive English program, Reading/Writing/Grammar

course Instruments

Writing scoring rubric Open- and closed-ended questionnaire Semi-structured interview

ParticipantsParticipants

Six adult English language learners enrolled in an intensive English language program at the post-secondary level.

Students ranged in age from 18 – 33 and were learningEnglish for academic and professional reasons.

Four of the six students were either admitted or applying to American universities and two were attempting to improve their English language skills in order to engage more competently in international business conducted in English.

All students were placed into a beginning level, reading, writing, & grammar course that incorporated task based language teaching techniques within the writing instruction.

Methods (con.)Methods (con.)

Data Collection Process essays from this and a previous course (same level, same

program) Online survey report Interview transcriptions Researcher-teacher observation

Data Analysis Both researchers analyzed the writing and the scores were averaged

(interrater reliability: Kendall’s Coefficient W=.917 ). Interview transcriptions underwent a constant comparison analysis by

both researchers who identified emerging themes independently and then collaborated on a final coding of the interview data.

These themes were then compared to responses generated by the online questionnaire.

Quantitative Result 1Quantitative Result 1

Grand mean of overall writing quality within treatment group

Pairwise comparison within treatment group in each rating criterion

Quantitative Result 1 (cont.)Quantitative Result 1 (cont.)

Quantitative Results 2Quantitative Results 2

Grand mean of overall writing quality between two groups

Pairwise comparison between two groups in each rating criterion

Quantitative Result 2 (cont.)Quantitative Result 2 (cont.)

Qualitative Results 1Qualitative Results 1

Finding 1: Using technology in the class creates an interesting and stimulating environment, but may be overused or perceived to be irrelevant to student goals. ▪ ‘Yes I think it’s [technology] good because we learn many computer like analyze things. I like that. Like I like we post our work online, and my family can see all my work. I think it’s a good thing. My family is very happy with that. They can see my evolution.’

▪ ‘Sometimes online task very much, too much because sometimes I feel about my classmates also and maybe me, they thinking about not writing skills, thinking about prepare website.

Finding 2: Students engaged in well-designed tasks feel as though their language is useful and they become more interested in writing.

▪ ‘I feel that I want to be more professional in writing, I like it. Maybe in the beginning, I am not interested in writing, because I don’t know what to write before. But now it’s different.’

Qualitative Results 2Qualitative Results 2

Finding 3: Students perceive improvement in their writing when an authentic audience is targeted; furthermore, the tasks are more meaningful to them in the presence of the authentic audience. ▪ I think in the beginning I was very nervous because I don’t know if my writing will be good, but ultimately I think to write was better because I wanted to show a good writing.

▪I see many changes. Now I think I’m very comfortable when I talk with another people even if I do many mistakes. I don’t’ take care of that. My writing is very good. I’m very proud of me because of that.

▪ The culture gap website; I was very personal because I try to speak like …I put my whole opinion about my country.

Finding 4: Students are motivated by seeing their classmates’

work. ▪I sometimes worry about my project because other people also do very well. So when I look at (theirs), I will

tell myself to work harder.

Qualitative Results 3Qualitative Results 3

Finding 5: Students are motivated by task content as well as by the desire to actively accomplish a challenging task. ▪ ‘I spent a lot of time, like because of my homework and it’s difficult, but I think it’s good because I’m very motivated.’

▪’Task is really hard, but in the end, it’s pretty good because we develop ourselves quickly and we grow our English more than we can, and we learn a lot of things we don’t know before.

▪ ‘I’m worried honestly. I’m worried, not my English skill, I worry they misunderstand Turkey. Maybe they misunderstand my mean. This is very worry and this is also very pride thing because I feel represent Turkey.’

Qualitative Results 4Qualitative Results 4

Finding 6: Students are motivated to focus on grammatical accuracy and sentence variety/complexity, as well as on autonomous learning of vocabulary because of a desire to avoid ridicule and to communicate cultural information clearly.

▪‘Ya, you know, because you write for Americans, they know how to read, they know how to write, so I have to do my best. So I have to be more careful when I write. Sometimes I feel how it looks like if they…hmm, you don’t want them laugh about you.’

▪People outside (Americans); I want to do good grammar because a lot of people outside in the institute (state department) will look at our website, so we have to do our best in grammar for writing. Maybe it’s hard.the quality, word we choose.

LimitationsLimitations

Questionnaire needed piloting Participant attrition Sample size

ImplicationsImplications

Task content is important and should be chosen carefully with students backgrounds and needs in mind.

TBLT does not have to exclude focus-on-form. Teachers must be motivated to provide stimulating, authentic

classroom tasks that permit students to be competent. Technology should not be over-used. Student learning styles

and needs must be considered. Students may fail to see a clear link between task completion

and their own goals, particularly when these goals are related to passing standardized tests.

ReferencesReferences

Bloch, J. (2007). Abdullah’s blogging: A 1.5 generation student enters the blogoshpere. Langauge Learning & Technology, 11(2), 128-141.

Deci, E.L., & Ryan, R.M. (2000). The ‘what’ and ‘why’ of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227-268.

Dornyei, Z. (2003). Attitudes, orientations, and motivations in language learning: Advances in theory, research, and applications. Malden, MA. Blackwell.

Dörnyei, Z. (2005). The psychology of the language learner: Individual differences in second language acquisition. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Oladi, S. (2005). Study of Tehran medical students’ social interaction in cyber blogging environment and its effects on IELTS writing proficiency. Unpublished mater’s thesis. Tehran University, Tehran.

Warschauer, M. (1996). Motivational aspects of using computers for writing and communication. In M. Warschauer (Ed.), Telecollaboration in foreign language learning: Proceedings of the Hawai'i Symposium. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai'i, Second Language Teaching & Curriculum Center.