Topic familiarity and story continuation in young English as a foreign language learners’ writing tasks

• Authors: Gavin Bui , Xueya Luo

Abstracts

EN

Prior research demonstrates that primary and secondary school teachers often find teaching young learners to write in a second language a slow and effortful process. Moreover, students in this age range lack the motivation to write. Therefore, it is important to explore the EFL writing pedagogy suitable for young learners. The present study investigated how story continuation (with or without reading input) under different topic familiarity conditions serves as a viable pedagogical means for secondary school students. Ninety-one Chinese students in four intact classes of comparable proficiency levels were assigned four writing task conditions in a 2 ⨉ 2 factorial design. Group 1 (Fam) was provided with the beginning of a familiar story in L1 Chinese and was required to complete the story in L2 English. Group 2 (UnFam) had the same task as Group 1, with an unfamiliar story. Group 3 (Fam+Input) was initially provided with the complete familiar story in Chinese (the same story as Group 1) as reading input and were then instructed to write the story in English with the reading material taken away. Group 4 (Unfam+Input) received the full unfamiliar story in Chinese (the same story as Group 2) as input before writing. Again they were not allowed to refer to the reading in the composing process. The results revealed that the young learners who wrote on familiar topics (Groups 1 and 3) produced longer texts and demonstrated greater lexical diversity than those with unfamiliar stories (Groups 2 and 4), although topic familiarity did not affect their writing quality or lexical sophistication. As for the story continuation conditions, students who completed writing the story without the L1 reading input on the topics (Groups 1 and 2) developed longer compositions and better writing quality than those with such input (Groups 3 and 4), although their lexical profiles (both lexical diversity and lexical sophistication) remained uninfluenced. Pedagogical implications for EFL writing among young learners were also discussed in the present study.

Keywords

EN

topic familiarity; reading input; L2 writing; story continuation; writing quality; text length; lexical diversity; lexical sophistication

• Publisher: Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu
• Journal: Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching
• Year: 2021
• Volume: 11
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 377-400

Dates

published

2021

Contributors

author

Gavin Bui

• The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

• https://orcid.org/0000000215679074

author

Xueya Luo

• Gaoxin Middle School of Shenzhen Nanshan Foreign Language School (Group), Shenzhen, China

• https://orcid.org/0000000192639335

References

• Becker, A. (2006). A review of writing model research based on cognitive processes. In A. Horning & A. Becker (Eds.), Revision: History, theory, and practice (pp. 25-49). Parlor.
• Braine, G., & May, C. (1995). Writing from sources: A guide for ESL students. Mayfield Pub. Co.
• Bei, X. (2009). The effects of writing task repetition and teacher feedback on writing quality and fluency among students of different proficiency levels. Modern Foreign Languages, 32(4), 389-398. http://xdwy.cbpt.cnki.net/WKD/WebPublication/paperDigest.aspx?paperID=652ca93b-6e7e-4539-a74f-0fabaefbccc0
• Bui, G. (2014). Task readiness: Theoretical framework and empirical evidence from topic familiarity, strategic planning, and proficiency levels. In Skehan, P. (Ed.), Processing perspectives on task performance (pp. 63-94). John Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/tblt.5.03gav
• Bui, G. (2019). Influence of learners’ prior knowledge, L2 proficiency and pre-task planning time on L2 lexical complexity. IRAL – International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching. https://doi.org/10.1515/iral-2018-0244
• Bui, G., & Teng, F. (2021). Exploring complexity in L2 and L3 motivational systems: A dynamic systems theory perspective. The Language Learning Journal, 49(3), 302-317. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2019.1610032
• Bui, G., & Yu, R. (2019). Spaced multi-draft composing and feedback in mainland Chinese English as a foreign language secondary school writing literacy. In B. Reynolds & M. F. Teng (Eds.), English literacy instruction for Chinese speakers. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6653-6_8
• Bügel, K., & Buunk, B. (1996). Sex differences in foreign language text comprehension: The role of interests and prior knowledge. Modern Language Journal, 80, 15-31. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1996.tb01133.x
• Chang, C. (2006). Effects of topic familiarity and linguistic difficulty on the reading strategies and mental representations of non-native readers of Chinese. Journal of Language and Learning, 4, 172-198.
• Chen, Q., & Donin, J. (1997). Discourse processing of first and second language biology texts: Effects of language proficiency and domain-specific knowledge. Modern Language Journal, 81, 209-227. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1997.tb01176.x
• Copland, F., Garton, S., & Burns, A. (2014). Challenges in teaching English to young learners: Global perspectives and local realities. TESOL Quarterly, 48(4), 738-762. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.148
• Eckstein, G., Chariton, J., & McCollum, R. M. (2011). Multi-draft composing: An iterative model for academic argument writing. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 10, 162-172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2011.05.004
• Graham, S., & Hebert, M. A. (2010). Writing to read: Evidence for how writing can improve reading: A Carnegie corporation time to act report. Alliance for Excellent Education.
• Kellogg, R. T. (1996). A model of working memory in writing. In C. M. Levy & S. Ransdell (Eds.), The science of writing: Theories, methods, individual differences and applications (pp. 57-71). Lawrence Erlbaum.
• Kellogg, R. T. (2001). Competition for working memory among writing processes. American Journal of Psychology, 114(2), 175-192. https://doi.org/10.2307/1423513
• Kintsch, W. (1988). The role of knowledge in discourse comprehension: A construction–integration model. Psychological Review, 95(2), 163-182.
• Kupers, E., Lehman-Wermser, A., McPherson, G., & Geert P. V. (2019). Children’s creativity: A theoretical framework and systematic review. Review of Educational Research, 89: 93-124. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654318815707
• Lee, S. K. (2007). Effects of textual enhancement and topic familiarity on Korean EFL students reading comprehension and learning of passive form. Language Learning, 57, 87-118. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2007.00400.x
• Lee, I., Yu, S., & Liu, Y. (2018). Hong Kong secondary students’ motivation in EFL writing: A survey study. TESOL Quarterly, 52(1), 176-187. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.364
• Leeser, M. J. (2007). Learner-based factors in L2 reading comprehension and processing grammatical form: Topic familiarity and working memory. Language Learning, 57(2), 229-270. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2007.00408.x
• Long, D. R. (1990). What you don’t know can’t help you: An exploratory study of background knowledge and second language listening comprehension. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 12, 65-80. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263100008743
• Man, L., Bui, G., & Teng, F. (2018). From second language to third language learning: Exploring a dual-motivation system among multilinguals. Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 41(1), 61-90. https://doi.org/10.1075/aral.17051.man
• Markham, P., & Latham, M. (1987). The influence of religious-specific background knowledge on the listening comprehension of adult second-language students. Language Learning, 37, 157-170. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1987.tb00563.x
• Meara, P., & Bell, H. (2001). P-Lex: A simple and effective way of describing the lexical characteristics of short L2 tests. Prospect, 16(3), 5-19. http://www.ameprc.mq.edu.au/resources/prospect/V16_N3_2001
• Pallant, J. (2013). SPSS survival manual (5th ed.). Open University Press.
• Peng, J., Wang, C., & Lu, X. (2020). Effect of the linguistic complexity of the input text on alignment, writing fluency, and writing accuracy in the continuation task. Language Teaching Research, 24(3), 364-381. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1362168818783341
• Pickering, M. J., & S. Garrod. (2004). Toward a mechanistic psychology of dialogue. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 27(2), 169-190. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X04000056
• Qiu. X. (2020). Functions of oral monologic tasks: Effects of topic familiarity on L2 speaking performance. Language Teaching Research, 24(6), 745-764. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168819829021
• Qiu, X., & Lo, Y. Y. (2017). The influence of topic familiarity on L2 learners’ engagement in task performance and affective dispositions. Language Teaching Research, 21(6), 681-698.
• Schmidt-Rinehart, B. C. (1994). The effects of topic familiarity on second language listening comprehension. Modern Language Journal, 78, 179-189. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1994.tb02030.x
• Skehan, P. (2009). Lexical performance by native and non-native speakers on language learning tasks. In B. Richards, H. Daller, D. Malvern, P. Meara, J. Milton, & J. Treffers-Daller (Eds.), Vocabulary studies in first and second language acquisition: The interface between theory and application (pp. 107-124). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230242258_7
• Skehan, P., Bei, X., Li, Q., & Wang, Z. (2012). The task is not enough: Processing approaches to task-based performance. Language Teaching Research, 16(2), 170-187. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168811428414
• Stevens, R. J., Van Meter, P., & Warcholak, N. D. (2010). The effects of explicitly teaching story structure to primary grade children. The Journal of Literacy Research, 42(2),159-198. https://doi.org/10.1080/10862961003796173
• Tedick, D. J. (1990). ESL writing assessment: Subject-matter knowledge and its impact on performance. English for Specific Purposes, 9, 123-143. https://doi.org/10.1016/0889-4906(90)90003-U
• Wang, C., & Wang, M. (2015). Effect of alignment on L2 written production. Applied Linguistics, 36(5), 503-526. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amt051
• Wilson, K., & Korn, J. H. (2007). Attention during lectures: Beyond ten minutes. Teaching of Psychology, 34(2), 85-89.
• Zhang, X. (2017). Reading–writing integrated tasks, comprehensive corrective feedback, and EFL writing development. Language Teaching Research, 21(2), 217-240. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168815623291

Identifiers

DOI

10.14746/ssllt.2021.11.3.4

Biblioteka Nauki

1902589