Abstract:

This article reviews the findings of a study which set out to examine the role that consciousness raising (CR) plays in grammatical development in synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC). Students participated in weekly SCMC sessions. Spanish L2 forms por/para and ser/estar were chosen, and the data from two groups--form-and-meaning focused (FMF) group and meaning-focused (MF) group--were analyzed. Three pre- and posttest measures were administered (elicited imitation/sentence repetition testing, grammaticality preferences component, and orals). Pretest scores demonstrated homogeneity at the onset of the study and pre-to-post score analysis revealed improvement for both groups, excluding grammaticality preference scores for the MF group. Posttest scores revealed significant statistical differences in the outcomes in favor of the FMF group. Analysis of the chatscripts for the FMF group revealed (a) higher levels of syntactic maturity and equal levels of lexical density, (b) greater quantities and more accurate productions of the target forms, and (c) absence of using a default form of the copular verb. Analysis of the chatscripts for the MF group revealed (a) a primary focus on meaning, with instances of attention to form, and (b) adoption of ser as the default copular verb. Social behavior was an important element in the study. First, the instructor engaged in equal feedback practices for both groups. She chose not to alter her feedback practices in the chats and engaged uniformly in terms of correction with both groups. The FMF participants actively engaged in self- and peer-to-peer corrective strategies. In addition they stayed on task, were less likely to resort to L1 use, were cooperative, and were more likely to recognize instructor-to-student feedback. On the contrary, the MF group was likely to joke, bully, and resort to L1 use, and was less likely to collaborate. It was concluded that CR had a greater impact on development in chat with a specific focus on form than in chat without such specific instructions and that unintentional focus on form was insufficient to facilitate growth to the same degree as deliberate focus on form.

Author: Melissa L. Fiori