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TBLT 2005. Tasks and Focus on Form. TBLT has been proposed as a method of promoting learning of form in the context of meaningful communication (e.g., Long and Robinson, 1998; Ellis, 1999).Empirical research indicates that engaging in tasks can promote formal learning in NS-NNS (e.g., Mackey, 1999) and NNS-NNS contexts (e.g., Adams, 2004; Williams, 1999)..
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1. TBLT 2005 L2 Tasks and Focus on Form:A Role for Modality? Rebecca Adams
Victoria University of Wellington
2. TBLT 2005 Tasks and Focus on Form TBLT has been proposed as a method of promoting learning of form in the context of meaningful communication (e.g., Long and Robinson, 1998; Ellis, 1999).
Empirical research indicates that engaging in tasks can promote formal learning in NS-NNS (e.g., Mackey, 1999) and NNS-NNS contexts (e.g., Adams, 2004; Williams, 1999).
3. TBLT 2005 Learning Forms in Tasks E.g., Adams, 2004
Developmental benefits associated with engagement in communicative tasks in an ESL classroom setting
However:
Variation in effectiveness by form (Questions > Past Tense > Locatives)
Variation in effectiveness by learner (measures of dispersion indicated wide variation among participants)
4. TBLT 2005 Variation by Learner Why would learners vary so much in their development following task-engagement?
Individual differences (e.g., attitudes, motivation, aptitude)?
Developmental readiness?
Face validity of tasks?
Tendency to focus on form?
5. TBLT 2005 Orientation to Form Learners may be more or less likely to attend to form in communicative activities
This is mediated by:
6. TBLT 2005 Modality? Possible that modality influences orientation to form
Definitions/taxonomies of tasks often include both oral and written activities (e.g., Bygate et al., 2001; Long, 1985)
But most work on tasks has been directed at oral skills (see Ellis, 2003)
Inclusion of a written component changes the nature of the task, and may influence learner tendency to focus on form.
7. TBLT 2005 Question Does learner orientation to form vary between spoken and written subtasks?
(does writing make you more likely to focus on form?)
Note, not speaking vs. writing
Rather, speaking vs. speaking + writing
8. TBLT 2005 Participants 50 ESL learners from urban adult charter school
Level 4 of a 5-level program
Average age: 33 years
Mean LoR: 3.7 years
Spanish, Chinese, French, Vietnamese, Amharic, Korean, Russian, Bengali
9. TBLT 2005 Tasks 2 tasks
Each designed to elicit a particular target
Each based on common task designs
Each included an oral and written component
10. TBLT 2005 Dinner Seating Task Learners given information on a hypothetical dinner party and the guests
Gloria is a strict vegetarian and an animal rights activist. She is shy and a good listener.
Freddy is John’s cousin visiting from Texas. He is a meat producer and loves to talk about his job.
Learners given a diagram of table to fill in and a worksheet to describe location of learners
Open outcome (no perfect solution)
Designed to elicit locatives (e.g., next to, to the right of, between)
N=20 dyads
11. TBLT 2005 Sample Dinner Seating
12. TBLT 2005 Picture Story Task Learners given ˝ of an 8-picture story
Instructed to collaboratively tell the story, and then write the story
Designed to elicit past tense
Given a worksheet with dates and times to orient them to past
13. TBLT 2005 Sample Picture Story Task
14. TBLT 2005
15. TBLT 2005 Picture Story Task Learners were not instructed on how to complete the task
Maintain learner autonomy in approach
Some (N=11 dyads) chose to conceal their 4 pictures—collaborative speaking then collaborative writing
Some (N=9 dyads) chose to share all 8 pictures—collaborative writing from beginning
16. TBLT 2005 Procedure Dyads formed by researcher with teacher input
Included mixed and matched gender dyads, mixed and matched L1 dyads
Order of task (Dinner Seating v. Picture Story) randomized across learners
Recorded in classroom
Transcribed by independent research assistant
Coded for evidence of orientation to form
17. TBLT 2005 Orientation to Form Language Related Episodes (LREs)
Self-Repair
Use of Targeted Forms
18. TBLT 2005 LREs “all interaction in which learners draw attention to form, that is, those that focus on form in the context of meaningful communication as well as those that are set apart from such communication and simply revolve around questions of form itself” (Williams, 1999)
19. TBLT 2005 LREs Included:
Explicit and implicit feedback
Metalinguistic information
Discussion of form
Negotiation of meaning
LREs can be resolved or ignored
LRE resolutions were also coded
Very small frequencies
20. TBLT 2005 Sample LREs Explicit Feedback
Target: The man
K: yea, I suppose, the man…
M: not A man, the man
K: the man
M: yes, the man
Discussion of Form
Target: On the left
L: at the left or on the left
A: I think the left in the left no near to it is the left, left
L: at the left
A: mm hm
L: you think so
A: yes
21. TBLT 2005 Self-Repair Learner repairs own error in same or adjacent turns
Repair in adjacent turns
Target: In front of
D: Donald okay Andrea is sitting in front to Donald.
F: in front in front
D: in front of Donald.
22. TBLT 2005 Use of Target Form Tasks strongly promoted the use of target forms
Use of target forms could indicate that learners are oriented to formal cues
Each use counted
23. TBLT 2005 Analysis Wilcoxian Signed Ranks Test
Compare orientation to form on speaking and writing sections of:
Dinner Seating Task
Picture Story Task
Mann-Whitney U
Compare orientation to form on picture story task by:
Learners who did speaking then writing
Learners who did speaking and writing from start
24. TBLT 2005 Dinner Seating Task
25. TBLT 2005 Picture Story Task
26. TBLT 2005 Timing of Writing
27. TBLT 2005 Discussion Writing increases orientation to form measured by:
LREs (Dinner Seating Task; Picture Story Task)
Use of Target (Dinner Seating Task)
But not Self-Repair
Order of writing and speaking may not influence orientation to form
28. TBLT 2005 Implications For researchers:
The effectiveness of tasks in promoting FonF may be linked to all modalities included in task design
Links between engagement in tasks and development of forms may be most obvious when writing component is included
29. TBLT 2005 Implications For teachers:
Students may be more likely to step aside from communication to attend to form in collaborative writing tasks than in collaborative speaking tasks
Collaborative writing may provide a more efficient means of form-focused practice
30. TBLT 2005 Limitations/Future Research Other timing variations (e.g., writing then speaking) not tested
Future research will test writing + speaking tasks against speaking only tasks.
Future research (with a larger N) may be able to establish links between orientation to form and development
31. TBLT 2005 Conclusion Modality of task engagement influences orientation to form
Collaborative writing increases the likelihood of learners outwardly attending to form