Threaded Discussions: Providing Discourse-Level Grammar Practice

1. Threaded Discussions: Providing Discourse-Level Grammar Practice Donald Weasenforth Collin County Community College dweasenforth@ccccd.edu Sigrun Biesenbach-Lucas American University sblucas@american.edu Christine Meloni Northern Virginia Community College meloni@gwu.edu TESOL 2005 30 March 2005

2. Key Issues of Effective Use of Instructional Technology • Refined approaches to technology uses • Tailored use of specific features of specific technologies • Changes in instructional practice • Contextualized grammar instruction • Discourse-level practice • Focus on form within communicative context • Assignment design

3. Threaded Discussions Accessible Threaded, linked Asynchronous Archivable Grammar Pedagogy Meaningful language production Purposeful language production Authenticity of context and language production Contextualized language practice Interactive, communicative exchanges Matching Technology and Pedagogy

4. Threaded Discussions Accessible Threaded, linked Asynchronous Archivable Grammar Pedagogy Negotiation of meaning Subsidiary role of grammar Noticing Recycling Testing in context Providing meaningful feedback Matching Technology and Pedagogy

5. Assignment Design • Instructional setting • Sequencing • Timing • Recycling • Grouping • Topics • Assessment • Training • Integration in course

6. Meaningful Language Production • Connection between grammar structure and communicative function • First responses to Don’s prompts – typical information when getting to know one another (cf. small talk) • I have been being here in the US almost for 8 months. The reason I have been here is the US will give me a lot of knowledge and degrees. … My future plans are to become an ESL teacher and a computer programmer. • I arrived into the US at the 2001 the February. I am here for continuing my study. I have learned things that are related to the American type of living, as well as how to be a well independent person. I am planinig to be a chiropractic in the future. I am not certain yet weather i would choose the US for the rest of my living or not.

7. Meaningful Language Production • Form-function connection going beyond teacher-prompted phrases - expressing opinions and facts about a topic • I’d like to say THAT I’M A SUPER SMART KID , but first at all I’m not a kid, and second I believe THAT I’M NOT SUPER SMART.It is a fact THAT I NEED TO WORK MORE, because at my age I won’t learn as fast as I used to when I was a teenager. • Also I’m amazed THAT SOME KIDS USED SCHOOL JUST FOR THEIR SOCIAL LIFE, and most of the time I wonder IF THESE KIDS UNDERSTAND THEIR PARENTS EFFORT TO GET THEM A GOOD EDUCATION.In my opinion, I think THAT FAMILY IS VERY IMPORTANT TO PUSH CHILDREN THROUGH ACADEMIC SUCCESS. It is the fact THAT PARENTS ARE CLOSEST TO THE KIDS. I agree with HE LI THAT REWARDS AND PUNISHMENT PLAY A MAJOR ROLE.

8. Purposeful Language Production • Students use language to accomplish communicative purposes, not to manipulate grammar structures • If you have some ideas , please tell everybody about that . [soliciting opinion] • Thanks a lot for agreeing with my feelings , Ms Yoko [expressing gratitude] • As you know, we aren't native speakers, so you should take your free time to learn English. Try to view English learning as a hobby. [giving advice] • In my last discussion, about the Japanese future plan, I gave you a wrong information. NOT from 2006, BUT in five years. I'm sorry. [self-correcting] • I'd like to share my feeling about this controversial issue. [expressing purpose]

9. Authenticity of Context and Language Production • Discussion board postings – authentic communicative activity in academic context • Student’s responses to points in each other’s postings • I have a question. What does mean for you to be a well independent person? • Do you want to be ESL teacher in America or in your country? • Emotional reactions to topics: example gay marriage • I don’t care that Gays should be allowed to marry. • It is absurd and weird to think about a marriage of the same sexes. I don't know how people support this issue.

10. Authenticity of Context and Language Production • Response to Don’s response, where tangent leads to authentic elaboration • I think, online communication it’s a great idea to brush up on writing English. So far, I haven’t written many online letters. Actually, I attend on Tuesday a course in a library “Small talk”. For me, it’s very useful. First of all,…. • Admitting one’s own weaknesses and obtaining support from classmate • Actually I am lagging behind in English writting. When I want to write something, grammer and lack of vocabulary squeeze my hand.

11. Authenticity of Context and Language Production • Authentic context for specific language phrase • Yes, Elena. That issui is interesting, because communi-cation is important. Right. I didn’t know about your kids. Good for you!!! • The wheather has become very nice, hasn't it? • Conveying ideas to classmates is more relevant than grammar and mechanics • I like N.Y. only to visited. But, I didn’t like the people. Becausem are so rud, unfrieds sometimes. Fore example when you are in the subway everyone have been worried about time, wether, terrorist attack or something else. The people never smile. Mayeb, I was so homesick in that time. That situaticion was unconfortoble to me. In contrat with Dallas the people are more frienly, more happy, also Texan have a good matters.

12. Subsidiary Role of Grammar • Emotional engagement with and strong opinions about topics • Complex ideas realized in complex grammar structures • Students use grammar structures to support their communicative purposes, not to demonstrate mastery • Alright , what would I do in order to stamp out this hard solvable issue if I were the UN's Representative General ? • First of all , I have to find out what main reason cause terrorism . And then, I would ask many countries related to this issue to attend some meetings to discuss the best way to overcome it. Second, …Disarmament is one of many pointsI would first raise for discussion and find an answer for it . • From my Asian viewpoint , I think that a marriage is a linking of two unknown families, and then those families will keep their alliance by bearing descendants in order to maintain the continuity of the family line.

13. Subsidiary Role of Grammar • Another example: students’ eagerness to voice complex opinions pushes them to produce complex structures • Moreover, a heterosexual marriage is regarded as a procreant connection. Also founded on the tenets of Buddhism, the obedient children are viewed as good effects, but the bad-manned children are viewed as bad effects [passive constructions]. There are many, many things abnormal happening around us , and going to our children's minds [existential there construction, which splits be and V-ing form].When in our future life, the percentage of same-sex marriages makes up a high rate, where can we find chidren to adopt them because same-sex marriages can't give us naturally real children except artificially-fecundated ones [use of present tense in time clause with future reference]? If government allows the same sex marriage, those people will file for income tax jointly. So government will lose taxes [real conditional].If America approve the same sex marriage like Canada, it will not only loses taxes but also loses the respects from the other countries [real conditional, and not only, but also construction].

14. Contextualized Language Practice • Discourse context • Extended, interactive discursive contexts • Instructional context • Real life context • Personal interests • General topics of interest

15. Focus on Form in Meaningful Contexts • Form, meaning, use (Larsen-Freeman, 2003) • Proactive focus on form • Reactive focus on form (Doughty & Williams, 1998)

16. Focus on Form in Meaningful Contexts • Subject: Verb Tense Review Your topic for Week 1: When and why did you come to the US? What have you learned since coming to the US and what are your plans for the future? Be careful of your use of verb tenses. • Subject: Discuss Writing Topic, Be Careful of Verb Tenses Your topic for Week 2: I'm very interested in the topics you have chosen for the first essay assignment in our Writing class! Discuss with your group the topic that you are writing about in our Writing class. Share your own information with your group and comment on your group members' information. BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR USE OF VERB TENSES! • Subject: What do you think? Your topic for Week 3: One of the most serious issues society faces today is terrorism. There are many related questions: What are the causes/reasons for terrorism? Is terrorism a new phenomenon? How has it affected society? What are the solutions? Discuss these questions--and your own--in your group. You may want to use the following structures: I don't understand why...Do any of you know what...? I think that...BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR USE OF NOUN CLAUSES.

17. 180 DW (1) 181 YK (2) 182 VV (3) 198 EG (13) 183 KH (4) 187 PT (6) 199 VV (14) 207 KH (22) 184 VV (5) 204 EG (19) 194 VV (11) 200 EG (15) 188 KH (7) 206 PT (21) 202 PT (17) 201 VV (16) 189 YK (8) 203 EG (18) 205 VV (20) 192 PT (9) 193 VV (10) 208 KH (23) 195 VV (12) Interactive, Communicative Exchanges

18. Interactive, Communicative Exchanges • Emotional Expression: humor, self-disclosure • Open Communication • Mutual awareness:directing comment at individual, quoting directly, explicit references to content of others’ messages • Recognition of others’ contributions: explicitly expressing appreciation/agreement, complimenting others, encouraging others • Group Cohesion: explicit references to group, explicit invitation to respond (e.g., “let me know”), inclusionary comments (e.g., “like you, I…”) Adapted definition of “social presence” from Garrison, Anderson, and Archer (2001)

19. Negotiation of Meaning • “Informational equality” (Long, 1983) • Prompting input from others • Adjusting lexicogrammatical aspects of language for clear communication (Van Patten, 2003) • Task characteristics • Responsiveness of participants • Willingness to alter course of communication (Ko, Schallert & Walters,2003)

20. Noticing • “It is what is noticeable to them that matters.” (Batstone, 1994) • Students notice how classmates use language. - May I rewrite your own message in my own writing? I’m here for IMPROVING my English. Nice to MEET you, group!!!

21. Recycling • Grammar structures are reviewed and used in a variety of ways. • Examples of student uses of Simple Past: - I moved to United States in August 2004. - I travelled with my brother for 8 days. - He went back to Thailand a few days ago. - I worked that day from 1:15 pm to 10:00 pm.

22. Testing in Context • Giving Discrete-Point Grammar Tests vs Evaluating Grammar in Context - Next week I plan to go somewhere I’d never gone there. My friend recommended that we go to santoneo. My friends went there last year and they said that River walk was beautiful. I couldn’t remember somewhere else they went there, but it was interesting for me.

23. Providing Meaningful Feedback • Students can ask for clarification. For example, - What do you mean same language will be polite to someone, but not others? In response to - why the usage of it [the Spanish language] can be consider for some groups polite or not polite