Collaborative Writing in Two Thai EFL Classrooms
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Collaborative Writing in Two Thai EFL Classrooms Ai Oyama & Pamela Stacey University of Hawai`i at Mānoa Symposium on Second Language Writing November 15, 2014
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Transcript of Collaborative Writing in Two Thai EFL Classrooms
Collaborative Writing in Two Thai EFL Classrooms Ai Oyama & Pamela Stacey University of Hawai`i at Mānoa
Symposium on Second Language Writing
November 15, 2014
Overview 1. Review of literature
• Collaborative writing
• Process-genre approaches
• Writing anxiety 2. Description of context
• Levels
• Participants
• Materials 3. Discussion of results
• Quantitative data (survey data, pre- & post- student writing scores)
• Qualitative data (survey data, written journal feedback, student writing samples)
4. Conclusions
Background: Collaborative Writing
" Collaborative writing: " A writing project co-authored by two or more L2
learners.
" Shehadeh (2011) " Collaborative writing has a positive effect on EFL learners’
written content, organization, and vocabulary skills.
" Shehadeh (2011); Fernandez Dobao & Blum (2013) " Most FL learners’ enjoy collaborative writing tasks and find
them helpful to their language learning.
Background: Process-genre approach
Firkins et al (2007), Cotterall & Cohen (2003), and Yan (2005) all advocate a Process-Genre combined approach to collaborative writing:
1. modelling a text
2. joint construction of a text
3. independent construction of a text
Background: Writing Anxiety
" According to Leki (1999), writing anxiety can stem from:
" Poor writing skills " Perfectionism " Fear of being evaluated/judged " Mixed messages from teachers " Unclear teacher comments in the editing stage
Background: Writing Anxiety
" Leki (1999) suggests elements of a process-writing approach as possible solutions to writing anxiety: " Invention strategies
" Branching/clustering
" Brainstorming
" Cubing (6 questions about an object)
" Looping (3 free writes, 5-min each)
" Outlining
" Drafting " Peer responding
" Journaling
" Sequenced writing projects
Our study: Ø 2 sections of an 8-week Intensive EFL Writing
course
Ø Ubon Ratchathani University, Thailand
Ø Participants:
Ø 15 Thai L1 students
Ø 7 placed into lower level
Ø 8 placed into higher level
Ø 3rd year International Business majors
Research Questions:
" What effect do collaborative writing assignments have on students’ …
" writing abilities? " anxiety during the writing process? " enjoyment of writing? " confidence about their writing?
Lower Level: Taught by Ai Oyama
Lower Level: Methods
" Higher degree of direct writing instruction " Students given example texts for each writing assignment
" Focused sentence-level input " e.g. parallel structure, conjunctions, transitions, …
" Three different individual writing assignments " “Things I like” paragraph
" Classmate’s career choice essay
" Problem solution essay
" One group writing activity
Lower Level: Sample materials
" Example of group writing product
Higher Level: Taught by Pamela Stacey
Higher Level: Methods
" No grammar input or example texts given
" Very little direct writing instruction
" Weekly collaborative writing, editing, revising, and evaluating activities " Final product: 3 polished group essays
" One extended individual research essay (based off of the collaborative essay project)
Higher Level: Sample Materials
" Collaborative brainstorming product:
Higher Level: Sample Materials
" Collaborative drafting product:
Higher Level: Sample Materials
" Group evaluation/feedback for collaborative essays:
Higher Level: Sample Materials
" Final group product:
Opportunity to use shared group experiences during text co-construction
Results
" 1. What effect do collaborative writing assignments have on students’ writing abilities?
" A: Positive effect, but not significantly greater than traditional input-focused methods.
Pre- & Post-Test Writing Results
0.00 2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00
Pre-test
Post-test
Lower level class average
Higher level class average
Average scores
Results
" 2. What effect do collaborative writing assignments have on students’ anxiety during the writing process?
" A: May reduce student anxiety. Students in the higher level perceived the task of writing an essay to be significantly easier by the end of the course.
For me, writing an English essay is...
0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50 4.00
Pre-test
Post-test
Lower level class average Higher level class average
Easy Difficult
Results " 3. What effect do collaborative writing
assignments have on students’ enjoyment of writing?
" A: A majority of students (7/8 in the higher section and 5/7 in the lower section) indicated enjoyment of group writing activities and preferred them to individual writing tasks.
Positive Student Comments
“I like the ways that we start discussion to each other and tried to summarize it.”
“That can help me to understand how to write.”
“Group writing really give more knowledge to me because all members in a group share experience and oppinion [sic], some people told the story really interesting. […] it was time for show our ideas to other...”
Positive Student Comments from Interviews
" “I like when we write, when we group writing […] because we can share our idea, then more idea and more- I think it’s funny activity.”
" “I like to share my idea- ideas with others and I like to listen others, listen their idea and I can get new idea.”
" “Group writing is good for me because if I don’t understand- don’t understand, my friend can help me.”
Negative Student Comments
“In this class, I preferred the group/individual (circle one) writing activity, because...”
… “I can use my idea.”
… “I use my ideas more than group.”
Results
" 4. What effect do collaborative writing assignments have on students’ writing confidence?
" A: Students in both levels were more “comfortable” and less “anxious” about writing at the end of the course, but it is not clear whether this can be attributed to the group writing activities.
When I write in English, I feel...
0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50
Pre-test
Post-test
Lower level class average Higher level class average
Comfortable Anxious
Other interesting results...
Group Analysis
Teacher Grammar
Individual Conference
Higher level class
3
2 3
Teacher Grammar
Lower level class
7
Students’ preferred forms of writing feedback:
Other interesting results...
In both levels, 100% (15/15) students agreed that... -they liked the group writing activity. -the group writing activity helped them improve
their individual writing. -during the group writing activity, they learned a lot
from their classmates' ideas. -they liked getting advice from their classmates
about their writing.
Conclusions " Collaborative writing is an effective writing tool for
teachers and students in EFL contexts.
" Most students enjoy and see the benefit of collaborative writing processes.
" Continuous collaborative writing practice may be more effective in lessening students’ anxiety and improving enjoyment of writing than isolated collaborative activities.
" The process of collaborative brainstorming, drafting, revision, and editing may encourage students to become more independent and rely less on teacher feedback.
References Badger, R. & White, G. (2000). A process genre approach to teaching writing. ELT Journal, 54 (2),
153-60.
Cotterall, S. & Cohen, R. (2003). Scaffolding for second language writers: producing an academic essay. ELT Journal, 57 (2), 158-66.
Fernandez Dobao, A., & Blum, A. (2013). Collaborative writing in pairs and small groups: Learners’ attitudes and perceptions. System, 41, 365-378.
Firkins, A., Forey, G. & Sengupta, S. (2007). Teaching writing to low proficiency EFL students. ELT Journal, 61 (4), 341-52.
Kelly, C. & Gargagliano, A. (2000). Writing from Within: Student’s Book. Cambridge University Press.
Leki, I. (1999). Techniques for Reducing Second Language Writing Anxiety. Affect in Foreign Language and Second Language Learning. 66-88.
Shehadeh, A. (2011). Effects and student perceptions of collaborative writing in L2. Journal of Second Language Writing, 20, 286-305.
Yan, G. (2005). A Process Genre Model for Teaching Writing. English Teaching Forum, 43 (3), 18-26.
