It is now generally agreed that output functions to promote language learning through focus on form. Empirical studies reveal that oral communicative tasks can arouse learners' negotiation of meaning, but they are not so effective in bringing about focus on form. Hence, researchers have suggested using collaborative writing tasks to enhance language learning, for which positive empirical evidence has been obtained. However, no studies have examined how collaborative writing tasks and oral communicative tasks are different in impacting upon learners' attention to language forms. This paper reports on a study which investigates English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' focus on form in performing a collaborative oral task and a collaborative writing task. Eight pairs of participants completed the two tasks, with their performances being videotaped. Based on the transcripts of their talk, participants' attention to language forms was analysed through identifying and coding their language-related episodes (LREs) qualitatively followed by the quantification of these episodes. The results reveal that the written output pairs and the oral output pairs attended to language forms differently in both quantity and quality. The findings are discussed with reference to the differences of written output and oral output in cognitive demand, task nature, and language learning potential engendered.

No abstract

No abstract

Abstract-Since Swain postulated the concept "languaging" in 2006 to capture the role of language production in second language (L2) learning, a growing body of empirical studies has been conducted on languaging. However, little research has reviewed these studies. The present paper reviews 15 empirical studies that were conducted over the past decade on languaging in L2 learning, followed Vygotsky's socioculutral theory of mind, and directly took languaging as the treatment or part of the treatment. We distinguished task-prompted and teacher-imposed languaging in the paper. All studies reviewed focused on teacher-imposed languaging. On the basis of reviewing the foci and findings of the studies, we offer our critical comments and recommendations for future research.

The present study investigated the effect of written languaging (WL) based on indirect written corrective feedback (WCF) on Chinese EFL (English as a foreign language) learners' written accuracy. WL refers to using the written mode to reflect upon and reason about language use. Two groups of students participated in the study over 16 weeks. Both received indirect WCF on four essays, with one group further engaging in WL and the other, without. Baseline writing and its revisions, respectively used as pre-tests and posttests, as well as immediate and delayed revisions of the four essays were employed to measure the two groups' written accuracy. Data analyses revealed that although both groups significantly improved their written accuracy, no significant differences were observed between them, signifying the insignificant role of WL in enhancing the efficacy of indirect WCF. In light of published literature and participants' languaging quality, the study concludes that WL could play a diagnostic role in promoting the efficacy of indirect WCF.