- Katsarou, Eirene C (Review of: Hanauer, David I, Englander, Karen). (2014). Scientific Writing in a Second Language. English for Specific Purposes, 34(Apr), 93-95.
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关键词: applied linguistics, writing instruction, acquisition, processes, and testing
- Labrador, B., Ramon, N., Alaiz-Moreton, H. & Sanjurjo-Gonzalez, H. (2014). Rhetorical structure and persuasive language in the subgenre of online advertisements. English for Specific Purposes, 34(Apr), 38-47.
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摘要:This paper aims to reveal the rhetorical structure and the linguistic features of persuasive language in online advertisements of electronic products. Nowadays, the bulk of e-commerce is carried out in English, and it is often the case that non-native speakers are required to write different text types for various professional purposes, including promotional texts. This need has prompted the present study and the results have been used to build software to help native speakers of Spanish when writing promotional texts in English. The analysis reveals that these texts typically have two main rhetorical moves: one for identifying the product and another one for describing it. The latter move is further divided into two steps: one including objective features (size, weight, etc.) and the other focusing on persuading the potential customer. This is mainly achieved with the use of a relatively informal style (imperatives, contractions, clipping, subject/auxiliary omissions, etc.) and lexico-grammatical elements conveying positive evaluation (multiple modification, multal quantifying expressions, etc.). The findings show that online advertisements of electronic products may be regarded as a specific subgenre with particular macro- and microlinguistic characteristics, which have been identified in this paper for technical writing assistance. [Copyright The American University; published by Elsevier Ltd.]
关键词:applied linguistics, writing instruction, acquisition, processes, and testing, Advertisements, English, Computer Mediated Communication, Persuasion, Rhetoric, Second Language Writing, Computer Software, Spanish, English as a Second Language
- Zhang, Daqun, Sancho Guinda, Carmen [Ed]). (2014). Stance and Voice in Written Academic Genres. English for Specific Purposes, 34(Apr), 90-92.
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关键词: applied linguistics, writing instruction, acquisition, processes, and testing
- Hartig, A. J. & Lu, X. (2014). Plain English and legal writing: Comparing expert and novice writers. English for Specific Purposes, 33(Jan), 87-96.
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摘要:Language-focused materials for teaching professional legal writing to second language writers of English in U.S. law schools have been dominated by a set of 'Plain English' recommendations, particularly avoidance of the passive voice and nominalizations. At the same time, little to no research has addressed whether these recommendations actually reflect expert use or whether they are indicative of more or less skilled novice performance. To investigate the use of these features in expert and learner texts, two corpora were examined. The expert corpus was composed of 10 published pedagogical sample memos used in legal writing instruction. The learner corpus was composed of 13 low-rated student memos and 13 high-rated student memos. Although an initial chi-square comparison of learner and expert corpora suggests that the experts use both the passive voice and nominalizations significantly less frequently than learners, further analysis suggests that the usage of these features does not clearly distinguish more skilled novices from those who are less skilled. A closer look at the expert corpus also suggests that the use of these features is highly variable across individual samples. Implications for pedagogy are discussed. [Copyright The American University; published by Elsevier Ltd.]
关键词:applied linguistics, writing instruction, acquisition, processes, and testing, Written Language Instruction, Second Language Writing Instruction, English as a Second Language Instruction, Second Language Writing, Teaching Methods, Legal Language
- Musgrave, J. & Parkinson, J. (2014). Getting to grips with noun groups. ELT Journal, 68(2), 145-154.
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摘要:Extended noun phrases are a feature of academic prose. An analysis of noun phrases in the writing of international students on an EAP course in New Zealand showed that their use of noun modifiers was atypical of academic writing in general. One example is that nouns as noun pre-modifiers were used relatively infrequently. Our purpose in this article is to present an approach to task development that can usefully guide teachers in developing their own complex noun phrase tasks. Our exemplar task aims to increase learners' understanding and use of noun-noun phrases with repeated application to many different academic texts throughout a programme of study. Adapted from the source document
关键词:applied linguistics, writing instruction, acquisition, processes, and testing, Nouns, Noun Phrases, Second Language Writing Instruction, Academic Writing, Second Language Writing, English for Academic Purposes, New Zealand
- Zhao, H. (2014). Investigating teacher-supported peer assessment for EFL writing. ELT Journal, 68(2), 155-168.
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摘要:Concerns over the quality of peer feedback and entrenched teacher-driven learning have resulted in the limited use of peer assessment in Chinese EFL writing instruction. This study sought to effectively implement peer assessment for EFL writing in China, by addressing learners' concerns through tailor-made teacher intervention strategies. Eighteen English majors participated in peer assessment for nine writing tasks. Pre-intervention surveys elicited learners' concerns over peer assessment, leading to the design of teacher-led support strategies. Post-task surveys examined learners' satisfaction with teacher-supported peer assessment, and were supplemented by the assignment feedback data. The results show that a dynamic and continuous teacher support approach to peer assessment was reported which proved to substantially affect learners' perceptions, and the nature and the perceived value of peer assessment respectively. This paper provides implications for EFL writing teachers regarding pedagogic motivation and strategies for the effective use of peer assessment. Adapted from the source document
关键词:applied linguistics, writing instruction, acquisition, processes, and testing, Peers, Second Language Teachers, English as a Second Language Learning, English as a Second Language Instruction, English as a Second Language Teaching Methods, Second Language Writing Instruction, Second Language Writing, Feedback, Written Language Instruction
- Yang, Y. (2014). Preparing language teachers for blended teaching of summary writing. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 27(3), 185-206.
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摘要:Research on preparing language teachers for blended teaching of summary writing, a mix of on-site and online instruction for college students to grasp the gist of the texts, is scarce in higher education. This study examined the problems encountered and solutions proposed by six language teachers, who altogether instructed 214 college students on summary writing. The findings of this study are based on content analyses of the teachers' interview transcripts, the teachers' observation of college students' progress in on-site and online instruction, and the interactions among the students recorded in the log files of the online system. The results show that the language teachers' problems in blended teaching of summary writing fell into three categories: instructional processes, community concerns, and technical issues. The four main themes that emerged from the three categories include the following: (1) the changing roles of the teachers and students, (2) little sense of community building, (3) lack of training in blended teaching of summary writing, and (4) an unfamiliarity with the new systems or technologies. The language teachers' perspectives on solving these problems were to (1) distinguish the significant differences between on-site and online language teaching contexts, (2) identify strategies and techniques to facilitate students' blended learning in summary writing, and (3) develop community building skills to encourage teachers and students to actively participate in collaborative learning. These solutions shed light on the preparation of language teachers in blended teaching of summary writing. Adapted from the source document
关键词:applied linguistics, writing instruction, acquisition, processes, and testing, Teachers, Teaching Methods, Computer Assisted Instruction, Written Language Instruction, Higher Education, Teacher Education, Content Analysis
- Littlemore, J., Krennmayr, T., Turner, J. & Turner, S. (2014). An investigation into metaphor use at different levels of second language writing. Applied Linguistics, 35, 117-144.
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摘要:Recent studies in linguistics have shown that metaphor is ubiquitous. This has important consequences for language learners who need to use it appropriately in their speech and writing. This study aims to provide a preliminary measure of the amount and distribution of metaphor used by language learners in their writing across Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) levels. Two hundred essays written by Greek- and German-speaking learners of English are examined for their use of metaphor. The findings are that the overall density of metaphor increases from CEFR levels A2 to C2. At lower levels, most of the metaphoric items are closed-class, consisting mainly of prepositions, but at B2 level and beyond, the majority of metaphoric items are open-class. Metaphor is used to perform increasingly sophisticated functions at each of the levels. At B2 level, significantly more errors start to be perceived in the metaphorically used words, and there is more evidence of L1 influence. Descriptors are provided for CEFR levels A2-C2 regarding the use of metaphor. Adapted from the source document
关键词:applied linguistics, writing instruction, acquisition, processes, and testing, Metaphors, Second Language Writing, English as a Second Language Learning, Greek, German
- Sadeghi, K. & Khezrlou, S. (Review of: Andrade, M. S. & Evans, N.). (2014). Principles and practices for response in second language writing: Developing self-regulated learners. Applied Linguistics, 35, 234-237.
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关键词:applied linguistics, writing instruction, acquisition, processes, and testing
- Baldwin, Dianna. (2012). Learning-to-write and writing-to-learn in an additional language. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 34, 692-693.
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摘要:无可用选项。
关键词:applied linguistics, non-native language learning languages other than English, applied linguistics, writing instruction, acquisition, processes, and testing
- Kim, Soo Hyon. (2011). Writing in foreign language contexts: Learning, teaching, and research. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 33, 467-469.
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摘要:无可用选项。
关键词:applied linguistics, non-native language instruction languages other than English, applied linguistics, writing instruction, acquisition, processes, and testing
- Vyatkina, N. (2012). The development of second language writing complexity in groups and individuals: A longitudinal learner corpus study. The Modern Language Journal, 96, 576-598.
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摘要:This study explores the development of multiple dimensions of linguistic complexity in the writing of beginning learners of German both as a group and as individuals. The data come from an annotated, longitudinal learner corpus. The development of lexicogrammatical complexity is explored at 2 intersections: (a) between cross-sectional trendlines and the individual development paths of 2 focal learners and (b) between different complexity variables. The study contributes to the empirical body of linguistic complexity research by close tracking of beginning learners over 4 semesters of collegiate study of German as a second language (L2). For this purpose, data for multiple variables were collected at dense time intervals using multiple waves, and correlation analysis between various datasets was performed. The results confirm some general developmental trends established in previous research. However, the study also found significant variability between individual and cross-sectional data. Furthermore, differences found for more specific complexity measures between this study's results and previous research are explained in terms of differences in instructional approaches. In addition, the study contributes to the discussion of methods and metrics appropriate for tracking the development of complexity in foreign language writing. The study concludes with implications for L2 pedagogy and further research, including applications of computational methods. Adapted from the source document
关键词:applied linguistics, writing instruction, acquisition, processes, and testing, Second Language Writing, German as a Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, German as a Second Language Instruction, Second Language Learning, Written Language Instruction, Corpus Analysis, Linguistic Complexity
- Baker, B. A. (2012). Individual differences in rater decision-making style: An exploratory mixed-methods study. Language Assessment Quarterly, 9, 225-248.
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摘要:Researchers of high-stakes, subjectively scored writing assessments have done much work to better understand the process that raters go through in applying a rating scale to a language performance to arrive at a score. However, there is still unexplained, systematic variability in rater scoring that resists rater training (see Hoyt & Kerns, 1999; McNamara, 1996; Weigle, 2002; Weir, 2005). The consideration of individual differences in rater cognition may explain some of this rater variability. This mixed-method exploratory case study (Yin, 2009) examined rater decision making in a high-stakes writing assessment for preservice teachers in Quebec, Canada, focussing on individual differences in decision-making style, or 'stylistic differences in cognitive style that could affect decision-making' (Thunholm, 2004). The General Decision Making Style Inventory questionnaire (Scott & Bruce, 1995) was administered to six raters of a high-stakes writing exam in Quebec, and information on the following rater behaviours was also collected for their potential for providing additional information on individual decision-making style (DMS): (a) the frequency at which a rater decides to defer his or her score, (b) the underuse of failing score levels, and (c) the comments provided by raters during the exam rating about their decisions (collected through 'write-aloud' protocols; Gigerenzer & Hoffrage, 1995). The relative merits of each of these sources of data are discussed in terms of their potential for tapping into the construct of rater DMS. Although score effects of DMS have yet to be established, it is concluded that despite the exploratory nature of this study, there is potential for the consideration of individual sociocognitive differences in accounting for some rater variability in scoring. Adapted from the source document
关键词:applied linguistics, writing instruction, acquisition, processes, and testing, Individual Differences, Writing Tests, Test Validity and Reliability, Cognitive Processes, Quebec, Rating Scales
- Eckes, Thomas. (2012). Operational rater types in writing assessment: Linking rater cognition to rater behavior. Language Assessment Quarterly, 9, 270-292.
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摘要:This research investigated the relation between rater cognition and rater behavior, focusing on differential severity/leniency regarding criteria. Participants comprised a sample of 18 raters examined in a previous rater cognition study (Eckes, 2008). These raters, who were known to differ widely in their perceptions of criterion importance, provided ratings of live examinee writing performance. Based on these ratings, criterion-related bias measures were estimated using many-facet Rasch measurement. A cluster analysis of bias measures yielded four operational rater types. Each type was characterized by a distinct pattern of differentially severe or lenient ratings on particular criteria. The observed bias patterns were related to differential perceptions of criterion importance: Criteria perceived as highly important were more closely associated with severe ratings, and criteria perceived as less important were more closely associated with lenient ratings. Implications of the demonstrated link between rater cognition and rater behavior for future research into the nature of rater bias are discussed. Adapted from the source document
关键词:applied linguistics, writing instruction, acquisition, processes, and testing, Cognitive Processes, Writing Tests, Rating Scales, Test Validity and Reliability
- Lee, Cynthia, Cheung, William Kwok Wai, Wong, Kelvin Chi Kuen, & Lee, Fion Sau Ling. (2013). Immediate web-based essay critiquing system feedback and teacher follow-up feedback on young second language learners' writings: An experimental study in a Hong Kong secondary school. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 26(1), 39-60.
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摘要:This article is an effort to add to computer-assisted language learning by extending a study on an essay critiquing system (ECS) feedback to secondary school language learners' writing. The study compared two groups of participants' performance, namely the treatment group which received both the system feedback and teacher feedback (i.e., blended learning mode), and the control group which received teacher feedback only. The study was conducted in a secondary school in Hong Kong in the form of an extra-curricular activity after school. Fifty-three students from the ages of 16 to 17 with different argumentative writing experience participated in a series of five writing workshops once a month voluntarily. The participants were assigned to a treatment and a control group based on the stratification approach. Their scores were compared and an interview with the treatment group was conducted. Analysing the total and content and organisation scores of the two groups, it was found that both groups demonstrated statistical significant gains. Nevertheless, the treatment group's gain appears to be more meaningful than the control group's in view of its group composition. The blended learning mode contributes to the encouraging results as revealed through the treatment group's scores, high rating and positive comments on both system and teacher feedback in the survey and interviews. The analysis also implies the need to improve the system feedback on paragraph coherence, workshop design and grading criteria. Adapted from the source document
关键词:applied linguistics, writing instruction, acquisition, processes, and testing, Feedback, Secondary Education, Computer Assisted Language Learning, English as a Second Language Instruction, Written Language Instruction, Hong Kong, Second Language Writing
- Li, Mimi, & Zhu, Wei. (2013). Patterns of computer-mediated interaction in small writing groups using Wikis. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 26(1), 61-82.
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摘要:Informed by sociocultural theory and guided especially by "collective scaffolding", this study investigated the nature of computer-mediated interaction of three groups of English as a Foreign Language students when they performed collaborative writing tasks using wikis. Nine college students from a Chinese university participated in the wiki-mediated collaborative writing project. Analyses of data from the wiki "Discussion", "Page", and "History" modules on each group tab revealed that the three small groups displayed three distinct patterns of online interaction: collectively contributing/mutually supportive, authoritative/responsive, and dominant/withdrawn. These patterns were substantiated by the roles group members assumed and members' task approaches in terms of equality and mutuality. Also, findings from semi-structured interviews suggested that the different patterns of interaction influenced the students' perceived learning experiences. The collectively contributing/mutually supportive group reported the most learning opportunities. This study not only fills a gap in current collaborative writing literature but also makes a theoretical contribution to research on computer-mediated interaction in collaborative learning. Pedagogical implications on how to conduct computer-mediated collaborative writing are also addressed. Adapted from the source document
关键词:applied linguistics, writing instruction, acquisition, processes, and testing, Sociocultural Theory, Second Language Writing, Cooperative Learning, English as a Second Language Instruction, Computer Assisted Language Learning, Computer Mediated Communication, Scaffolding, Written Language Instruction
- Imai, J. (2012). Practicing theory in second language writing. TESOL Quarterly, 46(2), 430-433.
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关键词:applied linguistics, writing instruction, acquisition, processes, and testing
- Petric, B. (2012). Plagiarism, intellectual property and the teaching of L2 writing. TESOL Quarterly, 46(4), 872-874.
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摘要:无可用选项。
关键词:applied linguistics, non-native language instruction languages other than English, applied linguistics, writing instruction, acquisition, processes, and testing
- Chang, P. (2012). Using a stance corpus to learn about effective authorial stance-taking: A textlinguistic approach. Recall, 24(2), 209-236.
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摘要:Presenting a persuasive authorial stance is a major challenge for second language (L2) writers in writing academic research. Failure to present an effective authorial stance often results in poor evaluation, which compromises a writer's research potential. This study proposes a "textlinguistic" approach to advanced academic writing to complement a typical corpus approach that is oriented toward exploring lexico-grammatical patterns at the sentence level. A web-based stance corpus was developed which allowed the users to study both the linguistic realizations of stance at clause/sentence level and how stance meanings are made at the rhetorical move level. The assumptions the study tested included: (1) whether a textlinguistic approach assists L2 writers to polish their research argument particularly as a result of improved stance deployment, and (2) whether the web-based corpus tool affords a constructivist environment which prompts the learners to infer linguistic patterns to attain deeper understanding. Seven L2 doctoral students in the social sciences were recruited. The results indicate a positive relationship between writing performance and more accurate use of stance. However, the application of higher order cognitive skills (e.g., inferring and verifying) was infrequent in the corpus environment. Instead, the writers used more lower-level cognitive skills (e.g., making sense and exploring) to learn. The participants accessed the integrated "context examples" most frequently to guide their learning, followed by rhetorical "move examples" and clause-based "stance examples". This suggests that the learning of stance is critically contingent on the surrounding contexts. Overall, the study reveals that effective authorial stance-taking plays a critical role in effective academic argument. To better assist L2 academic writers, incorporating more (con)textual examples in computer corpora tools is recommended. Adapted from the source document
关键词:applied linguistics, writing instruction, acquisition, processes, and testing, Academic Language, Language for Special Purposes, Second Language Writing, Language Patterns, Written Language Instruction
- Bae, J., & Lee, Y. (2011). The validation of parallel test forms: 'Mountain' and 'beach' picture series for assessment of language skills. Language Testing, 28(2), 155-177.
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摘要:Pictures are widely used to elicit expressive language skills, and pictures must be established as parallel before changes in ability can be demonstrated by assessment using pictures prompts. Why parallel prompts are required and what it is necessary to do to ensure that prompts are in fact parallel is not widely known. To date, evidence of equivalence has been documented for only a handful of picture instruments. The present study aims to demonstrate that two picture series, one describing hiking on a mountain, the other a picnic at a beach, designed to elicit narrative writing from children, are statistically parallel. To verify their being parallel, a random group design and a covariate were used. MANCOVA and confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that the two alternate picture forms were parallel in terms of means, variances, and factor structures with regard to multiple writing components. This study makes a unique contribution to picture-based assessment, first by publishing this parallel picture set and making it available as a tool for assessing children's productive skills using longitudinal designs, and second by demonstrating a process by which any other test forms, pictorial or otherwise, can be validated as parallel. [Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications, Ltd., copyright holder.]
关键词:applied linguistics, writing instruction, acquisition, processes, and testing, Visual Media, Children, Writing Tests, Narratives, Language Tests