Abstract
Mobile instant messaging (MIM) is underutilized yet promising as a language learning tool in the L2 classroom. The ‘reply’ feature makes it easy to provide written corrective feedback (WCF), and the permanent and salient nature of text messages make MIM chats ideal environments for noticing and L2 acquisition to occur. However, when to provide feedback to students remains unclear. No study to date has investigated this issue in a mobile-mediated communication context, the purpose of the present study. Participants are university students (n = 60) enrolled at a large public Spanish university. They complete several one-way communicative tasks with a researcher in a WhatsApp chat. The tasks elicit the use of 10 target language (TL) items (expressions related to two communicative functions: expressing regret and giving advice). WCF is provided in the form of corrective recasts to grammatical errors following the TL items. Students receive WCF either during task completion (n = 20), after task completion (n = 20), or no WCF at all (n = 20). Gains are measured by a timed oral elicited imitation task (implicit knowledge) and an untimed use of English test (explicit knowledge) given before, immediately after, and 7 days after the treatment. In a preliminary analysis, a GLMM test revealed that students learned over time but that there was no significant difference between the two treatment groups, suggesting that time may not play a significant factor in students’ learning of grammatical structures in this context, lessening the burden on teachers to provide immediate WCF.
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
Considering Digital Pedagogies
KEYWORDS
MOBILE-ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING, MOBILE INSTANT MESSAGING, CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK, FEEDBACK TIMING
