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ERIC Number: EJ1145532
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Jul
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1362-1688
EISSN: N/A
The Effects of Meaning-Focused Pre-Tasks on Beginning-Level L2 Writing in German: An Exploratory Study
Abrams, Zsuzsanna; Byrd, David R.
Language Teaching Research, v21 n4 p434-453 Jul 2017
Most studies on task-based language learning focus on the oral performance of advanced level learners of English as a second language (ESL), while little research examines the written performance of beginning language learners in non-ESL contexts. This exploratory study aims to address this gap, by examining the effect of pre-writing tasks on second language (L2) writing among 24 first-semester learners of German. One group completed collaborative, meaning-focused pre-writing tasks, while the comparison group completed grammar-focused activities, also in pairs. In line with task-based language research, learners' performance was analysed in terms of complexity, accuracy, fluency, and lexical richness, as well as a global measure of quality, to reflect the multi-componential nature of L2 performance. The results suggest that collaborative, meaning-focused pre-writing tasks improved grammatical accuracy and lexical richness, as well as the overall quality of learners' writing. The findings also offer insights into the effectiveness of using CAF and measures of communicative adequacy for analysing beginning L2 performance.
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A