RE-CONCEPTUALIZING L2 WRITING REVISION STRATEGIES FROM AN ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE: AN INTERVIEW BASED INQUIRY

Masakazu Mishima

Abstract


This study examines an ESL writer’s revision activity in composing an argumentative essay from an ecological perspective. The study aimed to explore how sociomaterial conditions present in the pedagogical context lead to the writer’s use of revision strategies in responding to instructor feedback. By using an interview-based case study approach, data were collected from one ESL writer and instructor in an ESL freshman composition class at a large public university in the US. Based on the analysis of field-notes, transcripts from interviews and writing conferences, and various cultural artifacts, the study found that the writer’s goal-oriented agency foregrounded his engagement with instructor feedback, which narrowed down the problem space perceived to be important by the writer to achieve his goal in writing. The writer’s selective attention to the specific writing issues to be attended in his revision attempt provided an essential perceptual pretext for the concoctions of several sociomaterially-afforded revision strategies. The study also found that sociomaterial interactions inherent within one strategy use conditioned the emergence of another strategy while showcasing that the writer’s strategy use could be emergent and generative in nature. Based on the findings, the study discusses the emergence of the revision strategies as a result of collective interplay of student agency and student-perceived sociomaterial affordances in the writer’s attempt to establish sociocognitive alignment with the instructor’s expectations delivered through feedback. Implications for ecologically-oriented L2 revision strategy research are discussed.

Keywords


ecological approach; L2 revision strategies; L2 writing feedback; L2 writing process.

Full Text:

PDF

References


Atkinson, D. (2005). Situated qualitative research and second language writing. In P. K. Matsuda & T. Silva (Eds.), Second language writing research: Perspectives on the process of knowledge construction (pp. 49-64). New York: Routledge.

Atkinson, D. (2011). Alternative approaches to second language acquisition. New York: Routledge.

Atkinson, D., & Sohn, J. (2013). Culture from the bottom up. TESOL Quarterly, 4, 669-693. doi: 10.1002/tesq.104.

Atkinson, D., Churchill, E., Nishino, T., & Okada, H. (2007). Alignment and interaction in a sociocognitive approach to second language acquisition. The Modern Language Journal, 2, 169-188.

Bhowmik, K. S. (2016). Agency, identity and ideology in L2 writing: Insights from the EAP classroom. Writing & Pedagogy, 2, 275-308. doi: 10.1558/wap.26864.

Bosher, S. (1998). The compositing processes of three South East Asian writers at the post-secondary level: An exploratory study. Journal of Second Language Writing, 7, 205-241. doi: 10.1016/s1060-3743(98)90013-3.

Brown, D. N. (2014). Agency and motivation to achieve language-learning objectives among learners in an academic environment in France. Journal of Applied Language Studies, 1, 101-126.

Casanave, C. P. (2003). Looking ahead to more sociopolitically-oriented case study research in L2 writing scholarship (But should it be called ‘post process’?). Journal of Second Language Writing, 12, 85–102. doi:10.1016/S1060-3743(03)00002-X.

Conrad, S. M., & Goldstein, L. M. (1999). ESL student revision after teacher-written-comments: Texts, contexts, and individuals. Journal of Second Language Writing, 8, 147-180. doi: 10.1016/s1060-3743(99)80126-x.

Costa, A., Pickering, M. J., & Sorace, A. (2008). Alignment in second language dialogue. Language and Cognitive Processes, 4, 528-556. doi: 10.1080/01690960801920545.

De Guerrero, M. C. M., & Villamil, S. O. (1994). Social-cognitive dimensions of interaction in L2 peer revision. The Modern Language Journal, 4, 484-496. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-4781.1994.tb02065.x.

Duff, P. (2012). Identity, agency, and SLA. In A. Mackey and S. Gass (Eds.)., Handbook of second language acquisition (pp. 410-426). London: Routledge.

Ellis, N. C., & Larsen-Freeman, D. (2006). Language emergence: Implications for Applied Linguistics. Introduction to the Special Issue. Applied Linguistics, 27, 558–589. doi: 10.1093/applin/aml02.

Ferris, D. R. (1997). The influence of teacher commentary on student revision. TESOL Quarterly, 31, 315-339. doi:10.2307/3588049.

Garrod, S., & Pickering, J. M. (2009). Joint action, interactive alignment, and dialog. TOPICS, 2, 292-304.

Gee, J. P. (2004). Situated language and learning: A critique of traditional schooling. London: Routledge.

Gibson, J. E. (1982). The concept of affordances in development: The renascence of functionalism. In W. A. Collins (Ed.), The concept of development: The Minnesota symposia on child psychology: Vol. 15 (pp. 55-82). New York: Psychology Press.

Gibson, J. E., & Pick, D. A. (2000). An ecological approach to perceptual learning and development. New York: Oxford University Press.

Gibson, J. J. (1979). The ecological approach to visual perception. Hillsdale, NJ. Erlbaum.

Glaser, B. G. (1978). Theoretical sensitivity: Advances in the methodology of grounded theory. Mill Valley, CA: Sociology Press.

Gold, L. R. (1958). Roles in sociological field observations. Social Forces, 3, 217-223.

Han, Y., & Hyland, F. (2016). Oral corrective feedback on L2 writing from a sociocultural perspective: A case study on two writing conferences in a Chinese university. Writing & Pedagogy, 3, 433-459.

Hayes, J. R. (2012). Modeling and remodeling writing. Written Communication, 3, 369-388. doi: 10.1177/0741088312451260.

Hedgcock, J., & Lefkowitz, N. (1992). Collaborative oral/aural revision in foreign language writing instruction. Journal of Second Language Writing, 4, 51-70. doi: 10.1016/1060-3743(92)90006-b.

Hyland, F. (1998). The impact of teacher-written feedback on individual writers. Journal of Second Language Writing, 7, 255-286. doi: 10.1016/s1060-3743(98)90017-0.

Hyland, K., & Hyland, F. (Eds.). (2006). Feedback in second language writing: Contexts and issues. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Kinginger, C. (2004). Alice doesn’t live here anymore: Foreign language learning and identity reconstruction. In A. Pavlenko & A. Blackledge (Eds.), Negotiation of identities in multilingual contexts (pp. 219-242). New York: Multilingual Matters.

Kramsch, C. (Ed.). (2002). Language acquisition and language socialization. London: Continuum.

Lantolf, P. J. (2000). Sociocultural theory and second language learning. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Lantolf, P. J., & Pavlenko, A. (2001). Second language activity theory: Understanding second language learners as people. In M. P. Breen (Ed.), Learner contributions to language learning (pp. 141-158). Harlow: Pearson Education.

Leather, J., & van Dam, J. (Eds.). (2003). Ecology of language acquisition. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Lee, I. (2008). Student reactions to teacher feedback in two Hong Kong secondary classrooms. Journal of Second Language Writing, 17, 144-164. doi: 10.1016/j.jslw.2007.12.001.

Lei, X. (2008). Exploring a sociocultural approach to writing strategy research: Mediated actions in writing activities. Journal of Second Language Writing, 17, 217-236.

Leki, I. (1995). Coping strategies of ESL writing students in writing tasks across the curriculum. TESOL Quarterly, 29, 235-260. doi: 10.2307/3587624.

Leki, I., Cumming, A., & Silva, T. (2008). A synthesis of research on second language writing in English. New York: Routledge.

Lyotard, J. F. (1984). The postmodern condition: A report on knowledge. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

Manchon, R.M., Roca de Larios, J., & Murphy, L. (2007). A review of writing strategies. Focus on conceptualizations and impact of first language. In A. Cohen & E. Macaro (Eds.), Language Learner Strategies: 30 years of research and practice (pp. 229-250). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Nishino, T., & Atkinson, D. (2015). Second language writing as sociocognitive alignment. Journal of Second Language Writing, 27, 37-54. doi:10.1016/j.jslw.2014.11.002.

Norton, B., & Toohey, K. (2011). Identity, language learning, and social change. Language Teaching, 4, 412-446. doi: 10.1017/S0261444811000309.

Oxford, R. (1990). Language learning strategies: What every teacher should know. New York: Newbury House/Harper & Row.

Pavlenko, A., & Lantolf, P. J. (2000). Second language learning as participation and the (re)construction of selves. In J. P. Lantolf (Ed.), Sociocultural theory and second language learning (pp. 155-178). New York: Oxford University Press.

Prior, P. (1998). Writing/disciplinarity: A sociohistoric account of literate activity in the academy. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Raimes, A. (1985). What unskilled writers do as they write: A classroom study of composing. TESOL Quarterly, 19, 229-258. doi: 10.1016/s1060-3743(97)90006-0.

Raimes, A. (1987). Language proficiency, writing ability, and composing strategies: A study of ESL college student writers. Language Learning, 37, 439-468. doi: 10.2307/3586828.

Reid, J. (2001). Advanced EAP writing and curriculum design: What do we need to know? In T. Silva, & P. K. Matsuda (Eds.), On second language writing (pp. 143-160).

Roca de Larios, J., Murphy, L., & Manchon, R. (1999). The use of restructuring strategies in EFL writing: A study of Spanish learners of English as a foreign language. Journal of Second Language Writing, 8, 13-44. doi: 10.1016/s1060-3743(97)90030-8.

Sasaki, M. (2000). Toward an empirical model of EFL writing processes: An exploratory study. Journal of Second Language Writing, 9, 259-291. doi: 10.1016/s1060-3743(00)00028-x.

Sasaki, M. (2002). Building an empirically-based model of EFL learners’ writing processes. New Directions for Research in L2 Writing Studies in Writing, 11, 49-80. doi: 10.1007/978-94-010-0363-6_3.

Seow, A. (2002). The writing process and process writing. In J. C. Richards & W. A. Renandya (Eds.), Methodology in language teaching: An anthology of current practice (pp. 315-320). New York: Cambridge University Press.

Silva, T. (1990). Second language composition instruction: Developments, issues, and directions in ESL. In B. Kroll (Ed.), Second language writing: Research insights for the classroom (pp.11-23). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Sze, C. (2002). A case study of the revision process of a reluctant ESL student writer. TESL Canada Journal, 19, 21-36. doi: 10.18806/tesl.v19i2.927.

Takagaki, T. (2003). The revision patterns and intentions in L1 and L2 by Japanese writers: A case study. TESL Canada Journal, 21, 22-38. doi: 10.18806/tesl.v21i1.272.

van Lier, L. (2000). From input to affordance: Social-interactive learning from an ecological perspective. In J.P. Lantolf (Ed.), Sociocultural theory and second language learning (pp. 245-259). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

van Lier, L. (2004). The ecology and semiotics of language learning: A sociocultural perspective. Boston, MA: Kluwer.

van Lier, L. (2008). Agency in the Classroom. In J. P. Lantolf & M. E. Poehner (Eds.), Sociocultural Theory and the Teaching of Second Languages (pp. 163-186). London: Equinox.

van Lier, L. (2010). The ecology of language learning: Practice to theory, theory to practice. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 3, 2-6. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.07.005.

Wang, C., & Wang, M. (2014). Effect of alignment on L2 written production. Applied Linguistics, 1, 1-25.

Wenden, A. L., & Rubin, J. (Eds.). (1987). Learner strategies in language learning. UK: Prentice Hall.

Wong, A. T. Y. (2005). Writers’ mental representations of the intended audience and of the rhetorical purpose for writing and the strategies that they employed when they composed. System, 33, 29-47. doi: 10.1016/j.system.2004.06.009.

Yasuda, S. (2004). Revising strategies in ESL academic writing: A case study of Japanese postgraduate student writers. Journal of Asian Pacific Communication, 14, 91-112. doi: 10.1075/japc.14.1.07yas.

Yasuda, S. (2005). Different activities in the same task: Activity theory approach to ESL writing process. JALT Journal, 2, 139-168.

Yin, R. (2014). Case study research design and methods (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Zamel, V. (1983). The composing processes of advanced ESL students: Six case studies. TESOL Quarterly, 2, 165-188.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.25134/erjee.v7i2.1771

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2019 English Review: Journal of English Education