Modern Language Association—Monday, December 28, 1998

Session: Technology in Second-Language Learning: What does Research Tell Us?

Susana M. Sotillo, Montclair State University:

Discourse Functions and Syntactic Complexity in Synchronous and Asynchronous Communication

This study investigated the discourse functions and syntactic complexity present in learner language (interlanguage) via two different modes of computer-mediated communication (CMC): Asynchronous and synchronous. Two research questions were posed: (1) Are discourse functions present in L2 learners’ synchronous discussions quantitatively and qualitatively different from those available in asynchronous discussions? And (2) which mode of CMC facilitates the development of syntactic complexity? Syntactic complexity in this study is defined as the ability to produce writing in which ideas and large chunks of information are successfully compressed into fewer words by the use of subordinate and embedded subordinate clauses.

mRIC Session #1 Excerpt

Conversation in slow motion: Electronic Speech Acts

<Luumanh> I will kick you out anyway. (Adversarial move; 6)

<Alsushka> What is your problem, darling? I am your secret admirer. (Humor; 9; 9)

<Morrigan> Luumanh, what are your thoughts on the last article? (Request for information; 10

Did you like it? and floor holding move; 11)

<Luumanh> Yeah Dr. Sotillo. It is very interesting. (Response: agreement; 5e, and elaboration,5a)

<Morrigan> What do you mean by interesting? Did you read it? (Request for clarification; 4a)

(Request for information; 10)

<Alsushka> You are computer fanatic, darling! You don’t care

about anything else, even about me!!! (Humor; 9)

<Luumanh> Why do I have to care about you? You are not in my (Adversarial Move; 6;

class. assertion, 3)

<Alsushka> You are computer fanatic, darling! You don’t care (Humor; 9)

about anything else, even about me!!!

<Edi> Fatima, why don’t you talk? (Request for explanation; 4d)

<Lucy> Fatima, why you called yourself like that? " "

<Kae> Is that only the case of garment factories? (Clarification request, 4a)

<Edi>Fatima, I am sorry. (Response: apology, 5d)

Coding Categories Definitions:

1. Greetings: Opening move in a synchronous discussion: "People talk to me!"

2. Topic Initiation: Suggesting a topic in a synhronous discussion: "Let’s talk about beach erosion."

Assertions/Imperatives: Declarative statements; commands: "This is really terrible but it’s the law…"

Questions/Requests: Specific electronic speech acts based on Long (1981): (a) clarification requests; (b) confirmation checks; (c) comprehension checks; (d) explanation requests: "Is that only the case with garment factories?" (4a); "Why did she feel that NASA was responsible for her loss?" (4d).

Responses: (a) Elaboration; (b) explanation; (c) clarification; (d) apology; (e) agreement. Examples of elaboration and explanation, respectively: "I have been interested in classical music since I began to learn piano. I knew that music was not only for people to make happy, but also for patients who have emotional and physical handicaps," (5a) and "because her father was working in NASA," (5b).

Adversarial moves/challenges: Electronic speech acts where one participant challenges another: "Do you only read cheap magazines?"

Off Topic: Electronic speech act that deviates from the topic under discussion: "You are crazy, boyfriend! You are crazy, boyfriend!"

Topic shift moves: "I think we should now move on to your article."

Humor: "Vietnamese movie is not good. It is very cheap…."

Request for information: "Where does one find the worst beach erosion in New Jersey?"

Floor holding moves: Electronic speech acts where one participant or participants try to keep the conversation going, as in the following sequence:

<tm> Magie, I agree with you.

<tm> I guess nobody knows about the importance of plankton in the ocean.

<Inanna> Ing, music helps when one is depressed. What type of music do therapists recommend for people who are depressed?

<Ing> I believe that music is spiritual thing. Music reproduces the mood and spirit of the composer; of the moment he composed it.

<Inanna> Yes, anyone can play an instrument, sing beautifully like the sopranos and tenors, or compose music if truly gifted…."

<futsuunonko> Music is a very trace that the composer made.

Focus on Form/Corrective moves: As in the following sequence

<JCQH> Yeah! But don’t you remember nice time that you spent at school with children your edge?"

……….

<Cucarron> I remember those days, at that AGE. NOT EDGE!

Reprimands: "Margo, you are rude!!!"

Closing moves: "Class, for next week, I want you to read the following articles…"

 

TABLE 3

Frequency Distribution of Syntactic Complexity Indicators by Type of Electronic Discussion

TABLE 4

Ratios of Syntactic Complexity by Type of Electronic Discussion

ESL Threaded Discussion Forum

Ethnic and Racial Identity

by Susana, 1/24/97

Franklin (In Experiencing. . . (1993), p. 19) writes: "If the history of ethnicity has meant anything at all during the last three centuries, it has meant the gradual but steady retreat from the broad and healthy regard for cultural and racial differences to a narrow, counter-productive concept of differences in terms of whim,

intolerance, and racial prejudice. We have come full circle." Do you agree or disagree with Franklin's argument? What arguments would you offer to support or refute his analysis?

History of Ethnicity During the Last Three Centuries by Ceci 1/25/97

Changing Attitudes by Susana 1/30/97

Ways of Being by Susana 1/24/97

A Message from Hopi to Our Modern Societies by Ceci 1/24/97

Fathers and sons by Inni 1/24/97

Re : Father and Sons by Vi 1/25/97

Religion and Tradition by Susana 1/30/97

The Elephant. by Edi 1/24/97

My parents and me: Two generations by Ceci 1/24/97

different types by S. K. 1/25/97

Response to Two generations by Dr. Inni 1/25/97

Response to Two generations by Dr. Inni 1/25/97

No Taboos by Ceci 1/25/97

The beliefes by S. K. 1/24/97

Re : beliefes by Vi 1/25/97

Great Attitude! by Susana 1/30/97

Coding Procedures: T-units and Clauses as Units of Analysis

Excerpt #1--Rosa Wakefield story by Inni 2/7/97

["The real thing is that even if you are nice person, some people don’t even want to talk to you, because of your race or nationality.] [This woman, Rosa Wakefield, tried to do the best [that] she could in her life.] [Everything that she did was perfect], [she helped her relatives, friends, worked hard], [everybody knows that she is the best cook and the best housekeeper.] [She says a lot about differences between black and white people.] [One thing is even that the white people think a lot about everything, they are not always successful.] [She says that if she was thinking about everything like this, she’d burn her cakes and scorch skirts.] [I can’t say that this is not true because there were so many situations when I was doing one thing and in the same time thinking about another and the result was, that I did wrong my job and I was depressed in my mind.] [She also says that people love her and treat her like the best friend, because she helped them a lot.] [Also she says that whites treat blacks like "the second kind of people."]

(T-units have been enclosed in brackets. Embedded subordinate clauses are shown in bold type and italicized, and subordinate clauses that show a hierarchical relationship with respect to the main clause are in bold type.)

Economics and the American Dream by Susana 4/3/97

Economics and American Dream

by Edi 4/5/97

Mack and Glennon come from different social classes. She is a member of the working family and he belongs to a higher social class. That is way, their behaviour, language, and dressing style are completly different. Mack uses the slang which is typical for his social class but it sounds strange for his partner. Glennon feels a great distance between herself and Mack and she descrides her position as a "marginal". She wants to decrease the distance between them by erasing " any trace of her lower station".

According to Ruth Sidel " the persistent poor" is a person who lives in poverty eight of the ten years. She states that group contains one-third of elderly living in rural areas. She also considers black households and female- headed hauseholds as groups of persistend poverty. The femalization of poverty is coused by social and economic factors. Women bear more responsibility for their family, and employers believe that they cannot work as effectively as men. So, they are discriminated at the work. In many cases, they are also dependent on men who make main income and suport family. When women become a head of hausehold,

they find a lot of difficulties to get a job. As a result, they become dependent on a welfare fund.

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