The impact of two task types on form-focused attention among Chinese learners of Portuguese as a foreign language during computer-mediated synchronous communication
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34630/e-rei.vi14.7415Keywords:
synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC), task-based language teaching (TBLT), focus on form, language-related episodes (LREs), Portuguese as a Foreign LanguageAbstract
This study examined the effects of two task types on the focus on form of Chinese learners of Portuguese as a Foreign Language (PFL) during synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC). Grounded in task-based language teaching (TBLT) and computer-assisted language learning (CALL), the research draws on Long’s (2015) concept of focus on form and Interaction Hypothesis and Smith’s (2003) expanded model of meaning negotiation for task-based CMC. This quantitative study analysed the chatscripts of 40 PFL learners who, working in pairs, completed a jigsaw task and a decision-making task via WeChat. The dependent variable consisted of language-related episodes (LREs), examined in terms of frequency, type, outcome, and verbalization. The statistical analysis revealed that in SCMC, the jigsaw task generated a higher number of LREs overall, including more lexical LREs, a greater proportion of correct resolutions, and more explicit and implicit LREs than the decision-making task. These findings highlight the differentiated impact of task type on focus on form in SCMC environments and contribute to a deeper understanding of technologymediated task performance in PFL learning.
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