Understanding intra-individual developmental patterns in second language writing skills and the influential affecting factors

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K00819
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02100:Foreign language education-related
• Research Institution: Toyo University (2022-2023); Kinjo Gakuin University (2020-2021)
• Principal Investigator: BABA KYOKO 東洋大学, 文学部, 教授 (30454333)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 新多 了 立教大学, 外国語教育研究センター, 教授 (00445933)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 第二言語習得 / ライティング / 発達パタン / 複雑系理論 / 長期的研究

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study investigates the developmental trajectories of L2 writing fluency in 105 university students when the same task procedure was repeatedly used in a classroom setting throughout an academic year. The students wrote a timed narrative composition in their English L2 along with reflective writing in their L1 Japanese every week. A growth mixture model was used to identify three groups with different developmental patterns: stagnating, steadily increasing, and markedly increasing. It was also revealed that the grouping was influenced by the type of reflecting the students did after writing a composition. Case analyses of high- and low-growth performers suggested that learners with high growth rates mentioined specific strategies for problem-solving in their reflective comments and demonstrated a positive attitude towards the writing task.

Free Research Field

第二言語教育

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、教室内で全学習者が同じタスクを行ったとしても、タスクへの向き合い方や行い方には個人によって違いがあるため、発達の仕方にもグループレベルで違いが生じることを示した。これは、従来の変数中心主義に一石を投じる結果である。また、本研究は実際の教室で様々な要因の影響がありながらも、現実的かつロバストな研究結果を引き出すことに成功した。これによって焦点となる変数以外をコントロールする実験室型の研究にも疑問を投げかけた。さらに高成長・低成長学習者を比較し、どのような要因がその発達の仕方の違いを生んでいるのかについて調べ、実用的な教育的示唆が得た。