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Darhower, Martin Lynn
AUTHOR
Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication in the
TITLE
Intermediate Foreign Language Class: A Sociocultural Case
Study.
2000-00-00
PUB DATE
249p.; Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.
NOTE
Dissertations/Theses
Doctoral Dissertations (041)
PUB TYPE
MF01/PC10 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
Case Studies; Class Activities; *Classroom Communication;
DESCRIPTORS
*Computer Mediated Communication; *Computer Uses in
Education; Discourse Analysis; Elementary Education;
Instructional Innovation; *Internet; Middle Schools; Second
Language Instruction; Second Language Learning; Spanish;
Teacher Student Relationship; Teaching Methods
IDENTIFIERS *Chat Rooms; Vygotsky (Lev S)
ABSTRACT
Synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC), more
commonly known in the Internet world as "chatting," has become an
increasingly popular way to communicate for a variety of purposes. While CMC
is still primarily recreational in character, educators are waking up to the
possibilities of harnessing this activity for pedagogical purposes. The
purpose of this study is to investigate the interactional and linguistic
features of communication among intermediate level Spanish learners and their
teacher in a synchronous CMC context. The study evoked some of the
fundamental constructs of Vygotskian sociocultural theory in order to
describe and explain how learners and their teacher collaborated with each
other to co-construct meaning in chat rooms. General patterns of
learner-learner and learner-teacher interaction were analyzed, as well as
learner and teacher perceptions of the use of chat as a language learning
tool, and finally, changes in learner output over time. The study found the
(1) learners appropriated the chat room environment to create
following:
their own community of language practice in which they significantly
influenced the tasks assigned to them; (2) learners and teacher had a variety
of perceptions regarding the use of chat rooms in a second language learning
class, which brought an "emic" perspective to the study; and (3) the Spanish
verbal morphology system served as a springboard for illustration and
discussion of changes over time. (Contains 106 references.)
(KFT)
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
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SYNCHRONOUS COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION IN THE
4.1
INTERMEDIATE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASS:
A SOCIOCULTURAL CASE STUDY
by
Martin Lynn Darhower
BSEd., Millersville University of Pennsylvania, 1990
M.A., Millersville University of Pennsylvania, 1992
Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of
the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
AND
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
HAS
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/47
originating it.
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1
University of Pittsburgh
2000
AVAILABLE
BEST COPY
2
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
This dissertation was presented
by
Martin Lynn Dar1ower
It was defended on
April 28, 2000
and approved by
Committee Chairperson - Bruce Stiehm
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
Copyright by Martin Lynn Darhower
2000
iii
4
SYNCHRONOUS COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION IN THE
INTERMEDIATE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASS:
A SOCIOCULTURAL CASE STUDY
Martin Lynn Darhower, Ph.D.
University of Pittsburgh, 2000
Adviser: Dr. Bruce Stiehm
Synchronous computer-mediated communication (also known as chatting) has
become an extremely popular Internet application in contemporary society, as a way to
communicate electronically with persons from all corners of the globe. While members of
academic and business communities are increasingly using synchronous CMC to hold
serious discussions, conferences and classes, chat communication is still for the most part
recreational in character (Werry, 1996). Only recently have educators come to realize that
chatting may provide valuable learning experiences to its participants.
The purpose of this study was to investigate interactional and linguistic features of
communication among intermediate-level Spanish learners and their teacher in a
synchronous CMC context. The study evoked some fundamental constructs of
Vygotskian sociocultural theory in order to describe and explain how learners and their
teacher collaborated with each other to co-construct meaning in chat rooms. General
patterns of learner-learner and learner-teacher interaction were analyzed, as well as
learner and teacher perceptions of the use of chat as a language learning tool, and finally,
changes in learner output over time. First, it was found that learners appropriated the chat
room environment to create their own community of language practice in which they
transformed tasks that were assigned to them, went off-task when they wanted to, and had
the opportunity to make use of language functions that are not typical of the L2 classroom
environment. Second, the learners and the teacher put forth a great deal of perceptions
iv
5
regarding the use of chat rooms in the L2 class, which brought an emic perspective to the
study. Third, the Spanish verbal morphology system served as a springboard for
illustration and discussion of changes in learner output over time. Specifically, learners
made unique uses of the Spanish verbal morphology system, which the emergent
grammar perspective was called upon to explain. Also, learners branched out from
overuse of the Spanish present tense, gradually using the other available verb tenses and
moods more of the time. The study suggests pedagogical uses for synchronous CMC, as
well as future research directions.
6
FOREWARD
This dissertation is dedicated to the numerous persons who have helped me along
my graduate program at the University of Pittsburgh. The secretarial staff of the Hispanic
Languages and Literatures Department, including Amy Smith, Amy Linn and Yolanda
Castellano were helpful in taking care of the important details that make a graduate
student's life much easier. I especially thank Connie Tomko for being not only an
excellent administrative assistant, but also a good friend.
I extend my wholehearted thanks to the five committee members who oversaw my
research project. I thank Dr. Alan Juffs for his excellent feedback on the individual
chapters as I wrote them. I am also grateful to Dr. Bruce Stiehm for overseeing my entire
graduate program, guiding me on my journey from the second semester until the defense
of the dissertation. Most of all, I thank Dr. Maria (Kelly) Guerrero of the Inter American
University of Puerto Rico, for serving on my dissertation committee and traveling to the
University of Pittsburgh for my defense, all as a professional courtesy. Kelly poured over
every page of my dissertation, guiding my thought processes, challenging me and
encouraging me all the way.
Many thanks to the scholars in my field, too numerous to mention here, for the
insights that they provided throughout my dissertation project. Thanks also to Ana Caula,
not only for allowing me to conduct my research in her classes, but also for being such a
wonderful colleague and friend. Finally, a heartfelt thanks to Professor Elizabeth (Jamie)
Hodges, who made this all the more worthwhile when she offered me the academic job of
my dreams in the place of my dreams, Puerto Rico, "la isla del encanto".
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
vi
FOREWORD
I. INTRODUCTION
1
Introduction
1
2
Rationale and Significance of Study
Statement of Problem
3
4
Summary
II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
5
Theoretical and Conceptual Framework: Vygotskian Sociocultural Theory
5
Mediation and the use of tools
7
Regulation and the zone of proximal development
8
Scaffolding
10
Intersubjectivity
11
Activity Theory
14
Summary
17
Discourse in the L2 Classroom
17
Teacher-learner discourse
17
Learner-learner discourse
18
Summary
19
The Role of Task in the Communicative Classroom
19
20
Definition and description of task
22
Task design for the L2 classroom
vii
8
Learner and instructor roles in the task-based classroom
23
Summary
23
Emergent Grammar
24
Computer Assisted Language Learning: Description and History
26
Introduction to CALL
26
CALL and audiolingualism
27
CALL and communicative language teaching
28
The CALL advantage: language context
28
CALL and the proficiency movement: the four skills and testing
28
CALL and interactionist SLA theory
29
CALL and Vygotskian sociocultural theory
31
Summary of CALL and SLA research paradigms
33
The interrelation between theory and CALL development
33
The present state of CALL and its limitations
35
Synchronous CMC: Description and history
37
Research findings on CMC
38
The present state of the use of chat rooms within CALL research
41
Summary of what is known and what is unknown
44
Contributions this study will make to the literature
45
DI. METHODOLOGY
46
Research methodology
46
Research participants and context
48
The learners and learning context
48
Chat sessions within the learning context
49
Pseudonym assignment
49
Classroom logistics
49
Topics and tasks
50
The role of the researcher
51
Research questions and their motivations
52
viii
9
Research Question 1: What are the interactional features in chat among
learners and the teacher?
53
Research Question 2: What effects do specific communicative tasks
have on such interactional features?
53
Research Question 3: How do students perceive the use of chat as
a language learning tool?
54
Research Question 4: How does the teacher perceive the use of chat as
a language learning tool?
54
Research Question 5: How does learner output in the chat room change
over time?
54
Research Procedures
55
Permission and participants' rights
55
Data collection procedures
55
Pre-study teacher interview
56
Data collection during chat sessions
56
Researcher's field notes
56
Post-study learner and teacher questionnaires
57
Post-study learner and teacher interviews
57
Existing information
58
Data analysis
58
Discourse analysis
58
Data reduction
59
Data indexing
60
The start list
62
Evolution of the categories research questions 1 and 2 and the
interactional features
63
Data display
65
Questionnaire analysis
65
Interview analysis
67
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