خلاصة:
This study examined the effect of the ZPD-based discourse scaffolding on EFL learners' co-construction of L2 metadiscourse performing collaborative writing tasks and explored the discourse scaffolding dynamics. The participants were 160 EFL students that were assigned to four different treatment conditions: (i) formal teaching، (ii) input enhancement، (iii) non-ZPD interaction، and (iv) ZPD-based L2 discourse scaffolding. The ZPD learners were required to audio-record their task-focused social interactions and also write four weekly compositions and one delayed essay. The results showed a substantial effect for the ZPD-based L2 discourse scaffolding on the ZPD participants' use of English metadiscourse. Further، the microgenetic analysis of the social interactions revealed that the ZPD groups employed manifold scaffolding dynamics at various ZPD levels to expedite task performance and their peers' use of L2 metadiscourse. The asymmetrical discourse construction grew mutual with the less capable peers offering increasingly more self-initiated repairing moves within their activated ZPD. Also، the students' essays were rated as more reader-friendly over time. Finally، the implications for L2 research and pedagogy are discussed.
ملخص الجهاز:
com Abstract This study examined the effect of the ZPD-based discourse scaffolding on EFL learners' co-construction of L2 metadiscourse performing collaborative writing tasks and explored the discourse scaffolding dynamics.
As Lantolf (2000, 2002) points out, the central and distinguishing concept of SCT is that human mind is always and everywhere socially and semiatically mediated within the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), or "the domain of knowledge or skill where the learner is not yet capable of independent functioning, but can achieve the desired outcome given relevant scaffolded help" (Mitchell and Myles, 2004: 196).
2. 3 Null hypotheses This study, adopting a triangular data-elicitation approach and a pretest [treatment] posttest control group design, intended to probe into the co- construction of L2 discourse through activity-based social interaction, examine the effect of peer/expert scaffolding on the L2 learner's development of metadiscourse within the ZPD, and compare the socioculturally-inspired L2 pedagogy with other approaches to L2 instruction, especially Krashen's (1982, 1985) Input Hypothesis.
ZPD-sensitive dialogic L2 discourse scaffolding has no effect on the development and use of the L2 metadiscourse in EFL learners' task-based writing.
2. There are no significant differences among the instructional situations of ZPD-based L2 discourse scaffolding, non-ZPD mediation-in- interaction, teacher-directed formal teaching, and only-comprehensible- input enhancement without talk-in-interaction considering their effects on EFL learners' development and use of metadiscourse in their task-based writing.