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Reformulation and reconstruction: Tasks that promote 'noticing'
Abstract
In various guises reformulation and reconstruction tasks have a long tradition in ELT methodology. Since both task types foreground meaning, they fit well into a task-based model of instruction, and because the starting point in both cases is whole texts, their use is consistent with a discourse-oriented view of language. However, their potential for focusing learners’ attention on form (that is, noticing both what is present in input and absent in output) has received little attention. This article rehabilitates techniques that exploit both the meaning-driven and form-focused potential of these two task types.
... They differ in that dicto-comp does not involve group work. For some scholars, these two terms can be used interchangeably (Thornbury, 1997;Wajnryb, 1990). ...
Dictation and dicto-comp are two task types which are often used in Chinese EFL listening class. When the effects of task type have been found in some types of listening tasks, little has been known about its effects in the case of dictation and dicto-comp. This study aims to investigate whether Chinese EFL learners achieve a similar level of comprehension of the audio input in dictation and dicto-comp. Sixty-eight students were divided into two experimental groups. The participants first completed a questionnaire on their perception of dictation and dicto-comp, and then each group received the dictation task and the dicto-comp task respectively and had two post-tests: a free written recall and a set of multiple-choice questions. The analysis of the post-test results and the students’ response to the questionnaire showed that Chinese EFL learners achieved a similar level of comprehension of the audio input in the aspects of global comprehension, local comprehension, literal comprehension and inferential comprehension. Drawing on the Cognition Hypothesis, the paper discussed the role of task complexity in affecting learners’ listening comprehension and it was found that the synergetic effects of the resource-dispersing dimensions and the resource-directing dimensions of task complexity led to the similar level of listening comprehension in these two tasks.
... Dictogloss is not word-for-word dictation in the manner of a court stenographer, trained in shorthand, transcribing verbatim for example the details of a trial. Thornbury (1997) sees dictogloss foremost in terms of text reformulation and reconstruction, connecting the procedure with research on learners' attention to linguistic form, driving in turn the conversion of input into intake in L2 acquisitional terms. The '-gloss' element here is important; learners must use their existing interlanguage knowledge to formulate their own rendition of the text. ...
This paper reports on an evaluation of a workshop to introduce dictogloss procedures to a group of student EFL teachers using classroom response system (CRS) tools in a high-tech learning environment. Response tools allow students to interact anonymously with the projector/interactive whiteboard (IWB) using their own devices (computer, tablet, smartphone etc) not only synchronously in the classroom but also remotely and asynchronously. For shyer, more introverted students reluctant to participate orally in the lesson, interaction via their own mobile devices permits an alternative avenue towards a more active participation in classroom lessons. The response tool used was Wooclap which was fully integrated into the students’ Moodle VLE. Dictogloss is a well-established listening comprehension activity based on dictation in which a short text read to learners is re-constructed and reformulated in pairs. The activity permits a focus on linguistic form within the context of a communicative classroom. Results from the three response tasks indicated a high level of involvement and response among the student teachers.
... Other types of CR tasks are, for example, text editing and text reconstruction (including dictogloss) (Thornbury, 1997). They all promote learners' noticing and talking about the language. ...
... Other types of CR tasks are, for example, text editing and text reconstruction (including dictogloss) (Thornbury, 1997). They all promote learners' noticing and talking about the language. ...
... In the L2 writing literature, two most common types of written corrective feedback are direct WCF and indirect WCF, reformulation [6,7] suggested that direct WCF enables learners to pay attention to their interlanguage problems by providing the corrected forms next to their errors. On the other hand, indirect WCF, reformulation, facilitates deep processing of the feedback by correcting writing errors maintaining the original meaning of the initial drafts [8], [10]. ...
... The issue that a teacher's use of language constructs or obstructs language learning has received considerable critical attention from many researchers, especially those interested in classroom discourse and classroom interaction from a CA perspective (Can Daşkın, 2015;Cullen, 1998; Review Copy -Not for Redistribution File Use Subject to Terms & Conditions of PDF License Agreement (PLA) A Conversation Analytic Journey into K-12 Language Classrooms 189 Thornbury, 1997;Walsh, 2003Walsh, , 2006Walsh & Li, 2013;Waring, 2008;Yaqubi & Rokni, 2013). However, we found a limited number of studies focusing on classroom interactional practices in the Turkish EFL young learners' context. ...
... As a rule, noticing is facilitated by the teacher, wherein the teacher guides students to pay attention to specific lexical features deemed beneficial. Alternatively, the noticing process can be self-directed, allowing students to independently choose features they believe will be advantageous (S. Thornbury, 1997). The noticing can also take an explicit form, such as when items in a text are emphasized, or it can be implicit, as seen when the teacher rephrases a student's text. ...
The field of English language teaching (ELT) has witnessed a paradigm shift in recent years with the emergence and growing prominence of the Lexical Approach. This article synthesizes into the principles, methodologies, and implications of adopting the Lexical Approach in English language classrooms. Focused on the significance of teaching vocabulary and collocations in context, the paper explores the theoretical underpinnings of the Lexical Approach and its practical applications in enhancing language proficiency. Additionally, the article addresses the challenges and opportunities faced by educators when implementing this approach, considering factors such as teacher’s role, teacher’s role, design activities, and noticing techniques. So, the necessity of implementation of noticing in the process of acquiring new language plays in ELT crucial role. It is an extremely valuable technique of teaching as it motivates learners, encourages learners interaction, provides opportunities for self-learning. By navigating the intricacies of the Lexical Approach, this article aims to provide educators with valuable insights and practical guidance for optimizing ELT within a holistic perspective.
... The recognition of positive, negative, or neutral load of meaning inferred from the node (the main term) and its co-occurrences has been the primary focus of previous research. Nevertheless, few studies (e.g., Kim, 2008;Nassaji & Tian, 2010;Thornbury, 1997) have been carried out to investigate the role of output tasks on language learning. The impact of explicit output task (cloze task) instruction on semantic prosody learning has been investigated neither in L1 nor in L2. ...
Most of the studies on semantic prosody have mainly focused on the recognition of positive, negative, or neutral load of the meaning inferred from the node and its co-occurrences from corpus-based perspectives. However, this study aimed at delving into the teaching and learning aspect of semantic prosodies within the classroom setting. To this end, 76 Iranian undergraduate university students majoring in English translation were randomly selected. Receptive Semantic Prosody Test (RSPT) was administered as a pre-test to assess the students' initial knowledge of the semantic prosodies. Then, the students were assigned to three groups: two experimental (L1-based and L2-based) and one control group. The experimental groups went through a seven-week instructional 1 period and received explicit output task instruction on semantic proso-dies for 30 minutes at the end of their regular class hour, while the control group was exposed to the same output tasks to complete based on the presented contextual clues only, and no such explicit instruction was provided to them. Finally, RSPT was administered again to see how effective the output task instruction had been with regard to the semantic prosody learning. The comparison of the two approaches to learning semantic prosody demonstrated that L1-based instruction was more effective , and EFL learners were generally more receptive to L1-based output task instruction. The study further implies that both L2 teachers and learners can ill afford to turn a blind eye to the important and undeniable role L1 use plays in learning L2 vocabularies in general and semantic prosodies in particular.
Dictation is an effective tool in facilitating foreign language acquisition. But traditional dictation, while having some benefits for acquiring a foreign language, was neither engaging for students nor did it focus on the actual, real world communication that is fundamental to the communicative approach of today. Dictogloss introduced communicative dictation and has been used widely in classrooms around the world. But, however dictation is done in the classroom, it can 1) feel to adult learners at least somewhat like something for children and 2) even when designed for adults, typical dictation topics can be perceived to be more at home in a language institute than an academic university setting. This paper will summarize types of traditional dictation, outline the characteristics of dictogloss and how it is an improvement on traditional dictation, review some of the research on its additional benefits for acquiring a foreign language, and suggest how it can be used at the university level.
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