Heritage Language Learners' Lexical Performance across Pair Types and (Non-)Digital Collaborative Writing Task Environments

Dados Bibliográficos

ID5900523
AutoresJ Torres (0000-0001-8351-6149, University of California, Irvine, autor correspondente), Nicole A Vargas Fuentes (0000-0002-8319-9064, University of California, Irvine)
Ano2021
Volume6
Fascículo2
Páginas110
Data de publicação2021-06-20
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoLanguages (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 2226-471X • E-ISSN: 2226-471X
EditoraMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/languages6020110
OpenAlexW3176460155
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas3
Referências citadas50

A need exists to address how the availability of digital platforms plays a role in collaborative writing. Further, interest has emerged to understand heritage language (HL) learners' writing as a result of task-based peer interactions with either second language (L2) or HL learners across face-to-face (FTF) and synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) modes. However, it remains unknown how pair type and interaction mode can influence advanced learners' lexical performance on written texts through measures of lexical richness. Therefore, this study tested 13 HL-L2 and 16 HL-HL dyads enrolled in advanced Spanish content courses who completed two writing tasks across FTF and SCMC modes. The writing tasks consisted of the hiring (Task A) and laying off (Task B) of an individual for known Spanish companies. The written texts were analyzed for lexical richness through lexical density, lexical sophistication, and lexical diversity indices. The main results revealed that the HL-L2 pairs significantly produced a higher ratio of lexical density in their written texts. No significant results were found for lexical diversity or lexical sophistication across pair types and interaction mode. These results imply that HL-L2 pairs distinguished the register of the writing task more so than HL-HL pairs

Lexical density · Lexical Diversity · Lexical item · Linguistics · Natural language processing · Second language · Second language writing · Sociology · Sophistication · Task (project management · Vocabulary · Computer Science · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Psychology · Second Language Acquisition and Learning · Second Language Learning and Teaching