Mediation Through the First Language During the Second Language Writing: A Sociocultural Approach

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore L1 use in L2 writing from the perspective of\rVygotskian Sociocultural Theory (SCT). We examine whether generating ideas in L1,\rcompared to generating ideas in L2, results in inferior L2 writing. The participants\rwere 42 Korean EFL students. As part of the course requirements, the students were\rrequired to hand in 400-word essays on a given topic. Once the writing was completed,\rthey were asked to write down about what language(s) they used to prepare for the\rassignment and why they used this language or these languages. The data analysis used\rhere stems from two ways in which the data were coded, use of language(s) during idea\rgeneration and a global-level essay analysis. This study has shown that more than half\rof students use their L1 while writing in L2 to some extent. Regarding the effect of L1\ruse on L2 text quality, L1 use does not appear to be negatively related to L2 text\rquality. This does not confirm the results of earlier research, which suggested that L1\ruse has a detrimental effect on L2 text quality. We argue that the L1 is an already\rinternalized and very effective meditational means that learners will resort to,\rprincipally for discovering and shaping meaning and as support in moments of\rcognitive difficulty.\rKey words: EFL writing, idea generation, Vygotsky, sociocultural approach, mediation, L1 use