Examining Language Related Episodes (LREs) of Arabic as a Second Language (ASL) Learners During Collaborative Writing Activities

Abstract

Previous studies have increasingly examined the nature of collaborative writing in English as a foreign/second language settings. However, little research has been conducted on its nature in Arabic as a second language (ASL) contexts. This study investigated the nature of 64 students’ Language Related Episodes (LREs) while performing collaborative writing in ASL classrooms. Employing a quasi-experimental design with a mixed methods approach, the frequency and the focus of the students’ LREs in collaborative (experimental) writing groups and in traditional (control) groups were compared. The findings showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the LREs produced by the experimental and the control groups which can be attributed to the collaborative writing approach. In particular, the analysis of LREs per minutes indicated that LREs were more frequent in the experimental group interaction than in control group interaction. In addition, the experimental groups paid more attention to language and were more successful at resolving language related problems than the control ones which may explain the differences in their performance. Specimens of dialogues of both groups are presented to explain their differential performance.