The Effect of Joint Production on the Accuracy and Complexity of Second Language Writing

Abstract

Although written corrective feedback and collaborative writing have been extensively researched in second language writing, there have been few ecologically valid classroom-based studies. To bridge the gap, the current study proposed joint production as a pedagogy to integrate teacher-scaffolded feedback and collaborative dialogue and aimed to examine its effect on the development of second language writing. A quasi-experimental study was undertaken on two intact groups of EFL learners over an academic semester of 18 weeks. Results showed that the experimental group (N = 30) outperformed the control group (N = 29) significantly in accuracy, confirming the effectiveness of joint production in promoting accuracy in L2 writing. Developmentally, accuracy was steadily developed over time and was negatively correlated with complexity. Possible explanations and implications of the findings are also discussed.