Promoting second language development of English modality through online concept-based language instruction: A mixed methods study
Restricted (Penn State Only)
- Author:
- Zhuang, Jingyuan
- Graduate Program:
- Applied Linguistics
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- February 19, 2024
- Committee Members:
- Ning Yu, Outside Unit & Field Member
Robert Schrauf, Major Field Member
Kevin McManus, Major Field Member
Celeste Kinginger, Chair & Dissertation Advisor
Celeste Kinginger, Professor in Charge/Director of Graduate Studies - Keywords:
- concept-based language instruction
English modality
mixed-methods research - Abstract:
- Expressing modality or “the speaker’s assessment of, or attitudes towards, the potentiality of a state of affairs” (Radden & Dirven, 2007, p. 233) is central to communication, but causes difficulty even for advanced second language (L2) learners (Tyler, 2012). Grounded in sociocultural theory (Lantolf & Poehner, 2014; Vygotsky, 1978) and cognitive linguistics (Sweetser, 1990; Talmy, 1988), whose synergy is demonstrably facilitative of L2 development, this study examined the effectiveness of online concept-based language instruction (C-BLI) on the L2 development of English modality in a study abroad context. A mixed methods intervention design (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2018) was adopted, including a quantitative phase of instructional intervention followed by a qualitative phase of longitudinal follow-up with learners systematically selected from the first phase. In the first phase of instructional intervention, seventy-eight L2 English learners enrolled in graduate programs at U.S. universities were randomly assigned to a C-BLI group, a form-based instruction group that differed with C-BLI in developmental framework but maintained the linguistic analysis of modals, or a control group receiving no instruction. Learners’ conceptual understanding and language use were measured before, immediately after, and one week after online learning, using language analysis, multiple choice, and written production tasks. Results showed that the C-BLI group enjoyed substantial improvement in their conceptual understanding after instruction, and also demonstrated a clear advantage over the other two groups. Regarding learners’ language use, however, results did not seem to suggest sizeable difference over time or across the groups. In order to obtain further insights into these quantitative results and to better understand the effects of online C-BLI, six learners from the C-BLI group were systematically selected using cluster analysis to participate in the second phase of longitudinal follow-up. Learners kept regular journal entries noting observed or experienced modality and thoughts on speaker intention in context, and met with the researcher individually to discuss their journals every other week over the course of two months. Case studies revealed various developmental trajectories, which were impacted by both learners’ general language learning history and their professional history. Across the cases, the findings demonstrated the need for longer-term investment in learning and the importance of one-on-one mediation in helping learners internalize the scientific concepts as a systematic and coherent orienting basis to interpret their observations and plan their L2 use.