Tell @ ELI

Technology Enhanced Language Learning at the English Language Institute

CALL Article Annotation

By Darunee Dujsik

Warschauer, M. (1996). Comparing Face-to-Face and Electronic Discussion in the Second Language Classroom, CALICO Journal, 13(2 & 3), 7-25.

This controlled experiment study tested the benefits of computer-mediated communication regarding students’ equal participation, attitudes, and language complexity. The study compared students participating in face-to-face and electronic discussions. The participants in this study were 16 students in an advanced ESL composition class at a community college in Hawaii. They were randomly assigned to four groups of four students each. Two groups participated in a face-to face discussion while the other two discussed electronically via InterChange on the theme of family. Later, the groups changed mode of discussion. Both transcripts of face-to-face and electronic discussions were analyzed by Computerized Language Analysis program of the Child Language Data Exchange system (CHILDES), which was used to count the number of words per speaker and to calculate the type-token ratio. The total number of clause co-ordinations and clause subordinations was calculated.

The study found that the participants had positive attitudes towards electronic discussion, and that electronic discussionmay create opportunities for more equal participation in the classroom. The students increased their participation almost ten-fold when participating in elctronic discussion. Additionally, the author suggests that the more complex and formal language in the electronic discussions potentially benefits all the students to perhaps acquire more sophisticated communicative skills.

The full text of the article is available at: http://calico.org/journalarticles/Volume13/vol13-2and3/Warschauer.pdf