Second Language Acquisition (SLA)
Nasser Rashidi; Amir Naami
Abstract
This article was intended to investigate and compare the impact of three types of verbalization within Systemic Theoretical Instruction on the L2 learners’ knowledge of past voice. To this end, four EFL intact classrooms from a high school in Iran were chosen and randomly assigned to one control ...
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This article was intended to investigate and compare the impact of three types of verbalization within Systemic Theoretical Instruction on the L2 learners’ knowledge of past voice. To this end, four EFL intact classrooms from a high school in Iran were chosen and randomly assigned to one control and three experimental groups. The experimental groups received their respective treatment, that is, communicated thinking, dialogic thinking and, communicated plus dialogic thinking while the control group received instruction about the same target structure, here, passive voice through a deductive lesson. The first part of the result proved that STI in its all conceptualizations was an effective pedagogical option. The result also showed that communicated and communicated plus dialogic procedures had an advantage over the dialogic one both in the immediate and delayed posttests. This finding could be attributed to the unique nature of communicated thinking combining the mediation through concepts of STI with the mediation through interaction of dynamic assessment.
Alireza Ahmadi; Elyas Barabadi
Volume 3, Issue 2 , December 2014, , Pages 183-161
Abstract
Dynamic assessment (DA) which is rooted in Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory involves the integration of instruction and assessment in a dialectical way to achieve two main purposes: enhancing learners' development and understanding about their learning potential. However, the feasibility ...
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Dynamic assessment (DA) which is rooted in Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory involves the integration of instruction and assessment in a dialectical way to achieve two main purposes: enhancing learners' development and understanding about their learning potential. However, the feasibility and appropriateness of mediation are two main concerns of DA. The former is concerned with the application of DA for a large number of students, while the latter is concerned with providing test takers with appropriate hints. The purpose of the current study was three-fold: to examine the difference between dynamic and nondynamic tests, to understand about test takers' potential for learning, and to find out how mediation works for high and low ability students. To achieve these aims, computer software was developed. The software is capable of both providing the test takers with graduated hints for each item automatically, and adapting the overall difficulty level of the test to the test takers' proficiency level. To test the efficiency of the software in employing dynamic assessment, 83 Iranian university students participated in the study. The results of the study indicated that the computerized dynamic test made significant contribution both to enhancing students' grammar ability and to obtaining information about their potential for learning. Based on the findings of the study, it can be concluded that the use of dynamic assessment can simultaneously lead to the development of the test takers' ability and provide a more comprehensive picture of learning potential. Accordingly, teachers are recommended to use dynamic assessment to make more informed decisions about their students.