Abstract
This study used Vygotskian Sociocultural Theory and Dynamic Assessment to provide written commentary on essays by three English-as-a-foreign-language applicants for the International English Language Testing System, or IELTS. More specifically, it examined how asynchronous mediation tailored to the participants’ specific needs provided over multiple drafts of three essay prompts influenced their ability to formulate a relevant and well-supported argument, known as Task Response. Mediation consisted of three rounds of written commentary with increasing specificity about the location and nature of problematic areas. In total, 36 drafts – 12 per participant – were analyzed for evidence of qualitative and quantitative improvement. Qualitatively, participants responded in varying degrees to mediation across each essay, but all showed improvement. Quantitatively, all participants obtained higher scores on Task Response on the final essay as compared to the first. The study suggests that graduated written commentary is an effective mediation tool for instructors to assist L2 learners in improving argumentative writing.
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