Abstract
Continuation task has witnessed a tremendous growth of research since it was firstly advanced by Wang, as an effective approach to L2 learning. The basic idea of continuation task is that learners should first read a given text with the end removed, then they should finish the continual writing in a logical and coherent way with imagination on the basis of the given text. In the process of continuation, learners need to not only fully understand the given text, but create new content, imitate and use the words and structures that appeared in the given text, thus producing interactive alignment effects, and improving the efficiency of learning foreign language. Researches on continuation tasks cover key issues regarding to the effectiveness on L2 learning and task-related or learner-related factors in continuation task that influence L2 learning. Since the number of researchers investigating the application of continuation task to L2 teaching and learning continues to grow, it is necessary to assess the current state of the researches in this area and establish future directions of investigation. This review aims to provide an overview of recent researches on continuation task and offer some suggestions for future researches.
Highlights
Language learning is a process where learners are able to use the language of others’ [3], so to some degree, language is learned through imitation
Why does continuation task facilitate language learning? The mechanism behind lies in the interactive alignment effect [4] derived from the interaction in personal dialogue which serves as the prerequisite of smooth communication
Imitation here should not be regarded as behavioral repetition, instead, imitation in interaction can be viewed as structural priming or linguistic alignment led by situation models constructed in rich context, so it involves dynamic adaptation between comprehension and production, facilitating second language learning
Summary
Language learning is a process where learners are able to use the language of others’ [3], so to some degree, language is learned through imitation. Language learning is achieved through a creative process where learners, who are driven by communication motivation, produce language in complex context and interaction. This process is bound to be dynamic. In order to create a writing coherent to the given text, learners tend to use the previously occurring expressions in their own creation. What they have comprehended and learned in reading can be creatively reused in production, language is learned through the coupling of language comprehension
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