Abstract
AbstractThis study investigated the cognitive processes underlying pauses at different textual locations (e.g., within/between words) and various levels of revision (e.g., below word/clause). We used stimulated recall, keystroke logging, and eye-tracking methodology in combination to examine pausing and revision behaviors. Thirty advanced Chinese L2 users of English performed a version of the IELTS Academic Writing Task 2. During the writing task, participants’ key strokes were logged, and their eye movements were recorded. Immediately after the writing task, 12 participants also took part in a stimulated recall interview. The results revealed that, when participants paused at larger textual units, they were more likely to look back in the text and engage in higher-order writing processes. In contrast, during pauses at lower textual units, they tended to view areas closer to the inscription point and engage in lower-order writing processes. Prior to making a revision, participants most frequently had viewed the text that they subsequently revised or their eye gazes had been off-screen. Revisions focused more on language- than content-related issues, but there was a smaller difference in the number of language- and content-focused stimulated recall comments when larger textual units were revised.
Highlights
The past two decades have witnessed a growing interest in describing the online behaviors of second language (L2) writers, that is, the directly observable features of the writing process
A Friedman test found no significant difference in the frequency with which participants viewed various levels of textual units during within-word pauses: x2 (3, N 5 30) 5 5.19, p 5
The stimulated recall data revealed that, when participants paused between sentences, they were more often concerned with planning
Summary
The past two decades have witnessed a growing interest in describing the online behaviors of second language (L2) writers, that is, the directly observable features of the writing process. An increasing amount of research has been concerned with investigating the cognitive macro-writing processes (e.g., planning, translation) and subprocesses (e.g., planning content, lexical encoding) (Manchon, Roca de Larios, & Murphy, 2007) that underlie L2 writing behaviors. Among the writing behaviors studied, pausing and revision phenomena have probably received the most attention (e.g., Roca de Larios, Manchon, Murphy, & Marın, 2008; Van Waes & Leijten, 2015). This increased attention has been driven by both theoretical and practical concerns. Information about the cognitive processes associated with patterns of pausing and revision may help diagnose areas of writing difficulty, aiding L2 educators in identifying gaps in students’ L2 knowledge and skills and thereby tailoring instruction to meet their needs
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