How Does the Use of Cohesive Devices in L2 Individual Writing Change After Writing Collaboratively or Independently?

Abstract

This study looked at how completing collaborative or independent writing can affect the individual writing that students subsequently produce; specifically at how the use of cohesive devices in individual L2 student writing changes as a result of completing these two writing procedures under the same conditions. To do so, this large-scale study (n=128) looked at the use of cohesive devices in individual writing completed before (pre-test) and after (post-test) either collaborative or independent writing had been carried out. It also assessed examples of collaborative writing dialogue (n=94) to identify student deliberation about cohesion and the organization of the coauthored text; comparing the frequency of these to discussions about language use and mechanics of writing. Results revealed that there were very similar significant changes in the use of cohesive devices in the individual post-test writing of students from both writing groups and minimal student discussion about the use of cohesive devices in collaborative writing dialogue. Therefore, it is possible that the changes noted in the collaborative writing group (and the independent writing group) were possibly due to instruction and not due to the type of writing completed. On the other hand, students frequently engaged in discussions about language use and thus collaborative writing may be more conducive to learning about this aspect of writing.