Instructed concept appropriation for developing knowledge of second language academic discourse context

Abstract

Recent studies from sociocultural perspectives have explored the effects of Concept-based Language Instruction (C-BLI) on L2 development through the explicit teaching of scientific concepts. However, there has been little research into the effects of C-BLI on the development of L2 academic literacy. This article reports on a case study of how C-BLI mediated a Chinese doctoral student's development of conceptual knowledge of context and subsequent context-specific performance in academic writing. Drawing on data from writing tutorials and interviews, the learner's drafts and invited comments, and think-aloud protocols, the study revealed that the C-BLI interventions that integrated symbolic and dialogic mediation helped the learner attain and enhance awareness of contextual components. The learner appropriated the concept as a tool for thinking in judging appropriateness of rules of thumb and choices of exclusive discourse features in specific contexts of use, which consequently mediated his planning for writing and resulted in the development of performance. The study demonstrates the potential of C-BLI as a driving force for the development of conceptual knowledge and context-specific performance in the academic literacy of L2 learners. It has pedagogical implications for curriculum design, C-BLI-informed literacy and concept-based materials, and teacher development to stimulate teacher awareness in C-BLI.