A Case Study of Written Corrective Feedback and Pre-writing Grammar Instruction on Interlingual English Errors in a Hong Kong Secondary Classroom

• Other Authors: Yeung, Wai Nga (author.)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; Chinese
• Published: 2017
• Online Access: http://repository.lib.cuhk.edu.hk/en/item/cuhk-1292157

在香港的教育背景下，雖然官方將英語定位為第二語言，但在實踐上卻像只限於課堂實踐的外語 (English as foreign language, EFL)，學生缺乏日常生活的語境，需要由老師指導進行學習。而書面反饋 (Written corrective feedback, 內文中簡稱 WCF) 是其中一種最常見的教學手法，旨在協助學生辨識 (identify)、修正 (correct)及避免 (avoid) 各種文法錯誤。然而，由於師生都相信一定要評改完英文作文中的全部錯誤，學生往往難以理解樣式繁多的書面反饋評改內容，陷入茫無頭緒的狀態。而且，由於學生缺乏有關書面反饋背後相關的文法知識，導致他們無法在收到書面反饋後循老師批改糾正他們的錯處(李潔冰, 2011)。針對以上情況，本研究探討如何藉教導學生有關源自中文文法的跨語系錯誤 (Interlingual English Errors)，並建立一套針對性的跨語系錯誤書面反饋符碼系統，讓學生得以改善英文文法水平。本研究以個案研究方式進行，藉觀察三十名初中學生在一個以教導學生改正跨語系錯誤的寫作課程，觀察這種教學及相關的跨語系錯誤為本間接符碼式書面反饋 (ILEE-focused and coded WCF)是否能改善以下六項跨語系錯誤﹕缺漏介系詞 (missing prepositions)、動語形態錯誤 (Verb form errors)、誤用「這」/「這裏」(misuse of it/there patterns)、冠詞錯誤 (article errors)、主動被動混淆 (confusions in active/ passive voice)、及詞類混淆 (word class confusions)。課程及書面反饋的效能以以下指標評估﹕課程前後的文法錯誤辨識測試、以及在學生八篇寫作 (四題、每題寫作一次、重寫一次、共八篇)中以上六種的跨語系錯誤出現頻率 (錯誤次數除以相關文法使用次數)。另外，學生亦要填寫有關學生對文法課程以及各種不同的書面反饋方式的觀感的問卷、以及研究前後會被邀請接受個人訪問。研究結果發現本研究的課程及書面反饋整體上有效減少學生在課程後文法辨識測試的錯誤，特別能改善動詞形態錯誤 (統計測試均達 p<.001水平)，但學生仍執意希望收到對他們的英文作文的舊式書面反饋方式 (無焦點、所有文法一律評改)，因為這樣令他們較為心安。文末討論了以上現象背後的認知過程及文化差異，並建議設立規格化的跨語系書面反饋符碼系統，以及提供一些方法以鼓勵學生克服對有焦點的書面反饋的憂慮。 === Although English is one of the official languages in Hong Kong, English is no different from a foreign language (EFL) to most local school students. English communication is restricted in classroom settings, where English grammar is taught directly by teachers. Written corrective feedback (WCF) is a pedagogical device aiming at fostering students’ ability in identifying, correcting, and avoiding grammatical errors in writing. Yet, as Lee (2011) observed, teachers’ obsession with marking all grammatical errors in writing leads to students’ confusions. Furthermore, as students often lack knowledge in grammar items underlying the WCF, many of them simply get lost when responding to their teachers’ WCF. The aim of this study is to find out the possibility to enhance students’ grammatical accuracy through Interlingual English error (ILEE)-focused and coded WCF, coupled with pre-writing grammar instruction focusing on ILEEs that are deeply rooted from the interference of Chinese grammar. The case study method is adopted in this study. Thirty local EFL secondary school students participated in a writing course focusing on six ILEEs, namely missing prepositions, verb form errors, misuse of it/there patterns, article errors, confusions in active/passive voice, and word class confusions. Participants received ILEE-focused and coded WCF from the teacher-researcher in the eight writing drafts (four writing tasks X two drafts each). Progress in grammatical accuracy was measured by the difference between pre- and post-study ILEE identification tasks, and changes in ILEE error rates (the number of errors divided by the usage of related grammar items) in the writing samples. Participants’ perceptions towards ILEE-focused and coded WCF and ILEE-focused pre-writing grammar instruction were measured in pre- and post-ILEE course perception questionnaires. In addition, individual interviews (namely pre- and post-ILEE course interviews) were conducted to obtain information about participants’ experience in the learning process. Results indicated that statistically significant improvement was found in the post-study ILEE identification task (p<.001), and the reduction of verb form error rates across tasks (p<.001) was the most significant among the six targeted ILEEs. Despite the progress, participants still expressed the wish to return to conventional unfocused WCF on the grounds of worries about overlooking grammatical errors in their writing. Cognitive development underlying the learning process, as well as socio-cultural implications of the research findings, are discussed with suggestions to develop a system of standardized WCF codes for ILEEs and initiatives to encourage students to overcome their worries over focused WCF. === Yeung, Wai Nga. === Thesis Ed.D. Chinese University of Hong Kong 2017. === Includes bibliographical references (leaves ). === Abstracts also in Chinese. === Title from PDF title page (viewed on …). === Detailed summary in vernacular field only.