以語言為焦點的寫作任務對大二寫作班第二班第二語言寫作複雜度的成效

The Effects of Language-focused Writing Tasks on the Complexity of L2 Writing in a Sophomore Writing Class

This study was conducted to investigate the influence of language-focused tasks on the complexity of student L2 writing in a sophomore class of EFL (English as a foreign language) learners, and explore their attitudes towards learning to write through task-based language teaching (TBLT). The participants were second-year undergraduates attending a writing course in a tertiary institution at the National Kaohsiung Normal University, Taiwan. They have been paired up to write collaboratively during the Task-based writing sessions. The treatment consisted of three writing tasks, each including a pre-task grammar practice session, a TBLT writing session, and a post-task peer feedback session. The three writing tasks were focused on three target grammatical structures, namely conditional sentences, the reported speech, and the passive voice. Data collected include the students’ compositions, and anonymously-written reflections. The compositions had been analyzed by a count of accurately-produced target sentences, total number of words and sentences in the composition, and error-free T-units as defined by Hunt (1996, p.735). The results indicated that collaborative writing tasks focusing on one specific grammatical structure at a time have positive effects on students’ overall writing complexity. Among the three targeted grammatical structures, there were significant improvements in producing the reported speech and the conditionals, but not the passive voice. There was also significant improvement in the average length of error-free T-units, showing improvement in accuracy. Students’ attitudes towards such a learning process were unveiled through anonymous reflections. The findings disclosed more positive than negative attitudes towards learning writing through TBLT. Students enjoyed collaborative writing as a way to lessen stress, and boost creativity and the quality of their work. Problems they face included communication among peers, divergence of ideas, and lack of time. The implications of the findings will be discussed. 本研究旨在於審視以語言為焦點的寫作任務對大二寫作班學生的第二語言寫作複雜度的影響，並探討學生透過任務型語言教學機制學習寫作的看法。研究對象為26位就讀於國立高雄師範大學、修讀以英語為外語的寫作課大二學生，在研究中受測者兩人一組，參與三次寫作任務共同創作；每任務包括三個階段：任務前文法練習、共同寫作任務、任務後同儕交互編輯，每個寫作任務以一個目標文法結構為焦點，計有條件句、轉述語句及被動語態。資料收集包括前、後測作文及參與後匿名心得報告；在分析方面，研究者量化分析受試者產生正確目標文法結構的句子數目、文章的總字數及總句子數、與無錯誤的T-單位（如Hunt在1996所定義）；結果顯示一次以一個特定文法結構為焦點的共同寫作任務，對寫作複雜度有正面的影響，在三個文法結構中，受試者在條件句及轉述語句寫作的進步具有統計學上的意義，產生的無錯誤T-單位平均長度也有具意義的進步，展現出寫作正確度及複雜度的進步；此外，心得報告中顯示他們對透過任務型語言教學學習寫作的看法，以正面多於負面，他們享受共同創作為一個可以減少壓力、促進創意和作文品質的方式，他們面對的問題包括溝通、意見分歧及時間不足。此研究的研究意義也會一併討論。

本研究旨在於審視以語言為焦點的寫作任務對大二寫作班學生 的第二語言寫作複雜度的影響，並探討學生透過任務型語言教學機制 學習寫作的看法。研究對象為 26 位就讀於國立高雄師範大學、修讀 以英語為外語的寫作課大二學生，在研究中受測者兩人一組，參與三 次寫作任務共同創作；每任務包括三個階段：任務前文法練習、共同 寫作任務、任務後同儕交互編輯，每個寫作任務以一個目標文法結構 為焦點，計有條件句、轉述語句及被動語態。資料收集包括前、後測 作文及參與後匿名心得報告；在分析方面，研究者量化分析受試者產 生正確目標文法結構的句子數目、文章的總字數及總句子數、與無錯 誤的 T-單位（如 Hunt 在 1996 所定義）；結果顯示一次以一個特定文 法結構為焦點的共同寫作任務，對寫作複雜度有正面的影響，在三個 文法結構中，受試者在條件句及轉述語句寫作的進步具有統計學上的 意義，產生的無錯誤 T-單位平均長度也有具意義的進步，展現出寫 作正確度及複雜度的進步；此外，心得報告中顯示他們對透過任務型 語言教學學習寫作的看法，以正面多於負面，他們享受共同創作為一 個可以減少壓力、促進創意和作文品質的方式，他們面對的問題包括 溝通、意見分歧及時間不足。此研究的研究意義也會一併討論。