Comparing Pair and Self Dynamics of Scaffolding by Written Languaging in English as a Foreign Language Learning

Abstract

This study investigated the extent to which dynamics of scaffolding (self vs. pair) would impact the language learners’ written languaging in terms of quantity, focus, conceptual processes of languaging, and language learning improvement. To this end, in a pretest-posttest research design, we assigned 60 English-as-a-Foreign-Language undergraduate students into two groups of pair languagers and self-languagers before they engaged in three-stage (translating, comparing to the model translation, revising) Persian-to-English translation tasks. Content analysis of written languaging episodes (WLs) indicated that while pair languagers produced more WLs than the self-languagers, both groups used WLs in a descending order from Stage 1 to 3 in translation tasks. Also, distribution of lexis-focused (L-WL) and grammar-focused (G-WL) episodes indicated despite the fact that both pair and self-languagers produced more L-WL than G-WL episodes, pair languagers produced a larger amount of L-WL episodes than self-languagers who had relatively a higher record in production of G-WL episodes. Moreover, the proportions of conceptual processes incorporated into WLs was found to be uneven and more in favor of self-assessment and hypothesis formation by both groups. Finally, statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) reported the advantage of pair languagers in language learning improvement over self-languagers, despite their mutual progress. The paper was concluded with a number of pedagogical implications.