Decoding EFL learners’ internalization of English modal verbs in concept‐based language instruction: Integrating SCOBAs with languaging

Abstract

Concept-based language instruction (C-BLI) is a pedagogy guided by sociocultural theory, which has been shown to be effective in facilitating second language learning. Typical activities include materialization by using a schema for a complete orienting basis of an action (SCOBA) and languaging, through which learners' internalization of scientific knowledge can be observed. However, previous studies have mainly used languaging as an assessment tool to examine the outcome of the internalization of concepts. Few studies have integrated SCOBAs (visual) and languaging (oral or written) in their investigation of the internalization process. This 5-week study involved 53 Chinese English-as-a-foreign-language learners in a university who were all taught with the C-BLI approach to learn English modal verbs. Among them, there were 26 lower proficiency students and 27 higher proficiency students. Visual, oral, and written data were collected to examine the participants' internalization of the modal verb concepts. All 53 learners participated in SCOBA drawing and written-languaging tasks. Twelve students (6 per group) volunteered to participate in oral languaging. The results showed that in the SCOBA drawing activity, higher level learners produced more abstract, systematic, and imitated visualizations of the concepts, while lower level learners produced more concrete, disconnected, and emulated visualizations. With regard to oral languaging, both groups largely abandoned their previously learned "rule of thumb" after the C-BLI intervention, and there were no obvious differences in oral-languaging performance between the two groups, except that the higher

A scoping review of research on languaging in second language education

“…Through the analysis of the 23 included empirical studies (i.e. [ 53 , 54 ]), the ways of integrating languaging into L2 classes could be roughly divided into three types ( Table 7 ): experiment, pedagogical means, and mixed integration of experimental and pedagogical techniques. The experimental method of languaging integration ( N = 6) refers to directly leading students to perform languaging activities and analysing their language levels before and after the experiment.…”

“…Another notable feature of CLII is the implicit teaching mode used to teach knowledge of language rules such as grammar and vocabulary [ 48 , 55 ]. Using languaging activities and following sociocultural theory, Qin et al [ 54 ] investigated the internalisation of content concept and language rule knowledge by students in the CLII model. It was found that CLII was helpful for students’ internalisation of content and language knowledge.…”

“…Languaging, as an important mediational tool, can assist participants in co-constructing meaning and solving problems in the process of learning. Under the CLII model, the internalisation of students’ knowledge of content concepts increases with the progress of the course [ 54 ]. At the same time, although the knowledge of language rules is implicit teaching, students’ language levels and quality improved [ 54 ].…”

“…Under the CLII model, the internalisation of students’ knowledge of content concepts increases with the progress of the course [ 54 ]. At the same time, although the knowledge of language rules is implicit teaching, students’ language levels and quality improved [ 54 ].…”

Sociocultural theory and classroom second language learning in the East Asian context: Introduction to the special issue

“…Three of the contributions to the special issue directly address C‐BLI, and a fourth focuses more narrowly on the languaging process. Qin, Ouyang, and Ren (2023, this issue) report on a project aimed at teaching the pragmatics of English modal verbs, the first such attempt within the framework of SCT and Gal'perin's (1969) model. In addition to assessing the effects of C‐BLI on learning this feature of English, they also compared written with spoken languaging and what each can tell us about its contribution to the internalization process.…”