Listening-Based Activities Promoting Productive Knowledge of Formulaic Sequences: Examining the effectiveness of dictogloss
Abstract
Although it is well recognized that second language (L2) learners stand to gain a lot from mastering formulaic sequences (FS) in the target language, research on classroom activities that foster productive knowledge of FSs remains rather scarce. This project, therefore, examines the effectiveness of dictogloss for this purpose. While dictogloss has occurred regularly in research about L2 grammar learning, it has only recently attracted attention from researchers interested in FS learning. This experiment investigated its effectiveness in comparison with two other listening-based activities—dictation and answering comprehension questions. It was hypothesized that dictogloss leads to greater gains in FS knowledge because (a) it involves retrieval of FSs from episodic memory and (b) it makes learners notice (and fill) the gaps in their knowledge.
142 Chinese EFL first-year university students were divided into three treatment groups (dictogloss, dictation, and answering comprehension questions). A pre-test, an immediate post-test, and a delayed post-test were administered to compare the learning gains. Dictogloss was not found to be more effective than dictation for the purpose of FS learning, although both were more effective than answering comprehension questions. Dictogloss did appear to engage students more than dictation with the content of the text. Analyses of the dictogloss worksheets show that it was especially students who successfully retrieved the FSs during text reconstruction who stood a good chance of recalling the FSs in the post-test. This suggests that it is important for teachers who wish to try dictogloss to ensure good accuracy at the reconstruction stage.