Task Manipulation of Planning Conditions: An Analysis of Syrian Online L2 Performance in Text-based & Voice chat

This research was based on a mixed methods investigation of a longitudinal study that was conducted in the text-based and voice chat environments to report on the impact of task manipulation on a guided pre-planning/no-planning condition in connection with second/foreign language (L2) performance. Data were collected from two groups of ten intermediate level Syrian learners (SLs) as they were interacting online over a six-week period of text-based chat with either a native speaker of English (NS) with teaching experience or a Syrian English teacher (ST). Working in pairs, dyads performed a series of tasks that varied in type, complexity, and cognitive demands. The learners were placed into one of the following experimental groups: the guided pre-planning group or the no-planning group. Two months later, the same groups of learners experienced similar conditions and fulfilled similar language tasks, except for the fact that the interaction was carried out orally this time in the form of voice chat. Independent samples and paired samples analysis was carried out to measure any possible significant difference in terms of the complexity, accuracy, and fluency of learners’ production in the immediate and delayed post-tests. The quantitative/qualitative analysis of chat exchanges, pre-/post-tests, and stimulated recall interviews provided some evidence as to the effectiveness of manipulating task type/complexity in promoting L2 proficiency. The findings revealed, however, that learners’ progress was also moderated by other external factors, such as individual differences, motivation and anxiety levels. All the participants had positive attitudes towards the online experiences and perceived the online interaction as beneficial for L2 development, and the pedagogical implications of the findings for L2 English classrooms are discussed.