| dc.description.abstract | Writing is considered to be one of the most challenging skills for English as a Foreign
Language (EFL) learners in China. To improve students’ writing skills, this study explored a
pedagogical strategy that blends collaborative writing with the use of computer-mediated
communication (CMC) technology in EFL contexts. Despite solid evidence supporting the
benefits of computer-mediated collaborative writing (CMCW) tasks in L2 writing, little is known
about the influence of CMC modalities on the efficacy of CMCW tasks. This qualitative case
study, conducted within a sociocultural framework, particularly Swain’s concept of collaborative
dialogue, examined how different task modalities influence the effectiveness of CMCW tasks in
the Chinese EFL context. Sixteen EFL learners completed an online collaborative writing project
on Tencent Docs™ via two modalities: A synchronous CMC (SCMC) modality entailing text
chat in WeChat™ and an asynchronous CMC (ACMC) modality with delayed interactions on
Tencent Docs™. Following the project, semi-structured interviews involving stimulated recall
were conducted to investigate the learners’ perceptions regarding these two patterns of
communication. The analysis of these interviews, coupled with insights gleaned from the
learners’ reflective journals collected throughout the writing project, indicated that although both
SCMC and ACMC modalities were perceived beneficial for writing development, EFL learners
had more positive learning experiences in the SCMC modality than in the ACMC one. The
findings revealed several challenges that require attention when implementing CMCW in EFL
teaching contexts, particularly where students possess weaker English proficiency and little
collaborative writing experience. EFL instructors are suggested to provide more training sessions
and offer appropriate guidance and feedback throughout the collaborative writing process. | en_US |
