Writing to Make Meaning or to Lean the Language? A Descriptive Study of Multi-ethnic Adults Learning Japanese-as-a-Foreign-Language Sufumi So A thesis submitted in conformi ty wiih the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Cumculum, Teaching and Learning University of Toronto O Copyright by Sufumi So 1997 National Library Bibliothéque nationale u*m of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. nie Wellington OttawaON KIA ON4 OttawaON KtAON4 Canada Canada your iiy, votre refertmce Our iUe Notre reference The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Libraty of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la fome de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author' s ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Wn'ting to Make Meaning or to Learn the Language? A Descriptive Shuly of Mzrlh'ethnic Aduits Leaniing Japnesessa-Foreign-Lnngwge Ph-D. Thesis Department of Cumculurn, Teaching and Learning, University of Toronto, 1997 This study was motivated by the epistemological question of what "writing as a mode of leaming" means in the context of foreign language instruction. It analyzes how Japanese-as-a-foreign-laquage (JFL) learners and their teacher deal t wi th the wn ting cornponent in a natural instructional setting over a pend of two university semesters. The thesis details how this biliterate situation functioned in terms of individual, psychological constructs contingent on the learners' levels of JFL proficiency and their perceptions of JFL writing and leaming. In seeking to identily comprehensivel y a set of educationally-relevant factors that may influence students' leaming through writing in JFL, 1 considered (a) the presage variables in leamers' backgrounds and (b) the educational contest dong with (c) the cognitive processes of writing during the learners' production of JFL compositions and (d) the qudiiies of their JEwritten products. These data were genented through classroom observations, interviews, questionnaires, tape-recordings of think-aloud sessions. and essay assessrnents, involving 13 multi-ethnic students enrolled in an upper-level JFL literacy course at a major anglophone university in Canada. The data were described, analyzed, and interpreted through the combined use of quantitative and qualitative methods, incorporating a unique statistical technique. dical scalirig (Nishisato, 1994). Multiple sources of evidence showed the superior-level and the advanced- and intermediate-level Japanese-proficient speakers dernons trating di fferent patterns of behavior. In general, the former group of students produced essays of better qudity in terms of textual and cognitive structural features, and they focused on both semantic and lexico-grammatical components to produce their written discourse, suggesting opportuni ties for learning about content and language concurrently. 1n contrast, the Japanese essays written by the latter group of students were consuained in their textual and cognitive structural features, and their primary focus in their production of wri tten discourse was on the lexico-grammatical system, probably limiting their learning to the aspect of language use. The study suggests needs for further research particularly on L3 writing as a metalinguistic activity, L2 writing as a personal construct, and L1 -L2tnnsfer. When I started to work on this thesis research, 1 had no way of knowing what the days ahead would hold in store for me. Upon the completion of the thesis, 1 now see the entire thesis process to be exhilanting. But the experience was oftentimes daunting and difficult. Many individuals directly or indirectly helped me to go through this challenge. This thesis would not have ken possible without the contnbution of Kei and her students, who shared with me their classroom, their the, and their thoughts. 1 am deeply indebted to them. 1 am also very much indebted to Alister Cumming, my thesis supervisor, whose expert input was especially important to the development and completion of this work. In fact, his ideas and works have influenced me enormously ever since 1 came in contact with him five years ago. 1 have greatly benefited frorn numerous opportunities to work with him at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (OISUUT). 1 also wish to thank Shizuhiko Nishisato and Sharon Lapkin, my thesis cornmittee members, for their constant encouragement and useful comments. The Collowing people assisted me in data analyses or production of the thesis: Christine Guro, Mari Haneda, Mary Landolf, Jiang Li, Angel Lin, Hiromi Masurni-So. Alfred Sakyi, Ling Shi, Billy So, Junko Tanaka, and Chihiro K. Thomson. Thank you dl. Gai1 and Gerry Jordan, Hannele and Lloyd Robinson, Mayumi Kondo and her family, and Lillian So generously supported my undertaking in more private ways throughout the pend of my doctoral study at the OISUUT.1 am very grateful to them. 1 am dso indebted to Martha C. Pennington whose input has ken a constant source of encouragement and inspiration for my academic work since 1 came to know her ten years ago. 1 also acknowledge the financial support of the OISUUT in the forms of Gmduate Assistantships (1992-96) and "high visa tuition waivers" (1993-95) as well as that of the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training who awarded the Ontario Graduate Scholarships (1994%) to me. Last, but not, of course, least, 1 am very thankful to my husband, Billy, who constantly encouraged me to have confidence in my work, and to my son, Duane, who put up with my hectic schedule and ternperarnental behavior throughout the writing of this thesis. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCING AND FRAMINC THE STUDY 1 1.1. OVERVIEW 1 1.2. RATIONALE 2 1.2.1. PEDAGOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS 3 1.2.2. THEORETICAL CONSIDERA TIONS 5 1.3. BIGGS' S PRESAGE-PROCESS-PRODUm MODEL OF C LASSROOM LEARNLlYG AND TEACHING 7 1.4.OI&JECI'AND FOC1 OF THE STUDY 10 1.4.1. RECENT CONCEPTUALIZATIONS OF FOREIGN WGUAGECURRICULA 11 1.5. ORIENTATION AND ORGANIZATION OF TEiE DISSERTATION 15 CHAPTER 2: TEACHING CONTEXT 17 2.1. SITE 2.2. TEACHER 2.3. CENERATING RESEARCH MATERIALS 2-3.1. CLASSROOM OBSERVATION 2.3.2. INTERVIEWZNG 2.4. ANSWERING THE WSEARCH QUESTIONS 2.4.1. K EI AND CLASSROUMACTIVITIES LEADING TO WRlTZNG TASK I 2.4.2. K El AND CLASSROOM A CTIVITIES LEADING TO WRITING TASK II 2.4.3. SUiMMARY CHAPTER 3: STUDENTS' CHARACTERISTICS 36 3.1. SOLICITING STUDErYT PARTICIPANTS 3.2. G ENERATING RESEARCH MATERIALS 3.2.1. QUESTIONNAIRE 3.2.l.I. PARTICIPANTS ' ETHNICITIES AND LI S 3.2.1.2. PARTICIPANTS ' AGES AND MMOR FIELDS 3.2.1 -3.PARTICIPANTS ' EXPERIENCES WTH THEJAPANESE LMGUAGE 3.2.1.4. PARTICIPANTS' MOTIVATIONS FOR LEARNING JAPANESE 3.2.2. ASSESSMENT OF JFL PROFICIENCY AND LI WRITING EXPERTISE 3.2-2.1.W RITING ASSESSMENT I NSTRUiMENT 3.2.2.2. WRITING ASSESSMENT R ATERS 3.2.2.3. PARTICIPANTS ' LANGUAGE-RELATED CHARACTERISTICS 3.2.3. INTERVIE WING 33. ANSWERKNG THE RESEARCH QWSTION 3.3.1. JANE'S AND COLIN'S PERCEPTIONS OF JFL WRITING AND LEAANING 3.3.1 -1. JAhrE 3.3.1.2. COLIN CHAPTER 4: WRITING PROCESSES 55 4.1. GENERATiNG RESEARCH MATERIALS 4.1.1. COLLECTION OF THINK-ALOUD PROTOCOLS 4.1.1.1. REACTlVZTY 4.1.2. TRANSCRZPTZON OF THINK-ALOUD PROTOCOLS 4.1 -3.CODING OF THINK-ALOUD PROTOCOLS 4.1.4. POST-W RITING QUESTIONNAIRE 42. ANSWERING THE RESEARCB QUESTIONS 4.2.1. OVEUVIEW OF THINK-ALOUD PROTOCOL DATA 4.2.2. OVERVIEW OF POST-WRiTlNG QUESTIONNAIRE DATA CHAPTER 5: WRITTEN PRODUCTS 71 5.1. GENERATING RESEARCH MATERIALS 5.1.1. ASSESSMENT OF JAfANESE WrUirTEN TEXTS 5.1 -1.I. KEI 5.1.1.2. INDEPENDENT RATERS 5.1 -2. KEI'S AND INDEPENDENT RATERS ' ESSA Y SCORES 5.1 3. ASSESSMENT OF STRUCTURAL COMPLEXITY IN JAPANESE WRZiTEN TEXTS 5.2. ANSWERING TEIE RESEARCH QUESTIONS 5.2.1. RELATZONS BETWEEN ESSA Y SCORES AND O THER FACTORS 5.2.2. RELATIONS BETWEEN SOLO LEVELS AND OTHER FACTORS 5.3. GENERAL REMARKS ON THE INITIAL ANALYSES OF THE DATA CHAPTER 6: DUAL-SCALING ANALYSES 87 6.1. THE DATA REVISlTED 6.2. DUAL SCALING 63. DUAL-SCALING ANALYTIC PROCEDURES 6.4. OUTCOMES OF D UAL-SCALING A NALYSES 6.4.1. ANALYSZS 1 6.4.2. ANALYSZS 2 6.4.3. ANALYSIS 3(A) 6.4.4. ANALYSIS 3(B) 6.4.5. ANALYSIS 4(A) 6.4.6. ANALYSIS 4(8) CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSIONS 116 7.1. UNDERSTANDING TBE C ONTEXT OF JFL WRITING 117 7.2. TüE RESEARCH QUESTIONS REVISITED 120 7.2.1. RESEARCH QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO THE TEACHING CONTEXT 120 7.2.2.RESEARCH QUESTION PERTcVNING TO STUDENTS' CHARACTERlSTZCS 121 7.2.3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS PERTAINZNG TO STUDENTS ' WRiTZNG PROCESSES 122 7.2.4. RESEARCH QUESTIONS PERTAINZNG TO STUDEhiTS' WRITTEN PRODUCTS 124 7.3. M AKING C ONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE INTERPRETIVE AND DU AL-SCALING ANALYSES 125 7.4. REFLECTING ON MY RESEARCH OVERALL 128 REFERENCES 136 LIST OF TABLES Tàbfe2- 1. Kei 's Respomes to rhe 6-item Questionnaire on Teacher Beliefs and Practices of Teaching of Writing 25 Table 3-1. Studenrs ' Charackristics 38 Table 3-2.