Assessing the Learning Potential of Second Language Student Interaction in Collaborative Writing

This study examines peer interaction in collaborative writing in second language (L2) learning and assesses how interaction may allow students to learn about correct language use from each other as they write. A small number of studies have found more pronounced improvement in individual writing after students had completed collaborative writing with their peers over a period of time than after learners had completed writing independently under the same conditions. However, research has not examined how peer interaction could provide L2 students with opportunities to learn from their peers. To address this, the present study looked at learner interaction in collaborative writing to identify discussions that could potentially allow students to learn about how language is used in writing, such as those involving learners asking and answering questions and those in which they give corrective feedback to their peers; also assessing the correctness of the information that peers provide to L2 students. The results revealed that students were frequently involved in discussions that could promote individual learning and that the information that learners provided was almost always correct. These results suggest that collaborative writing may be an activity that can help students to learn about correct language use.