Employing Hallidayan Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) to Analyze NNS Graduate Students' Participation in Synchronous Computer Mediated Communication Contexts via the Blackboard Learning Management System Robert E. Johanson Chia Hung (Hillman) Hsieh Department of Applied Foreign Languages National Taiwan University of Science & Technology May 16, 2009  This presentation is supported by generous grants received from the National Science Council (NSC H ) and the NTUST Department of Applied Foreign Languages.

Overview The Study Research Questions Epistemological Underpinnings Communal Constructivism SFL Methodology Results/Findings Conclusion Limitations & Pedagogical Implications

Research Questions What are the discoursal characteristics of the students’ participation in a non-face-to-face synchronous computer mediated communication (SCMC) context? What are the discoursal characteristics of the instructor’s participation in a SCMC context? Which types of speech acts are used in participants’ discoursal behaviors in the SCMC context? What pedagogical and practical implications can be derived from this study?

Epistemological Underpinnings (1) Modified version of constructivism & social constructivism that takes the role of computer as student-teacher interaction site into consideration; Students do not simply pass through education system like water through a pipe but instead, riverlike, leave their own imprint to help create a communal knowledge base (Holmes et al, 2001). Communal Constructivism (Holmes et al., 2001)

Epistemological Underpinnings (2) A theory of language centered on language functions (what language does, and how it does it) that looks at how language both acts upon, and is constrained by social contexts. (Martin, 2008) Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) (Halliday, 1960)

Methodology The Research Site: An Online-Chat room on the BlackBoard (BB) Learning Management System The Courses: Computer Assisted Language Learning & Second Language Acquisition Duration: 18 weeks: On-line discussions: 6 times; 1 hour for each online discussion Participants: 9 graduate students enrolled in the Applied Foreign Languages Department of a technological university in Taiwan (n=9)

Data Collection & Analysis Teacher assigns topics via handouts one week prior to class Students’ material preview Students and teacher engage in Collaborative Discourse on BB Chat room Researcher: Research site: Annotate Interpersonal Discoursal Characteristic s Collect Online Classroo m Discourse Discourse Analysis Conduct think- aloud protocols w/students & teacher Analyze data via Grounded Theory* *Grounded Theory: developed by Strauss & Corbin (1998) codification procedures: open, axial and selective

Results/Findings (1) The Phenomenon of Teacher Lurking in the SCMC Context The instructor lurked for sixteen minutes to encourage students’ communal construction of knowledge ; SCMC’s Dynamic nature: With a lurking instructor the discussion was more student- centered. e.g., individuals sharing experiences;

Results/Findings (2) NS Teacher’s discoursal characteristics More discoursal interaction occurred with entire group rather than with individuals; Engagement markers were used more frequently than other types of interpersonal metafunctional markers NS-TCR: you'll need intrepreting your data. (engagement) NS-TCR: we are very close to answering all of the unanswered questions in this chat is my feeling. (engagement)

Results/Findings (3) NNS Student’s discoursal characteristics Engagement markers (you, inclusive we, name…), Self-referral markers (I, exclusive we, me…), and Attitude markers (can’t agree more, be afraid…), were most frequently used; Individual interaction with instructor more frequent than with other students. STD-CRN: Do you have trouble coding the chat? (engagement) STD-CND: that's also my doubt (self-referral; attitude)

Conclusion Teacher: Engagement markers were used more significantly than other interpersonal metafunctional markers; Students: Engagement markers, Self-referral markers and Attitude markers were most frequently used; A lurking instructor might be more amenable to the SCMC learning context; Lurking teachers not welcomed by all students; Mitigated teacher participation could encourage student knowledge construction; Students depend upon teacher scaffolding; Use of engagement markers’ could account for students’ zealous attempts to participate;

Limitations In QR researcher is primary research instrument (subjectivity observation); NNS T’s teaching style or NS S’ participation could result in different outcomes; Differing discoursal characteristics could emerge among different EFL levels; Findings not generalizable to all disciplines;

Pedagogical Implications Functional approach is a viable assessment tool for students’ SCMC participation; Students’ SCMC experiences should be discussed during course; E-instructors should consider lurking; Sufficient time must be allotted for students’ pre-SCMC session preparation; Online discoursal participation should be taken into account when designing courses.

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