Overview of L2 Writing

Computer-Mediated Communication

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) has gained popularity over the last decade. Students can work simultaneously in a chat-room context (synchronous computer-mediated communication) or write to each other with delay between turns (asynchronous computer-mediated communication). The computer, and specifically the Internet, has made it possible for students to interact not just with their classmates but also with a wide range of native speakers or other non-native speakers of the language.

Research has shown that CMC:

  • can help increase students' motivation to learn the foreign language,
  • lower their anxiety,
  • increase their fluency in the target language,
  • lead to improved intercultural competence and democratize classroom communication.

In order to reap these potential benefits, instructors need to design CMC tasks that are appropriate for their students, well integrated into the overall syllabus and which are evaluated meaningfully.

Take a moment to think of the considerations to keep in mind for setting up successful CMC tasks? Then click on the pdf for some suggestions.

Considerations for Successful CMC Tasks

Meaningful Evaluation

Any evaluation of CMC needs to reflect its hybrid communicative style: CMC is neither like oral communication nor like other formal writing, as the following table shows:

Oral language CMC language Written language
Shorter segments Short, partial utterances Longer discourse
Incomplete syntax Incomplete syntax, but more complex than speech (More) formal syntax
"Online" processing (planning, speaking, and listening happen all at once), "text" is transient Planning time and text available for review; some lag-time between turns, some overlap between contributions made by different participants Planning, "text" remains available for review
Clarification is possible through interaction Clarification is possible but not guaranteed; clarification of meaning is possible, but may take several turns No (immediate) clarification of meaning possible
Nota bene: Not all oral or written language is created equal (some oral language is very formal while some writing is very informal).

Keep in mind that students who study languages with different orthographies may encounter specific difficulties during CMC sessions. Be prepared with creative solutions, such as suggesting computers and keyboards that accommodate the characters your students need.

Watch the following video with Professor Thomas Garza (Russian) and note the points he makes about keyboards, spelling, and computer literacy for his students.

Play

Professor Garza on computer-mediated communication.

Duration: 02:15


The assessment of CMC performance should take into consideration that students may have different computer equipment. In contrast, award points for content and interactivity, such as:

  • posting at least three contributions, each in response to a comment made by a peer, and
  • citing/referring to content posted by another.