A Study of Interactive Alignment in EFL Reading-to-Writing Continuation Tasks

Qian Xiaofang; Lu Yashu

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijll.20241202.12

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A Study of Interactive Alignment in EFL Reading-to-Writing Continuation Tasks

Qian Xiaofang^*, Lu Yashu

Published in International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 12, Issue 2)

Received: 26 January 2024 Accepted: 8 March 2024 Published: 2 April 2024

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Abstract

The reading-to-writing continuation task has been used in the Chinese national matriculation English test due to its apparent interactive alignment effect. But empirical studies of the alignment effect and how it happens are limited. Herein, this paper reports on a study following Wang’s (2015) research to investigate whether this interactive alignment effect actually occurs in EFL learning and how it functions in continuation tasks with the think-aloud method to collect qualitative data from two participants. The participants’ continuation works were analyzed and interviews were carried out to obtain information about their thinking process. The results show that there are strong connections between what students read and their continuation writing. The results confirm that there is an alignment effect at both the content and language levels in continuation tasks. Readers consciously tend to align the content of their writing with that of the original text across five dimensions: entity (person and object), time, space, causation/causality, and motivation/intentionality. Meanwhile, language alignment is highly related to the act of rereading, which enables the would-be writer to look for the certain vocabulary, learn the grammatical structures, and check for the unknown words. The continuation task facilitates various interactions among the text, the reader, and their resulting writing work. Furthermore, learners use strategies like rereading and “mining” that enable them to engage in creative expression in the writing tasks. This study theoretically highlights the importance of alignment effect in language learning and has practical implications for using CT in reading-to-writing task design and writing pedagogy in EFL classrooms. Teachers can design and use continuation tasks to promote students’ reading ability and overall language development.

Published in	International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 12, Issue 2)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijll.20241202.12
Page(s)	86-95
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Interactive Alignment, Continuation Task, Reading-to-Writing

References

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Xiaofang, Q., Yashu, L. (2024). A Study of Interactive Alignment in EFL Reading-to-Writing Continuation Tasks. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 12(2), 86-95. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20241202.12

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Xiaofang, Q.; Yashu, L. A Study of Interactive Alignment in EFL Reading-to-Writing Continuation Tasks. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2024, 12(2), 86-95. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20241202.12

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AMA Style

Xiaofang Q, Yashu L. A Study of Interactive Alignment in EFL Reading-to-Writing Continuation Tasks. Int J Lang Linguist. 2024;12(2):86-95. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20241202.12

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@article{10.11648/j.ijll.20241202.12,
  author = {Qian Xiaofang and Lu Yashu},
  title = {A Study of Interactive Alignment in EFL Reading-to-Writing Continuation Tasks},
  journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
  volume = {12},
  number = {2},
  pages = {86-95},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20241202.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20241202.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20241202.12},
  abstract = {The reading-to-writing continuation task has been used in the Chinese national matriculation English test due to its apparent interactive alignment effect. But empirical studies of the alignment effect and how it happens are limited. Herein, this paper reports on a study following Wang’s (2015) research to investigate whether this interactive alignment effect actually occurs in EFL learning and how it functions in continuation tasks with the think-aloud method to collect qualitative data from two participants. The participants’ continuation works were analyzed and interviews were carried out to obtain information about their thinking process. The results show that there are strong connections between what students read and their continuation writing. The results confirm that there is an alignment effect at both the content and language levels in continuation tasks. Readers consciously tend to align the content of their writing with that of the original text across five dimensions: entity (person and object), time, space, causation/causality, and motivation/intentionality. Meanwhile, language alignment is highly related to the act of rereading, which enables the would-be writer to look for the certain vocabulary, learn the grammatical structures, and check for the unknown words. The continuation task facilitates various interactions among the text, the reader, and their resulting writing work. Furthermore, learners use strategies like rereading and “mining” that enable them to engage in creative expression in the writing tasks. This study theoretically highlights the importance of alignment effect in language learning and has practical implications for using CT in reading-to-writing task design and writing pedagogy in EFL classrooms. Teachers can design and use continuation tasks to promote students’ reading ability and overall language development.},
 year = {2024}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - A Study of Interactive Alignment in EFL Reading-to-Writing Continuation Tasks
AU  - Qian Xiaofang
AU  - Lu Yashu
Y1  - 2024/04/02
PY  - 2024
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20241202.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijll.20241202.12
T2  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JF  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JO  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
SP  - 86
EP  - 95
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-0221
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20241202.12
AB  - The reading-to-writing continuation task has been used in the Chinese national matriculation English test due to its apparent interactive alignment effect. But empirical studies of the alignment effect and how it happens are limited. Herein, this paper reports on a study following Wang’s (2015) research to investigate whether this interactive alignment effect actually occurs in EFL learning and how it functions in continuation tasks with the think-aloud method to collect qualitative data from two participants. The participants’ continuation works were analyzed and interviews were carried out to obtain information about their thinking process. The results show that there are strong connections between what students read and their continuation writing. The results confirm that there is an alignment effect at both the content and language levels in continuation tasks. Readers consciously tend to align the content of their writing with that of the original text across five dimensions: entity (person and object), time, space, causation/causality, and motivation/intentionality. Meanwhile, language alignment is highly related to the act of rereading, which enables the would-be writer to look for the certain vocabulary, learn the grammatical structures, and check for the unknown words. The continuation task facilitates various interactions among the text, the reader, and their resulting writing work. Furthermore, learners use strategies like rereading and “mining” that enable them to engage in creative expression in the writing tasks. This study theoretically highlights the importance of alignment effect in language learning and has practical implications for using CT in reading-to-writing task design and writing pedagogy in EFL classrooms. Teachers can design and use continuation tasks to promote students’ reading ability and overall language development.
VL  - 12
IS  - 2
ER  -

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Author Information

Qian Xiaofang

School of Foreign Languages and Literature, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China

Contact Email
Lu Yashu

English Department, Changjun Foreign Language Experimental Middle School, Changsha, China

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APA Style

Xiaofang, Q., Yashu, L. (2024). A Study of Interactive Alignment in EFL Reading-to-Writing Continuation Tasks. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 12(2), 86-95. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20241202.12

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ACS Style

Xiaofang, Q.; Yashu, L. A Study of Interactive Alignment in EFL Reading-to-Writing Continuation Tasks. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2024, 12(2), 86-95. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20241202.12

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AMA Style

Xiaofang Q, Yashu L. A Study of Interactive Alignment in EFL Reading-to-Writing Continuation Tasks. Int J Lang Linguist. 2024;12(2):86-95. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20241202.12

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@article{10.11648/j.ijll.20241202.12,
  author = {Qian Xiaofang and Lu Yashu},
  title = {A Study of Interactive Alignment in EFL Reading-to-Writing Continuation Tasks},
  journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
  volume = {12},
  number = {2},
  pages = {86-95},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.20241202.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20241202.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.20241202.12},
  abstract = {The reading-to-writing continuation task has been used in the Chinese national matriculation English test due to its apparent interactive alignment effect. But empirical studies of the alignment effect and how it happens are limited. Herein, this paper reports on a study following Wang’s (2015) research to investigate whether this interactive alignment effect actually occurs in EFL learning and how it functions in continuation tasks with the think-aloud method to collect qualitative data from two participants. The participants’ continuation works were analyzed and interviews were carried out to obtain information about their thinking process. The results show that there are strong connections between what students read and their continuation writing. The results confirm that there is an alignment effect at both the content and language levels in continuation tasks. Readers consciously tend to align the content of their writing with that of the original text across five dimensions: entity (person and object), time, space, causation/causality, and motivation/intentionality. Meanwhile, language alignment is highly related to the act of rereading, which enables the would-be writer to look for the certain vocabulary, learn the grammatical structures, and check for the unknown words. The continuation task facilitates various interactions among the text, the reader, and their resulting writing work. Furthermore, learners use strategies like rereading and “mining” that enable them to engage in creative expression in the writing tasks. This study theoretically highlights the importance of alignment effect in language learning and has practical implications for using CT in reading-to-writing task design and writing pedagogy in EFL classrooms. Teachers can design and use continuation tasks to promote students’ reading ability and overall language development.},
 year = {2024}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - A Study of Interactive Alignment in EFL Reading-to-Writing Continuation Tasks
AU  - Qian Xiaofang
AU  - Lu Yashu
Y1  - 2024/04/02
PY  - 2024
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20241202.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijll.20241202.12
T2  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JF  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
JO  - International Journal of Language and Linguistics
SP  - 86
EP  - 95
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-0221
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20241202.12
AB  - The reading-to-writing continuation task has been used in the Chinese national matriculation English test due to its apparent interactive alignment effect. But empirical studies of the alignment effect and how it happens are limited. Herein, this paper reports on a study following Wang’s (2015) research to investigate whether this interactive alignment effect actually occurs in EFL learning and how it functions in continuation tasks with the think-aloud method to collect qualitative data from two participants. The participants’ continuation works were analyzed and interviews were carried out to obtain information about their thinking process. The results show that there are strong connections between what students read and their continuation writing. The results confirm that there is an alignment effect at both the content and language levels in continuation tasks. Readers consciously tend to align the content of their writing with that of the original text across five dimensions: entity (person and object), time, space, causation/causality, and motivation/intentionality. Meanwhile, language alignment is highly related to the act of rereading, which enables the would-be writer to look for the certain vocabulary, learn the grammatical structures, and check for the unknown words. The continuation task facilitates various interactions among the text, the reader, and their resulting writing work. Furthermore, learners use strategies like rereading and “mining” that enable them to engage in creative expression in the writing tasks. This study theoretically highlights the importance of alignment effect in language learning and has practical implications for using CT in reading-to-writing task design and writing pedagogy in EFL classrooms. Teachers can design and use continuation tasks to promote students’ reading ability and overall language development.
VL  - 12
IS  - 2
ER  -

Copy | Download