Chapter 4. Do task repetition and pretask focus on form instruction impact collaborative writing performance?

Abstract

This study examines the influence of task repetition (TR) and pretask focus on form instruction (FFI) on written collaborative production. Eighty-five low-proficiency EFL children carried out a dictogloss task twice: one targeting the 3rd person singular present “‑s”, and the other aiming at the possessive determiners “his/her”. Participants were divided into three different conditions: individual, collaborative, and pretask FFI + collaborative. Their written output was analyzed for complexity and accuracy, and overall text quality was gauged with an analytic rubric. The results did not reveal an advantage for the collaborative groups over the individuals. However, TR and collaboration increased grammatical accuracy while pretask FFI appeared to foster more accurate use of the target forms. Pedagogical and research implications are discussed.