Collaborative Syntactic Priming Activities and EFL Learners’ Production of Wh -questions
Abstract
Syntactic priming is the tendency for a speaker to produce a structure that was encountered in recent discourse and is measured by calculating how frequently speakers use the modelled structures as opposed to alternatives. Recent lab-based studies have shown that carrying out syntactic priming activities with trained interlocutors positively affects Thai EFL learners’ subsequent production of wh-questions. The current study explores whether carrying out priming activities with peers in a classroom context also facilitates subsequent production. In their integrated skills English course, Thai EFL learners (N = 42) either completed collaborative syntactic priming activities or followed the regular curriculum. Analysis of post-test data indicated that learners who carried out the priming activities subsequently produced significantly more wh-questions with supplied auxiliary verbs than learners who followed the regular curriculum. Pedagogical considerations for the use of collaborative syntactic priming activities in L2 classrooms are discussed.
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In McDonough & Chaikitmongkol's (2010) study, Thai EFL learners provided with grammatically correct primes produced significantly more of the grammatically correct alternative.
“For instance, Thai EFL learners in McDonough & Chaikitmongkol's (2010) study often alternated between two wh-question structures, one of which is grammatical (e.g.how do people damage their health?)and the other ungrammatical (e.g.how people damage their health?).The learners were provided with grammatically correct primes, which led to significantly more production of the grammatically correct”
From Interaction and instructed second language acquisition (2018) · cites this paper as McDonough & Chaikitmongkol 2010
Cites
Structural priming: A critical review.
Pickering, M. J., & Ferreira, V. S. (2008) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.134.3.427 · Cited by 1,047 · cited 1× · see citing works
“(For an overview of structural priming, see Pickering and Ferreira, 2008.)”
BackgroundThe effectiveness of corrective feedback in SLA: A meta-analysis
Li, S. (2010) · Language Learning · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9922.2010.00561.x · Cited by 941 · see citing works
Legislation by Hypothesis: The Case of Task-Based Instruction
Swan, M. (2005) · Applied Linguistics · doi:10.1093/applin/ami013 · Cited by 481 · see citing works
Issues in Teachers' Reinterpretation of a Task-Based Innovation in Primary Schools
Carless, D. (2004) · TESOL Quarterly · doi:10.2307/3588283 · Cited by 464 · see citing works
SYNTACTIC PRIMING AND ESL QUESTION DEVELOPMENT
McDonough, K., & Mackey, A. (2008) · Studies in Second Language Acquisition · doi:10.1017/s0272263108080029 · Cited by 137 · see citing works
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Interaction and instructed second language acquisition
Loewen, S., & Sato, M. (2018) · Language Teaching · doi:10.1017/s0261444818000125 · Cited by 377 · see citing works
Eliciting Production of L2 Target Structures through Priming Activities
McDonough, K., Neumann, H., & Trofimovich, P. (2015) · The Canadian Modern Language Review · doi:10.3138/cmlr.2023 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Quantity and Quality of Language Practice in Typical Interactive Pair/Group Tasks
Collins, L., & White, J. (2015) · TESL Canada Journal · doi:10.18806/tesl.v31i0.1186 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
- Authors
- McDonough, K., & Chaikitmongkol, W.
- ORCID
- McDonough, Kim
- Venue
- The Canadian Modern Language Review
- Published
- 2010-12
- Volume
- 66
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 817-841
- ISSN
- 0008-4506 (ISSN-L)
- 1710-1131
- OpenAlex
- W1970973705
- Cited by
- 50
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 14.08
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Canadian Modern Language Review/ La Revue canadienne des langues vivantes (publishedVersion)
- Project Muse (Johns Hopkins University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Second Language Acquisition and Learning
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › Linguistics and Language Analysis
- Keywords
- syntactic priming, wh-questions, EFL learners, cooperative learning, peer interaction, auxiliary verbs, Thai learners of English, second language production
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