Text-Based SCMC for English Learners in Korean High School Classrooms

This study explores the use of text-based synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) to provide Korean high school students with opportunities for productive interaction in English. The researcher analyzed the identified key features of text-based SCMC that are beneficial to English learners through a mixed method analysis of linguistic data from spoken proficiency tests, online chats, and interviews with participants. The findings determined that three linguistic features of text-based SCMC were related to fluency, accuracy, and affective aspects. First, the mean scores of the total number of words, clauses, and analysis of speech-act units in the proficiency tests showed an increase. The students also highlighted the advantage of simple but frequent utterances to produce complete sentences. Second, the mean scores of the total number of errors decreased, while the percentage of error-free clauses did not increase. However, the students demonstrated how they took opportunities to reflect on their language on screen. Furthermore, they engaged in a conversational flow with grammatical errors and limited vocabularies. Finally, the students showed a willingness to communicate in English and a sense of control over the conversation. The findings suggest that text-based SCMC can enhance low- to high-level students’ spoken proficiency in English both inside and outside the classroom.