11022

11022

Refereed Paper with Presentation

**Effects of Computer-mediated Communication on Japanese EFL Learners' Development of English Proficiency**
Yumiko Abe, University of Community Service and Science, Sakata, Yamagata, Japan, yellowcarrot3@yahoo.co.jp

This study has attempted to address much of the research on Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) in the Japanese EFL context on the use of face-to-face and synchronous computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) to enhance subsequent asynchronous CSCL. This study examined the strength of connection between CMC and pragmatic instruction by measuring the effects of online chat and traditional face-to-face discussion on the acquisition of disagreement strategies in English. The results of the lexical complexity measurement, unlike the t-unit measurement, showed that chat groups produced more complex sentences. Although there was only a marginally significant difference, chat groups developed slightly better syntax than F2F groups. This study makes significant contributions to the field of second language acquisition and establishes the usefulness of chat in EFL instruction: CMC is a tool that can be useful for promoting collaboration. Therefore, integrating synchronous CMC into the classroom of Japanese EFL may enhance learners’ pragmatic development in the target language.

All Audiences asynchronous CSCL