BonPatronPro to the rescue

Transcription

1 OMLTA H2 General Gr Room: Aurora BonPatronPro to the rescue Online help for those perpetual written errors for students AND teachers Maria Gauthier Saturday March 31, :45 11:45

2 Workshop description Second language writers improve with practice and frequent feedback. The online BonPatron grammar and spell check program ( puts the responsibility on students to make their own corrections and learn from their mistakes.

3 General overview of workshop Introduction to BonPatron Pro version Action Research Exploiting the tool

4 Introduction to BonPatron Why BonPatron? What is BonPatron? What does it look like? How does it work? What it cannot do?

5 Why Bon Patron? A time-efficient means of providing linguistic feedback on compositions; teacher can spend time on other aspects of writing Students make their own corrections Better than MS Word Easy-to-use Free version accessible Created by language instructors over a decade ago and is constantly improving

6 What is Bon Patron? Instructional editing tool Flags common morpho-syntactic and orthographic errors Gives feedback (metalinguistic corrective feedback) Highlighted errors (in red) and concerns (in yellow) Metalinguistic feedback (an explanation of what the mistake is and how to correct it) Provides an example of correct usage Puts the responsibility on the student (pedagogical) writers get feedback, make sense of it and correct work (real-time feedback) individualized

7 What does it look like? (in English)

8 What does it look like? (in French)

9 How does it work? Youtube videos BonPatronPlus (French language checker) SpellCheckPlus (English language checker) SpanishCheckPlus (Spanish language checker)

10 What it cannot do? The program is limited to flag mainly morphosyntactical, spelling and common lexical mistakes made by Anlgophone students (linguistic aspects of writing) It cannot flag discursive and semantic aspects of writing Reformulate more appropriate ways of expressing ideas Semantic issues (word appropriateness) Pragmatics (context; message; referential) Text appropriateness (appropriates of task types) Complex sentence structures can be problematic (ex. S-V agreement when separated by several words/clauses)

11 Pro version Features Free vs Pro versions Summary of errors Grammar exercises Archive (for student and teacher) Teacher account

12 Free vs Pro versions Free (Advertising) Pro (~$13/yr) & school subscriptions: $199/30 students: $249/30 lab machines ipad/iphone/android app/fr/bonpatron-mobile/id Large resizable window Grammar exercises 200word limit No length restrictions verb conjugator, dictionary, synonyms Error summaries Archive of past texts (writing portfolio)

13 Pro version

14 Summary of errors: Categories Punctuation Spelling Agreement Word choice Word form Word order

15 Summary of errors: example Your Mark:? 19% (number of words: 149) (condensed summary) Agreement deux frère. You need to add an S to make the noun plural, par ex.: mes amis. grammar exercises petit maison The adjective should be feminine, e.g.: la petite maison. grammar exercises Word choice au Chine Before feminine countries, use à la or en, e.g.: on voyage en France. grammar exercises est 40 ans When expressing age, the verb avoir + ans must be used, e.g.: I am fifteen years old = j'ai quinze ans. grammar exercises Word form a resté This verb takes auxiliary être in the past tense, e.g.: He stayed until 9 o'clock = il est resté jusqu'à 9h. grammar exercises Paul et maintenant Please check: et ( and ) or est ( is ). beaucoup des jours Expressions of quantity are followed by the preposition de, e.g.: il y a beaucoup de personnes (except when the noun is specific, e.g.: beaucoup des gens que je connais). Word order ont nous The pronoun should come before the auxiliary, e.g.: Marie lui a parlé Sugg. Gram. Exercises Based on errors made by writer

16 Grammar exercises: agreement

17 Grammar exercises: word form

18 Grammar exercises: word form

19 Grammar exercises: word choice

20 Teacher archive of student texts

21 Archives January 24, 2011 at 11:03 view; Errors: 43; Your Mark:: 61; e 5 octobre 1960 Chère Mama, Comment-ça va? C'est une semaine depuis Papa est mort. Les policiers ont trouvé son corps sous un train; Papa s'e... January 24, 2011 at 11:03 view; Errors: 30; Your Mark:: 73; Le 5 octobre 1960 Chère Mama, Comment-ça va? C'est une semaine depuis Papa est mort. Les policiers ont trouvé son corps sous un train; Papa s'... January 24, 2011 at 11:03 view; Errors: 28; Your Mark:: 75; Le 5 octobre 1960 Chère Mama, Comment-ça va? C'est une semaine depuis Papa est mort. Les policiers ont trouvé son corps sous un train; Papa s'... March 14, 2011 at 08:07 view; Errors: 31; Your Mark:: 58; Le 29 octobre 2010 Cher journal, Toute la journeé, j'ai réfléchi au sujet de Monsieur Ibrahaim car il est un homme bizarre. R... March 14, 2011 at 13:05 view; Errors: 31; Your Mark:: 72; le 5 octobre 1960 Chère Mama, Comment-ça va? C'est une semaine depuis Papa est mort. Les policiers ont trouvé son corps sous u

22 Action Research (AR) Research question Types of corrective feedback Literature review Method Findings Discussion Implications

23 AR: Question How does using the web-based grammar and spell check program BonPatronPro enhance the cognitive engagement and achievement of senior level students editing of, and the linguistic accuracy of, their written French?

24 AR: Corrective feedback research Direct teacher makes the corrections MS Word auto-correct Indirect (guides learners to reflect on language) Underlining/highlighting Metalinguistic (source of information that permits learners to reflect on and analyse the language) Negative evidence (error) vs. positive evidence (examples) Develops self-repair skills and raises awareness

25 AR: Method 8 compositions (6 formative; 2 summative) Each composition Typed and verified Edited using BP feedback Read error summary Reflected on error summary Wrote a reflection (writing journal)

26 AR: Data collection and analysis Data read over two ways: 1. Focused on each participant looking at all data sets for that individual 2. Focused on each data set individually looking for trends

27 AR: Findings (1) Considerable progress (N=4) Wrote 6 compositions and verified each compositions ~ 7 times Wrote 6 reflections (~ 100 words/reflection) noting specific grammar points and outlining objectives for future compositions Positive results in all three aspects of progress (2) Moderate progress (N=4) Inconsistencies in number of: compositions/reflections words written in compositions and/or reflections number of times comps. Verified (3) Limited progress (N=3) Error analysis same errors made Strong student wrote the minimum Weak student wrote too much (overwhelming) Weak student did little work

28 AR: Underlying processes (definitions) Interlanguage: Learner s emerging linguistic system as they move toward becoming fully proficient in the target language (Selinker, 1972). Errors are a direct manifestation of a system within which a learner is operating reflecting the interlanguage competence of the learner (Brown, 1994). Negative Evidence: input that lets the learner know that a particular form is not acceptable according to target language norms (Mitchell & Myles, 1994, p.16). Direct metalinguistic feedback: a source of information that permits the learner to reflect and analyse the language (Richards, Platt & Platt, 1992). Fossilization: when the L2 learner seems unable to get rid of non-native-like structures in their L2 despite abundant linguistic input over many years. Plateau effect: phenomenon when students reach a plateau in their L2 development preventing them from further progress.

29 AR: Definitions (cont.) Consciousness raising: when features of the target language are salient and noticeable by the language learner. Noticing the gap: cognitive process where the learner s working memory temporarily holds the input to potentially be integrated into the learner s long-term memory (Schmidt, 1990). Languaging: using language to mediate cognitive activity (meta-talk), which leads to restructuring knowledge. Intake: reorganization of long-term knowledge stored in the learners interlanguage system (Schmidt, 1994).

30 AR: Implications Maximizing effectiveness of corrective written feedback in the classroom writing FREQUENTLY + writing a sufficient QUANTITY = output feedback cognitive conflict reflection intake change in interlanguage (restructuring knowledge) Keep in mind challenges high proficiency students need feedback (negative evidence) to avoid: plateau effect (temporary leveling off of progress) fossilization (L2 system frozen/stuck in deviant stage). low proficiency students need to focus on specific feedback (consciousness raising and noticing the gap) to avoid: feeling overwhelmed getting discouraged.

31 AR: Model for writing process

32 AR: Discussion Optimal process for using BonPatronPro. Students compositions (output) reflect their language level at that moment (interlanguage). feedback (positive and negative evidence) generates a cognitive conflict (consciousness raising and/or noticing). Written reflections about gaps in their writing (languaging) help generate a change (intake) in subsequent composition (output). Moderate progress transpired when the writer engaged perfunctorily in the cycle or did not complete some steps in the cycle.

33 Ideas for exploiting the resource FoF instruction (writing focusing on particular grammar points) Homework Compositions Dictations Dictaglosses Texts for presentations (as scaffold for speaking) Writing portfolio and reflections

34 For more information Ambrosio, L. (2009). BonPatron (review). Canadian Modern Language Review, 65(4), Brown, H. (1987). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall. Burston, J. (2008). BonPatron: An online spelling, grammar, and expression checker. CALICO Journal, 25 (2), pp Cordier-Gauthier, Dion, C., & Dion, C. (2006). La correction et la révision de l écrit en français langue seconde: médiation humaine, médiation informatique. ALSIC, 6 (1), Ellis, R. (2008). The study of second language acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

35 Green, K. (2010). BonPatron: timely and specific feedback for FSL writers, Reflexions, 29 (1), 28. Hamel, M-J. (2008). BonPatron: Compte rendu. Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 11 (2), Heift, T. (2004). Corrective feedback and learner uptake in CALL, ReCALL, 16 (2), Mitchell, R., & Myles, F. (1998/2004). Second Language Learning Theories. London: Hodder Arnold. Nadasdi, T., & Sinclair, S. (2007). Anything I can do, CPU can do better: A comparison of human and computer grammar correction for L2 writing using BonPatron.com. from tnadasdi/dublin.htm

36 Schmidt, R. (1990). The role of consciousness in second language acquisition. Applied Linguistics, 11 (1), Selinger, L. (1972). Interlanguage. International Review of Applied Linguistics, 10, Svalberg, A. (2009). Engagement with language: interrogating a construct. Language Awareness, 18 (3), van Compernolle, R. A. (2009). Review of Bon Patron: An online spelling, grammar, and expression checker. Journal of French Language Studies, 19,