Reformulation: the cognitive conflict and L2 learning it generates

This paper provides evidence of the role of cognitive conflict in the process of learning a second language. Twelve grade 7 French immersion students participated in a multi-stage task that provided them with the opportunity to discuss the reformulation of a text they had written. Through a pre-test and post-test design, it is demonstrated that the reformulation of the students’ own writing, an opportunity to notice the changes, and a subsequent stimulated recall provided opportunities for learning: they presented the students with cognitive conflicts that prompted the students to articulate differences between the two texts and discuss the reformulation. The students were also interviewed, which provided insights into their own learning experiences.