L2 Morphosyntactic Development in Text-Based Computer-Mediated Communication

It has been claimed that CMC represents an ideal environment for promoting L2 development. Previous findings have shown the use of more complex structures in the target language in elec-tronic versus face-to-face environments (e.g., Beauvois, 1992; Kelm, 1992; Kern, 1995; Warschauer, 1996a,b). The present study compares the effect of pedagogical tasks implemented in synchronous face-to-face tasks versus text-based computer mediated communication. The target grammatical feature is the development of past tense verbal endings in Spanish as a second language. The analysis reveals that the first signs of change in developmental stages of morphosyntactic development are more clearly identified in the computer based interaction task than in the face-to-face oral task. It is, thus, possible that aspectual distinctions marked through morphosyntactic means are made more salient in a written interactional format that maintains the functional focus of typical on-line face-to-face exchanges.