Hong, Cheong Hin (Wilson);
(2025)
Examining the Impact of Writing Errors on Processing, Comprehension,
Acceptability and Error Identification: The Case of Cantonese English-as-a-Foreign-Language Learners.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Since the inception of English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) curricula, researchers have grappled with selecting teaching content, constrained by limited class time. In writing pedagogy, teaching based on L2 errors led to studies ‘ranking’ errors by their impact on communication, but findings remained inconclusive. Issues in error selections, error-impact constructs, investigation methods, sampled participants and absence of theorisation contributed to this (Eisenstein, 1983; Rifkin & Roberts, 1995). Considering the multifaceted nature of error impact and pitfalls, this thesis examined the effect of six types of ‘global/local’ written syntactic errors on processing, comprehension, acceptability and error identification of L1 English and Cantonese EFL readers. With a theory-driven design, 82 participants were recruited in multi-stage material validations. Then, 31 Macao EFL and 31 L1 English participants joined an eye-tracking and survey experiment. Seventeen measures evaluating eye movements, comprehension, acceptability and error identification provided a comprehensive understanding of error impacts, L1-L2 differences and measurement associations. Results of mixed-effects models indicated that errors generally affected processing, comprehension and acceptability, but global errors were not always more impactful than local ones. However, dissociations were found among most of the constructs, while high association was only noted between acceptability and error identification. Comparisons between L1 and L2 indicated errors impacted L1 readers more in processing, acceptability and error identification, but not comprehension. Participants’ familiarity with errors appeared to affect their ratings and cause the L1-L2 differences. Crucially, findings falsified the common assumption that ‘communication impact’ could be assessed with indirect measurements such as perceptual ratings and error identification, prompting re-evaluations of the research strand. Equally vital, the multiple-measurement approach confirmed the impracticality of ranking errors by their impact, recommending instead labelling error impact broadly as ‘high/moderate/low’. The breadth and depth of the investigation provide valuable insights to advance theories, inform writing pedagogy and enlighten the path for future research.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Examining the Impact of Writing Errors on Processing, Comprehension, Acceptability and Error Identification: The Case of Cantonese English-as-a-Foreign-Language Learners |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2025. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Culture, Communication and Media |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10203889 |
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