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Advancing research in second language writing through computational tools and machine learning techniques: A research agenda

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2013

Scott A. Crossley
Scott A. Crossley*
Affiliation:
Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, [email protected]
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Abstract

This paper provides an agenda for replication studies focusing on second language (L2) writing and the use of natural language processing (NLP) tools and machine learning algorithms. Specifically, it introduces a range of the available NLP tools and machine learning algorithms and demonstrates how these could be used to replicate seminal studies in L2 writing that concentrate on longitudinal writing development, predicting essay quality, examining differences between L1 and L2 writers, the effects of writing topics, and the effects of writing tasks. The paper concludes with implications for the recommended replication studies in the field of L2 writing and the advantages of using NLP tools and machine learning algorithms.

Type
Thinking Allowed
Information
Language Teaching , Volume 46 , Issue 2 , April 2013 , pp. 256 - 271
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013

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