Noticing and uptake: Addressing pre-articulated covert problems in L2 writing

The assumption underlying research on feedback is that, in writing, feedback is something provided for what actually shows up in the learner's text. However, a new dimension may need to be added to the debate in light of the Noticing Hypothesis, the Output Hypothesis, and the emerging evidence on what L2 learners actually notice as they produce output and receive input. Noticing may occur not just when learners produce output in an observable form, but also when they stop short of articulating their meaning or form, which results in “covert problems.” Delving into issues discussed in the rest of the contributions to the special issue, and using a multistage writing task, the current study investigated (1) overt and covert problems that Japanese university EFL learners experience as they produce written output, (2) the extent to which they notice their solutions and incorporate them in their subsequent revisions, and (3) the differential roles that a model text and reformulations may play in these processes. The results revealed that the participants spontaneously noticed solutions to both overt and covert problems and incorporated them in their revisions. The two types of feedback texts were found to play somewhat different roles, as the model text included solutions to overt and covert problems roughly equally, while reformulations offered solutions overwhelmingly to overt problems. Theoretical and pedagogical implications are discussed based on these findings.

► Learners’ noticed problems did not always show up in their written output.
► Learners noticed solutions to covert problems and used them in their revisions.
► Noticing and uptake for overt and covert problems were roughly equivalent.
► The model text provided more solutions to covert problems than the reformulations.
► The reformulations offered solutions to an overwhelming majority of overt problems.