Yang M, McAllister G. 'Drawing out the Whole Picture': Positive and Gestalt Effects of Taking Sign-Based Notes on Listening Performance in Chinese ESL Classrooms.
Behav Sci (Basel) 2023;
13:bs13050395. [PMID:
37232632 DOI:
10.3390/bs13050395]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The effort to design a most ideal strategy for L2 learners to take notes in L2 (EFL/EMI/EAP) classrooms has received growing attention. However, note-taking has been repeatedly tested and reported diverging impacts on students' learning. This study investigates the effects of sign-based note-taking (SBN) with the traditional way of using pens and paper, and it features the cognitive processes of understanding and creating notes. SBN guides students to comprehend and draw a gestalt of notes using signs (i.e., icons, indices, and symbols). In a 16-week mixed study, three types of interventions-a traditional treatment, TOEFL's 'good-note guidance' (GNG), and SBN-were administered to three separate student groups, namely a control group (CG) and two experiment groups (EG1 and EG2). Pre-, post-, delayed tests, questionnaires, and post-intervention interviews were conducted and analyzed for the needs and the effects of interventions on listening performances. Findings are as follows: only EG2 achieved significantly higher performance regardless of instructor's influence, proving gestalt-based SBN an effective cognitive practice; GNG improved performance over time; students favored SBN, wanting longer-duration guidance. These results confirm that gestalt strengthens memory for L2 listening and yields pedagogical implications for L2 Listening classrooms.
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