Promoting Learning Potential among Students of L2 Chinese through Dynamic Assessment

In Dynamic Assessment (DA), the observation that individuals respond differently to support, or mediation, is important for diagnoses of development. The concept of learning potential refers to openness to mediation, i.e., the extent of change to performance when mediation is available, which may suggest learners will need less overall instruction to develop. The current study investigates this prediction and the premise that aligning DA mediation with learner needs promotes development. Mediation, as a systematic interactional process, is more likely to appropriately identify learner needs that are sensitive to future development. Thirty-four secondary school learners of L2 Chinese participating in a two-month study abroad in China completed narration tasks following an instructional intervention, one group receiving DA mediation and the other explicit feedback. The bα (把)-construction, recognized as particularly challenging for learners of Chinese, was the focal language feature. Analysis revealed significant differences, with the group receiving DA mediation showing greater improvement with mediation and more accuracy during independent functioning.