Report by Yoonseo, Kim (Department of Second Language Studies)
My research investigates the writing processes of first language Korean speakers as they complete graph-based writing tasks with differing levels of graph complexity. More specifically, the study examines how participants interpret visual information and transform it into written English, with a particular focus on the cognitive and behavioral processes involved during writing. The purpose of my fieldwork was to conduct dissertation data collection in South Korea.
I traveled from Hawai‘i to South Korea and recruited South Korean participants through a university computer lab. Two research methods were used: eye tracking and keystroke logging. Eye tracking captured how participants attended to and processed visual information from graphs. Keystroke logging was used to record participants’ writing behaviors in real time, including pauses, revisions, and typing patterns throughout the writing process. Together, these methods provide detailed insights into how second language writers plan, revise, and monitor their writing while interacting with graphical information.
The support from the CALL Uehiro Program made this fieldwork possible and played an important role in developing my dissertation project. I was able not only to collect the data needed for my study but also to gain practical experience conducting experimental sessions using eye tracking and keystroke logging equipment. The data collected in South Korea will serve as a key part of my dissertation and contribute to a better understanding of second language writing processes in graph-based tasks.
