穨Review. Pdf

Figure 4.4 Inter-group Comparisons of Non-verbal Communicative Competence 
4.1.5 Results of the Monthly Achievement Tests 
The scores of the three school-wide monthly examinations were analyzed 
through the Independent Samples Test to compare the inter-group differences.
Table 4.15 Independent Samples Test of 3 Monthly Achievement Tests 
Monthly 
Examinations 
Exp 
Control MD 
n 
t 
p 
1
st
63.28 
60.71 
2.57 
35 
.29 
.77 
2
nd
74.42 
72.62 
1.80 
35 
.26 
.79 
3
rd
71.28 
63.37 
7.91 
35 
1.16 
.24 

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As shown in Table 4.15, the control group did not perform significantly better 
than the experimental group on the structure-based achievement tests throughout the 
three school monthly examinations (p > .05). Actually, the mean score of the 
experimental group was higher than the control group on the first and the third 
examination. The mean differences of the first and the second monthly 
examinations between the two groups were less than three points (2.57 on the first 
monthly examination and 1.80 on the second one). But the experimental group 
scored 7.91 more than the control group on the third monthly examination. That is 
to say, the experimental group performed as well as the control group on the 
structure-based written achievement tests. 
4.1.6 Results of Rater Interview 
For the purpose of triangulation, the eight raters who evaluated the oral 
performance in this study were interviewed individually for their opinions about the 
inter- and intra-group comparisons of the two groups. Right after they turned in the 
scoring sheets of the oral performance on the post-test, the eight raters were 
interviewed individually for their comments and comparisons on the students’ oral 
performance. There were two major categories that these raters reflected upon.
The first category fell into the observation of the non-verbal features that the students 
displayed. The second category belonged to the students’ reaction to communication 
breakdown. 
4.1.6.1 Non-verbal Oral Communicative Competence 
The results from the rater interview were presented from the raters’ comments on 
the control group first. There were two major concerns about the control group.
The first one was about the non-verbal aspects of communicative competence, which 
included eye contact, smile, and appropriate conversational distance. The raters 
thought that the students’ performance tended to be rather rigid and unfriendly due to 

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lack of smile, eye contact, and appropriate conversational distance. Here are some 
of the excerpts
19
of their recollection: 
l They [control group] were definitely worse than their pre-test 
performance. I liked their pre-test performance much better than 
this one. They were able to smile spontaneously last time [pre-test].
Why did they become so nervous this time? It seemed to me that 
they were not talking to their friends, but to their enemies. Why 
didn’t they at least show some smiles to their partners? (Ms. 
Wang) 
l They were more lively and spontaneous in the pre-test. How come 
they became so rigid and they looked like they were reciting rather 
than talking to someone? They hardly looked at their partners. It 
seemed to me that they were talking to their feet instead of talking to 
human beings. (Ms. Cheng) 
l They gave me the feeling that they were very, very nervous. Even 
more nervous than when they were in their pre-test. There was 
hardly any eye contact during their performance in the post-test.
(Ms. Chuang) 
l I am very surprised to see that they were so tense and unnatural 
while talking to their partners. They were not this nervous last 
time [pre-test]. Their nervousness made me very uneasy. (Ms. 
Lee) 
l Why did they stand so far away from each other? Why? Did 
their classmates bite? (Ms. Hsu)
19
The interview was done in Chinese. The excerpts were translated into English by the researcher. 

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l They stood so far away as if they were eager to say good-bye to their