36.1098, Reviews: The COLT Observation Scheme: Zagitova (2025)

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LINGUIST List: Vol-36-1098. Wed Apr 02 2025. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 36.1098, Reviews: The COLT Observation Scheme:  Zagitova (2025)

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Date: 27-Mar-2025
From: Karina Zagitova [kz337 at nau.edu]
Subject: Language Acquisition: Zagitova (2025)


Book announced at https://linguistlist.org/issues/35-2439

Title: The COLT Observation Scheme
Subtitle: Digital versions and updated research applications. Second
revised edition
Series Title: Language Learning & Language Teaching   60
Publication Year: 2024

Publisher: John Benjamins
           http://www.benjamins.com/
Book URL: https://benjamins.com/catalog/lllt.60

Author(s): Nina Spada

Reviewer: Karina Zagitova

SUMMARY
This book, “The COLT Observation Scheme,” was written by Nina Spada
and edited by Nina Spada and Laura Gurzynski-Weiss. It is the second
edition of the original book about the COLT Observation Scheme,
published in 1995. The second edition is supplemented with a new
chapter on digital COLT and updated research applications of COLT in
different L2 contexts.
The first chapter introduces the Communicative Orientation of Language
Teaching (COLT) Observation Scheme as an instrument for teachers, both
novice and experienced, and researchers. This scheme is used to
describe teaching and learning practices in L2 classrooms and is
rooted in theories of CLT and SLA research. The chapter provides a
brief overview of the history of the COLT scheme and offers a
rationale for the second edition of the book. It further explains the
reasoning behind the development of the COLT scheme and highlights how
the growing enthusiasm for Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in
North America and the United Kingdom motivated the authors to create a
unified classroom observation scheme. The COLT scheme aims to capture
what occurs in communicative language classrooms for empirical
research, assess the actual implementation of CLT in various contexts,
and evaluate its impact on learning outcomes. In addition, the chapter
discusses how the COLT scheme has contributed to a better
understanding of the complexity and variety of instructional events in
L2 classrooms. Moreover, it justifies the use of the scheme’s
categories and states that they are based on L2 communicative research
and possess psycholinguistic validity. The chapter offers a brief
overview of research conducted since the COLT scheme was introduced to
the public and provides several major findings obtained using the COLT
scheme. The final part of the chapter addresses the subjectivity of
the COLT scheme and discusses contexts in which the scheme might not
be applicable.
Chapter 2, “Category description and rationale,” explains the
difference between the scheme’s Part A and Part B and its components.
It provides definitions and theoretical motivation rooted in L2
research for all the main features of the scheme. This rationale helps
readers, especially novice researchers and university students,
understand why these particular categories were chosen. To further
explain the categories, the chapter provides clear category
descriptions that leave no room for ambiguous interpretation. For
example, the authors use a quantitative approach to categorize the
amount of speech into three categories: ultraminimal (one- or two-word
speech fragments), minimal (more phrases longer than two words, one or
two main clauses or sentences), and sustained (at least three main
clauses). Additionally, for the first time in the book, the chapter
visually presents the COLT scheme’s Part A and Part B. All in all,
clear and detailed descriptions, coupled with the rationale behind
each category, make it easy to understand the COLT scheme's
classifications.
Chapter 3, “Part A: Coding Conventions,” provides a detailed
description of all the categories of the COLT Observation Scheme Part
A. The coding conventions are presented in the order they are given in
the scheme, beginning with the first column on the left. The coding of
Part A happens in real-time while an observer or observers are present
in the room or watching the lesson from an audio or video recording.
Although the conventions for coding are described in detail, the
chapter remains concise and not overly lengthy. This chapter provides
details of what is considered an activity and an episode and describes
each term used in Part A of the scheme with examples from L2 lessons.
Overall, this chapter clearly explains how to code Part A in a manner
that can be understood by educators without previous experience with
COLT.
In Chapter 4, "Part B: Coding conventions," the categories of the COLT
Observation Scheme Part B are described in detail. The chapter
consists of three parts: an overview of coding conventions, an
explanation of the specific coding procedures for each of the major
features of Part B and their categories, and excerpts from the
classroom transcripts. The first part of the chapter introduces Part
B, with its 7 main communicative features, and explains how to match
it with activities and episodes coded in part A. The second part of
the chapter is devoted to a detailed description of each category and
its features with examples from real classrooms. Throughout the
chapter, readers can practice coding procedures and check their
answers in the key section. The last part of the chapter contains
excerpts from transcripts of communicatively-oriented L2 classrooms
that have been coded according to part B's categories. All in all, the
chapter provides a comprehensive explanation of all the categories in
Part B and attempts to shed some light on the moments when coding can
be difficult; examples and exercises provide valuable assistance.
In Chapter 5, "Analyzing the data," guidelines for the collection,
analysis, and synthesis of the coded data are presented. The chapter
gives additional information about data collection, supplementing the
information from Chapters 3 and 4, providing extra tips such as how to
take notes, how to record a class, and how many people should code the
data. The chapter delves deep into the calculations for things that
might be challenging to calculate: exclusive/primary focus, a
combination of focuses, and double coding. After the explanations,
readers are presented with practical exercises to reinforce and apply
what they've learned. Toward the end of the chapter, a new
computer-based numerical approach is described for coding, analyzing,
and synthesizing Part B. This approach allows researchers to quickly
calculate numbers using computer applications for further research
purposes.
Chapter 6, "Digital COLT (Part A)," by Hiroki Ishuzuka, offers several
practical guides on how to use different digital applications to
collect, analyze, and share data for Part A of the COLT scheme. The
chapter begins with an introduction to CollaVOD, a platform designed
for semi-automatic analysis of language classroom videos using Part A
of the COLT Observation scheme. The author discusses the benefits of
this digital approach over the traditional pen-and-paper coding
approach, and the features of the innovative platform, and provides
clear step-by-step instructions on how to access a similar platform in
English and how to code COLT Part A using this platform. Next, the
chapter introduces Mobile COLT, a platform that automates certain
parts of the coding process and presents results visually through
infographics. Finally, the most recent version of the digital COLT
scheme, the Automatic COLT, is discussed with all its functions and
A.I. capabilities for automatic coding. The chapter provides a
rationale for adopting the digital COLT scheme, the main features and
functions of Automatic COLT, and step-by-step visual instructions.
This chapter concludes with a discussion of the advances and potential
of digital COLT.
Chapter 6, "Using COLT in Research,"  brings together contributions
from international authors who applied the COLT scheme in their
studies. It presents 12 empirical studies that employed COLT Part A,
COLT Part B, or both as measurement instruments. The chapter opens
with six research summaries from the book's first edition published in
1995. The second section highlights six recent studies that applied
the COLT Observation Scheme: three used the traditional pen-and-paper
method, while the other three implemented digital COLT. It concludes
with two research briefs that outline future plans for digital COLT
usage. The chapter explores real-world research questions that the
COLT scheme can address, discusses categories that challenge
researchers, shares limitations encountered during the scheme's
application, and proposes modifications to address specific research
questions. Furthermore, it details how to establish category
reliability and highlights the benefits of using digital COLT and AI
for coding. The insights provided on how the COLT scheme can address
specific research inquiries serve as valuable guidance for novice
researchers looking to utilize the scheme.
EVALUATION
In this short and well-written book, Nina Spada updates the COLT
Observation Scheme for the 21st century by presenting digital
adaptations of the scheme and describing how technological
advancements have facilitated the processes of collecting, coding,
analyzing, and synthesizing classroom data. The book follows a logical
structure: it begins with the rationale behind the creation of the
observation scheme and then moves on to present the categories of the
scheme. This foundation is further strengthened by references to
second language acquisition theory, which justifies the content and
design of the scheme. The chapters on coding conventions are
particularly valuable because they serve as a clear and practical
guide for those who intend to use the scheme. Each category is
well-defined and comprehensively covers the core aspects of an L2
lesson. The second edition now includes a new chapter on digital COLT,
which explains how technology, such as AI, streamlines the
labor-intensive coding process and automates certain aspects. The
concluding chapter on COLT's application in research could be
particularly beneficial for graduate students and early-career
researchers, as it highlights the research questions that COLT can
address and the types of research in which COLT can be effectively
utilized.
Spada’s book succeeds in fulfilling its purpose as a reliable and
accessible resource for its intended audience of language teachers and
SLA researchers. It is equally insightful for language researchers and
graduate students curious about adopting the scheme. Furthermore, the
book is a resource for those interested in digital COLT since it
offers step-by-step instructions on how new technologies can
facilitate the use of the scheme. These instructions are often
accompanied by illustrative photos that enhance clarity and
practicality. The book’s greatest strength lies in its practical
advice on the scheme implementation, which can be found in every
chapter. Spada provides detailed, actionable suggestions that
contribute to the user-friendliness of the scheme. For instance, she
includes tips on where to position a microphone during classroom
recordings or how an observer can take notes effectively in real time.
These minor details make the book an essential resource for anyone who
seeks to apply the scheme.
The book also balances theoretical depth and practical application. It
effectively connects innovative theoretical research with consistent
organization, especially in its presentation of empirical studies that
used COLT in Chapter 7. To fulfill its pedagogical goals, the book
offers discussion questions and practical exercises that can stimulate
critical engagement in graduate-level SLA courses. These questions not
only reinforce the book’s content but also encourage readers to
reflect on the broader implications of classroom observation in SLA
research.
Despite the numerous benefits of the COLT, the observation scheme
might be less applicable to certain contexts and research questions.
The author states that for a detailed discourse analysis of the
interactions between teachers and students or ethnographic research in
classrooms, another method of coding and analyzing classroom data is
recommended. However, it may not always be obvious to novice
researchers whether the COLT scheme is appropriate for their research.
For this reason, I would recommend that they first familiarize
themselves with the category descriptions in Chapter 2 and the ways
COLT can be applied to research in Chapter 7 before getting into
details about coding conventions and data analysis in Chapters 3, 4,
and 5. A question I had while reading the book was how to establish
inter-rater reliability. It is mentioned several times in the book
that it is of extreme importance, but there are no guidelines on what
exactly should be done if raters disagree. Only Chapter 7 offers
practical solutions for inter-rater reliability, drawing on real
research practices.
In sum, Nina Spada’s volume is an indispensable resource for anyone
interested in L2 classroom observation. It met and even exceeded my
expectations, offering valuable insights that deepened my
understanding of the COLT Observation Scheme. Whether for language
teachers, researchers, or graduate students, this book is a
significant contribution to the field of SLA and classroom research.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Karina Zagitova is an MA student in Applied Linguistics and TEFL at
Northern Arizona University, where she also teaches Critical Reading
and Writing. Karina’s current research interests include foreign
language assessment, with a focus on the application of quantitative
approaches to analyzing proficiency and language performance. She is
particularly interested in exploring the impact of rater bias and
differential item functioning within language testing.



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