A Solution to the Dilemma of Writing in a Foreign Language: Adaptive Mentorship

Abstract

This study exami ned the effect of Adaptive Mentorship on the development of intermediate L2 learners' writing ability. At the outset of the study, the participants filled in two self-confidence and writing attitude questionnaires and placed themselves in the right cells on the D- (protege’s developmental level) and A- (mentor’s adaptive required to response) grids of the AM model . They were also required to judge themselves in the form of short reports in terms of self-confidence, writing attitude, and writing competence so that the researcher could classify them more accurately into different groups regarding the above constructs. Finally, a test of writing was administered to the participants to measure their writing ability prior to the treatment. At the end of the 4 month treatment period, which was intended to provide both psychological support and instruction on writing in line with each student’s needs following a more individualized approach, the two questionnaires and the D- and A- grids were filled by the participants again. They were also given a writing posttest on the same topic as the pretest. A comparison of the initial and final results revealed that the student writers had made statistically significant improvements in terms of self-confidence, their attitude to writing in a foreign language, and competence in L2 writing.