Abstract
<p style="text-align:justify">Revision constitutes an important component of the writing process that integrates text interpretation, reflection, and production. Although previous studies have offered useful insights into the revision behaviour of L2 writers at different levels of proficiency using off-line measures, little is known about the online processes of revision. In this study, I used keystroke logging to investigate longitudinal changes in the revision processes of postgraduate and undergraduate students in the context of an intensive English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program. Twenty-five postgraduate and 14 undergraduate students participated in this study. The keystroke logging program Inputlog was used during two essay writing sessions at the beginning and at the end of the course to observe how the participants revise their essays and to get insights into their on-line writing processes. Keystroke logging data were coded in terms of the orientation and location of revisions. The results revealed that postgraduates produced more content-oriented revisions at the end of the programme than at the beginning. The opposite trend was observed for the undergraduates, who revised their essays significantly less frequently at the end than at the beginning of the EAP program and made more mechanical revisions than postgraduate writers. The findings highlight fundamental differences in the developmental trajectories of revision processes between postgraduate and undergraduate students. These differences caused by previous academic writing experience and language proficiency should be considered in developing materials for EAP programs. In the paper, I also discuss benefits of using keystroke logging to investigate L2 writers’ revision processes.</p>
Highlights
Revision is an essential part of the writing process and plays a important role in academic contexts
The English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programme is primarily aimed at students with IELTS scores of 5.5 to 6.5 (B1 to B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference [CEFR], Council of Europe, 2001) and who received a conditional offer from their university because their level of English language proficiency did not meet the minimum entry requirements
The research questions in this study were examined with the aid of the keystroke logging tool Inputlog, which captured UG and PG students’ on-line writing processes and revealed some interesting observations regarding their revision behaviours on an intensive EAP program
Summary
Revision is an essential part of the writing process and plays a important role in academic contexts. Several studies have investigated how L2 writers at different levels of proficiency revise their essays (e.g., Faigley & Witte, 1981; Manchón et al, 2009; Roca de Larios et al, 2008; Roca de Larios et al, 2001; Zamel, 1983), but no research to date has focussed on the longitudinal changes in L2 writers’ revision behaviours in the context of intensive academic programs. Understanding how revision processes develop gives us insights into how the allocation of attention to various aspects of the written product changes across proficiency levels This information can assist in raising L2 writers’ awareness of efficient revision strategies and be helpful for instructors of academic writing. I describe the methodology of the study, which consists of the description of the research context, participants, instruments and procedures of data collection and analysis This is followed by the presentation of findings and the discussion of the results.
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