Identification of Lexical Competence Problems in L2 Writing Process of Korean EFL University Students

Abstract

While the nature of productive lexical knowledge may be distinguished as competence-based or performance-based, classification of lexical problems in the translating phase is lacking in the writing strategies literature. With separate interest in competence-based word knowledge, this study investigates the lexical aspect of the writing process by exploring the types and tokens of lexical problems that L2 writers identify in the drafting (translating) stage of writing. To obtain data, 10 Korean university students were asked to think-aloud while writing twice in English on word processors with access to Internet dictionaries. A repeated measures design was used where students wrote for two audiences and two writing topics. Three main types of lexical competence problems were found where use of the Internet dictionary had an effect on the identification of problems. Signs of vocabulary problems indicated that writers had unknown word, partially known word, and more than one word problems where eight subcategories of partially known word problems were found. The findings may provide pedagogical implications for helping L2 writers solve different types of lexical problems such as in contexts where word processors and Internet dictionaries are used as the medium.