Individualized Voiced in Undergraduate Writing in English as a Foreign Language

Abstract

The contexts within and through which both individuals and groups construct, negotiate and defend their identity or selfunderstanding is central to cultural studies as well as to the study of language use. In studies on writing in a second language, the representation of identity and individualized voice has been the concern of recent research in this area resulting in the analysis of its academic and nonacademic as well as practical and theoretical foundations. Inner beauties, emotions, biases and preferences in writing have been used to rate the intensity of the representation of voice in second language writing. This study aimed at reviewing some theoretical background on individualized voice in writing in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and at illustrating identity and voice representations in EFL writing. 42 undergraduate EFL Learners (36 women and 6 men) at a major state university were randomly selected for the purpose of data collection. As part of their paragraph writing classes in three subsequent sessions, they wrote English texts on three topics. The participants EFL writing ability was measured using composition profiles and institutional records. The presence and intensity of individualized voice in their writing was examined as well using Helms-Park's and Stapleton's Voice Intensity Rating Scale, randomizing and anonimizing samples for the raters to avoid bias. Tentative results indicate that identity and voice are represented through EFL writing and that different demographic variables such as gender and writing ability level contribute to individualized voice in EFL writing.