EFL Graduate Students Research Articles

Reflective Journal Writing: Writing Processes applied by Skilful and Less Skilful EFL Graduate Students

Journal writing is the process of recording personal insights, reflections, and questions on assigned topics. It is extensively applied in educational setting as an individual activity with diverse terms and these include journal dialogue, learning journals, and reflective writing (RW). Reflective writing (RW) is one of the most common writing activities applied by higher education students. However, some still struggle with this writing technique. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the right processes/ sub-processes used by skilful and less skilful EFL graduate students in conducting Reflective writing. Data were collected from two (2) female graduate students through think-aloud, observation, retrospective, and semi-structured interviews. The result showed the significance of integrating a focus on an effective writing process/sub-process in academic writing and encouraging students to practice Reflective writing in multiple contexts by reading extensively when writing reflection.

Exploring Students’ Engagement with Peer-and Teacher Written Feedback in an EFL Writing Course: A Multiple Case Study of Iranian Graduate Learners

Recent studies have highlighted the significance of learners’ engagement with written corrective feedback (WCF). However, comparative studies exploring graduate students’ engagement (i.e., cognitive, affective, and behavioral) with peers and teachers’ feedback in an L2 writing course is scarce. Hence, this multiple case study, using various sources such as a semi-structured interview, a narrative inquiry sheet, a peer feedback sheet, and students’ writing tasks, explored Iranian EFL graduate students’ engagement with peer- and teacher feedback. The findings revealed that all of the learners were engaged with the WCF they received from both their peers and instructor. However, the intensity of each dimension of engagement with peer and teacher WCF was different. Specifically, as for peer-feedback engagement, we found that behavioral engagement was the most frequent engagement type. The second most frequent was cognitive engagement and the least common was affective engagement. As for teachers’ feedback engagement, the findings revealed that cognitive engagement was the most frequent engagement type. The second most frequent was affective engagement, and the least common engagement type was behavioral engagement. Implications and recommendations with regards to learners’ engagement with peer and teacher written feedback are discussed in the light of the findings.

INDONESIAN GRADUATE STUDENTS’ ATTRIBUTIONAL BELIEFS AND METACOGNITIVE STRATEGIES IN THE ACADEMIC READING COMPREHENSION

The field of students’ beliefs in reading comprehension has become an increasingly significant research issue in the educational context. However, there have been very few studies examining attributional beliefs and metacognitive strategies adopted by EFL graduate students to deal with comprehension skills and reading difficulties. Applying the attribution framework, this study aimed to fill in the gap by investigating students’ attributional beliefs, metacognitive reading strategies, and the correlation between attribution and metacognitive reading strategies. The researchers employed mixed-method research with questionnaires and interviews as the instruments to collect data. The results showed that the majority of students attributed their successes or failures to internal factors (efforts and strategies). Many students claimed that they often experienced reading difficulties during online learning. Lastly, the Pearson correlation showed that there was a strong correlation (r = 0.746) between attributional beliefs and metacognitive reading strategies. This study offers several implications for language learning, in particular, the academic reading comprehension. First, students need to have a higher awareness of attributional beliefs in academic reading. Second, language teachers should support students to develop internal attribution and metacognitive strategies in academic reading.

Graduate Students’ Perceived Needs and Preferences for Supervisor Written Feedback for Thesis Writing

A plethora of previous research has explored students’ preferences for written feedback from teachers to respond to students’ writing in the classroom. However, little or no research has investigated graduate students’ needs and preferences regarding written feedback provided by their supervisors in response to thesis writing. This study examined the feedback needs and preferences of EFL graduate students to the three nominated themes defining supervisor written feedback to thesis writing in this study: content, genre, and linguistic feedback to thesis writing. Data was collected from 32 master’s students from the TEFL and Media and Communications at Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia using a questionnaire and an unstructured interview. The participants’ responses were tabulated and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results indicated that both groups commonly preferred feedback on content the most. When sub-categories of this feedback were examined further, it was found that TEFL students favored gaps in theoretical understanding, but Media and Communications students preferred coverage and gaps in the literature. They also showed discrepancies regarding their preferences for part-genres in thesis writing and the various features of linguistic accuracy. The results of this study suggest that feedback on theses should be realized in regard to the needs and preferences of graduate students. Finally, implications for further research that could shed light on the resonant understanding of feedback on thesis writing are presented.

Graduate Students’ Perceived Needs and Preferences for Supervisor Written Feedback for Thesis Writing

A plethora of previous research has explored students’ preferences for written feedback from teachers to respond to students’ writing in the classroom. However, little or no research has investigated graduate students’ needs and preferences regarding written feedback provided by their supervisors in response to thesis writing. This study examined the feedback needs and preferences of EFL graduate students to the three nominated themes defining supervisor written feedback to thesis writing in this study: content, genre, and linguistic feedback to thesis writing. Data was collected from 32 master’s students from the TEFL and Media and Communications at Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia using a questionnaire and an unstructured interview. The participants’ responses were tabulated and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results indicated that both groups commonly preferred feedback on content the most. When sub-categories of this feedback were examined further, it was found that TEFL students favored gaps in theoretical understanding, but Media and Communications students preferred coverage and gaps in the literature. They also showed discrepancies regarding their preferences for part-genres in thesis writing and the various features of linguistic accuracy. The results of this study suggest that feedback on theses should be realized in regard to the needs and preferences of graduate students. Finally, implications for further research that could shed light on the resonant understanding of feedback on thesis writing are presented.

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING IN THE CHOICE OF WRITING STRATEGIES AMONG INDONESIAN EFL GRADUATE STUDENTS

This study aims to describe the factors which contribute in the choice of writing strategies among Indonesian EFL graduate students. This study was conducted in Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta especially in the graduate program of English language studies. The subjects of this research are six students who enroll in the program. The instruments used for this research were questionnaire and interview. Afterwards, the data were analyzed by using Miles and Hubberman’s flow model. Based on the result of analysis, there is an arising finding that can be sketched out: factors contributing to the use of writing strategy were identified to be students’ belief, students’ awareness, students’ language proficiency, writing time, writing type, and writing activity environment. In conclusion, employing writing strategies in a high frequency by considering students’ belief, awareness, language proficiency, writing time, writing type, and writing activity environment is strongly essentials as it will help them to achieve a good writing outcome.

The Exploration of Skilled and Less-Skilled EFL Graduate Students' on L1 and L2 Writing Strategies

This study aims to analyze the similarities, differences, and transferability of students' writing strategies in L1 (Indonesian) and L2 (English). Data were obtained from four participants majoring in English Education, two males and two females, which were categorized into skilled and less-skilled writers. The data were collected for four months using various methods, namely think-aloud protocols (TAPs), retrospective and semi-structured interviews, observations, and written drafts. The result showed that students employed similar personal strategies while writing in Indonesian (L1) and English (L2). This means that they transferred L1 strategies to L2 with some variances and similarities. The skilled writers viewed writing as a cyclical process of planning, writing, reading/rereading, rehearsing, and revising their texts. Meanwhile, less-skilled writers tended to employ linear and less recursive strategies. Furthermore, subsequent studies need to be conducted using these research findings and suggestions.

Examining the Role of Gender and Educational Level in Committing Plagiarism by Iranian EFL Graduate Students

As an unethical behavior, plagiarism refers to using other people’s words or ideas without appropriately acknowledging the source (Delvin & Gray, 2007). Numerous scholars from different parts of the world have attempted to get into the root of this problem by identifying the underlying factors which contribute to such academic misconduct. In a similar vein, the present study aimed at examining the role of gender and educational level of Iranian EFL graduate students in determining the main reasons for plagiarism commitment from their point of view. To this end, a convenient sample of 159 M.A. and Ph.D. students partook in the study. To gather the necessary data, a 32-item Likert-Type questionnaire was administered whose results were subjected to a two-way MANOVA. Results of the study indicated that neither the students’ gender or educational level nor the interaction effect of these two variables had any significant effect on the reasons for engaging in plagiarism. Descriptive statistics, however, showed that students’ personal and attitudinal characteristics took on paramount importance compared to other factors. This can signal the intentionality of plagiarism among Iranian EFL graduate students, thereby suggesting the need for making more informed decisions on how to deal with this problem.

Exploring Efl Graduate Students’ Attitudes Toward, and Use of, Mobile Phones in Language Learning

Mobile phones offer unique opportunities for learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) to boost their language skills. Many studies have investigated the use of mobile applications in language learning, but little research has dealt with EFL graduate students. This study is an attempt to explore graduate EFL students’ attitudes toward the use of mobile phones in language learning and to shed light on the problems students face when using their mobile phones for language learning. For data collection, a 25-item questionnaire was developed and circulated online to 70 graduate EFL students at King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia. The results showed that students’ attitudes were positive, and there was a significant difference in attitudes in favour of female students. Also, the results revealed that most of the informants frequently use mobile phones, and also, there was a significant difference in favour of females. Additionally, the results showed that some students use smartphones effectively without facing any problems, whereas the majority of students face various challenges such as technical difficulties, the small size of the screen, distraction, becoming less patient, and getting tired. The findings indicated that further research is needed to scrutinize all these problems, with particular emphasis on health problems and distraction.

An Analysis of Metadiscourse in Chinese EFL Argumentative Writing

The present study aims to investigate how they use specific academic language forms to signal organization and stance in the essays by Chinese EFL graduate students, especially non-English majors. Data in the study was collected from 159 non-English major graduate students in a university in central China, with 81 essays in the high-score group and 66 essays in the low-score group. The analysis indicates that stance markers displays a lower frequency than organizational markers and the students in the high-score group are more proficient in the use of frame markers and additive markers. Yet, a tendency to use boosters is identified both in the high-score group and low-score group.

Validating Research-Abstract Writing Assessment Through Latent Regression Modeling and Rater’s Lenses

This study validates the measure, research-abstract writing assessment (RAWA), with two rating scales of global move of rhetorical purpose and local pattern of language use in applied linguistics (the scale level/score ranging from 0 to 5). The study adopted the embedded design of mixed-methods research that included both the quantitative latent regression model (LRM) for testing how the examinees’ (30 EFL doctoral students, 30 EFL master’s students) RAWA responses can be explained by examinee-group competence, scale-by-level difficulty of two scales, and rater expertise (5 raters); and the qualitative interviews on five raters’ perceptions. The LRM results revealed the scale-level difficulty effect, namely across the scales level 1 and level 5 of the global move being the easiest and the most difficult. The expert raters rated with lower scores. They also adopted the advanced subscales (i.e., content elements, brevity) as criteria and conducted self-monitoring while rating. The findings reveal the sub-competences of research-abstract writing, namely the global move sub-competence of move and content elements and the local pattern sub-competence of language use and brevity. Pedagogically, EFL graduate students should further develop the sub-competences of content element and brevity, once mastering those of move and language use as the basics.

Exploring the Relationship Between Language Aptitude, Vocabulary Size, and EFL Graduate Students’ L2 Writing Performance

Exploring the Relationship Between Language Aptitude, Vocabulary Size, and <scp>EFL</scp> Graduate Students’ L2 Writing Performance

A Study of Academic Oral Presentation Anxiety and Strategy Employment of EFL Graduate Students

This study investigates the factors contributing to academic oral presentation anxiety, explore the differences between English majors and non-English majors in their strategy employment for academic oral presentations, examine the relationship between academic oral presentation anxiety and strategy employment, and compare the differences in oral communication strategy employment between high-anxiety and low-anxiety students. A total of sixty-one participants participated in this study by answering two questionnaires: Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA) (McCroskey, 1970) and Oral Communication Strategy Inventory (OCSI) (Nakatani, 2006), and a follow-up interview was conducted focusing on high and low-anxiety students as defined by the result on PRPSA. Results showed that the three major sources of anxiety related to content of presentation, oral proficiency, and delivery skill. Moreover, a significant difference was found in the use of Social Affective strategies between English majors and non-English majors. Besides, negative significant correlations were found in the use of Message Abandonment strategies and Attempt to Think in English strategies. Furthermore, a statistically significant difference was found in the use of Message Abandonment strategies between high-anxiety and low anxiety-students. Pedagogical implications for reducing anxiety in academic oral communication were discussed.

Mixed methods in raising sociopragmatic awareness: A proposal for combining insights from the teacher's feedback and the interlocutor's point of view

This paper comprises two parts. First, it reports on native-speaker English lecturers' envisaged reactions to and evaluation of Italian EFL graduate students' written discourse (41 written offers and 17 written requests). Participants were asked to comment on the texts' perceived positive and negative traits (e.g. (im)plausibility, (un)naturalness); to rate them along several dimensions (e.g. structure, amount of content); and to envisage their possible immediate and delayed effects. The teachers' comments on and anticipated reactions to the student discourse revealed the importance they attributed to the learners' awareness of interactants' interpersonal needs and social rights, suggesting that perceptions of pragmatic norms may serve to explore language learners' interactional competence. Instead, the teachers' ratings expressed technical evaluations of the strengths and weaknesses (e.g. (in)coherence, register (in)appropriateness) of the texts, highlighting areas for focused instruction. In the second part, the lecturers’ responses indicated that they considered it useful and suitable to alert learners to the interpersonal-social consequences of linguistic-interactional choices. The findings suggest that foreign language learning could be enhanced through the provision of complementary forms of assessment: a projection of the envisaged reactions of a “model” interlocutor (socially oriented feedback) with a technical description of standard parameters of “communicative adequacy” (formal evaluation).

Realization of Apology Strategies of EFL Graduate Students: A Case of Two EFL Graduate Students in Indonesia

Realization of Apology Strategies of EFL Graduate Students: A Case of Two EFL Graduate Students in Indonesia

Writing Strategies as Mediated Actions: A Case Study of L2 Research Paper Writing in an Electronic Environment

This study aims to analyze Korean EFL graduate students’ writing strategies as mediated actions in their semester- long process of L2 research paper writing using multiple resources including the Internet. Though the study was based on the sociocultural approach, it analyzed mediated writing strategies quantitatively and qualitatively. The participants’ writing processes were video-recorded; their use of the computer was recorded through a keystroke logging program; their writing strategies and resource uses were inquired by using strategy and resource use inventory questionnaires and logs and conducting retrospective recall interviews. Results of the study revealed that the students shared certain writing strategies as actions mediated by resource types, the target writing genre and readers, the language used for writing, and cultural background, as well as the purpose of writing behaviors across writing stages. They also illustrated individual variations: their mediated actions were interwoven with individual goals and beliefs, learning styles and habits, personalities, self-regulation, educational experiences and backgrounds, experiences of academic writing including research paper writing, disciplinary knowledge, and availability of resources, in addition to their L2 proficiency, such as writing skills and confidence in L2. Findings from the study imply that L2 writers deploy diverse mediated actions in academic writing which are rooted in socioculturally and academically situated individual contexts.

L2 Writing Strategies Used by EFL Graduate Students

This study investigates the writing strategies and the predominantly strategies used by four Indonesian graduate students when writing in L2 (English). They were divided into 2 groups, skilled and less skilled writers, to examine what strategies they applied when writing. The main instrument of this study is Think Aloud Protocols (TAPs). The analysis of data collected discovered some findings: (1) both skilled and less skilled writers used varied strategies. However, the frequency of using each strategy was different. Skilled writers used each strategy in high frequency. On the other hand, less skilled writers only used each strategy in low frequency, while skilled writers understand the recursive nature of writing. (2) Skilled writers used reading and rereading strategies in high frequency for several purposes: revising and editing the text, developing ideas, and getting new ideas, while less skilled writers rarely used those strategies. They wrote whatever ideas came into their mind, and reread the text once in a while. These findings suggest that effective writing strategies should be introduced explicitly when student writers have already mastered the foundation of writing. Unfortunately, they are seldom guided on the use of writing strategies in the process of their writing. In fact, effective writing strategies and the frequency of using each strategy could help them become good writers and influence the quality of their writing. Based on these findings some suggestions are discussed.

Writing Strategies in the Process of L2 Computer-Mode Academic Writing with the Use of Multiple Resources

This study is an exploratory case study of writing strategies that Korean EFL graduate students in applied linguistics employed in the semester-long process of L2 computermode research paper writing with the use of multiple resources. Data for writing processes and strategy and resource use were largely collected from a writing strategy inventory questionnaire and writing logs, which were complemented by a keystroke logging program, video recordings and retrospective recall interviews. The results of the study reveal the influence of genre features and variations across writing stages, strategies, resources, and individual writers. Planning was intermingled with researching. The participants deployed certain strategies only at a particular stage or throughout the whole writing process. The students who had higher education in English-speaking countries used fewer strategies and preferred electronic resources to print resources than those who were educated mainly in Korea. The latter also showed a tendency of employing self-regulatory strategies. Findings from the study suggest that the research paper writing process is resourceful, strategic and individually situated, and it involves complex composing behaviors accompanied by more varied strategies and resources than shown in studies of one-time reading-to-write tasks.

EFL Graduate Students’ IELTS Writing Problems and Students’ and Teachers’ Beliefs and Suggestions Regarding Writing Skill Improvement

This study aimed at finding the EFL graduate and post-graduate writing problems. Moreover, it sought teachers and students’ beliefs regarding why they had some problems and where the sources of problems could be detected so that they would be taken into account and rectified. To answer the research questions the participant were given IELTS task1 and task 2 writing mock tests and then they were interviewed. Some university professors teaching writing classes were also interviewed to find out why students had some problems regarding the writing tasks assigned and performed. The findings revealed that PhD candidates outperformed their M.A students counterparts and they could achieve higher overall and component scores. The differences and discrepancies between groups were significant but the differences within groups were not significant. The scores achieved by the students through tasks 1 and 2 revealed their writing problems as well as their strengths. The unstructured interviews conducted with the students and their teachers could elicit some potential sources of trouble and some inspirations and eye-opening facts were gained through the interviews. It is hoped the findings of this study can help students improve their writing skills and teachers can take some measures to help students learn how to improve their writing.

Associations between Chinese EFL graduate students' beliefs and language learning strategies

This study, using Horwitz's Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory and Oxford's Strategy Inventory for Language Learning, investigated learners' beliefs about language learning and their choice of strategy categories among 546 graduate students in China. The correlation between learners' beliefs and their strategy categories use was examined. Findings indicated that (1) statistically significant differences existed in different gender and language proficiency level regarding learners' beliefs; (2) statistically significant difference appeared in different gender, major, age range plus proficiency level concerning the use of strategy categories; (3) except for the difficulty of language learning, learners' beliefs about language learning were significantly correlated with the use of the six strategy categories. The overall findings of the study provide suggestions to help foreign language instructors and researchers better understand graduate students' perceived beliefs and strategy use, so that classroom instruction can be as effective and productive as possible.