English As A Foreign Language Writing Research Articles

Generative Artificial Intelligence in the EFL Writing Context: Students' Literacy in Perspective

The birth of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential of developing language learners' English as a foreign language (EFL) writing skills; however, there is a substantial need to ensure that these learners are literate of generative AI-based tools and their potential to enhance learning writing skills. Therefore, the study aims to detect language learners' generative AI literacy in learning EFL writing skills. To achieve this purpose, the descriptive-survey method was used; (278) respondents completed a 30-closed item questionnaire and answered three questions in a semi-structured interview. The results showed that language learners’ generative AI tools literacy in the EFL writing context is at a medium level. Also, the study sample’s responses were not affected by their specialization, but by their GPA and mastery level of using generative AI tools in learning EFL writing skills did impact their responses. The analysis of the interviews revolved around three major themes: Challenges, affordance, and suggestions. In light of the findings, recommendations and suggestions are presented.

Online Collaboration and Writing Proficiency: A Study of Omani EFL Students at UTAS-Salalah

This mixed-methods study examined the impact of online collaboration on developing academic writing skills among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students in Oman, with an emphasis on student perspectives. Participants were 8 Level 3 students from the Preparatory Studies Center at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Salalah. Furthermore, this study adds to the continuing scholarly discourse around the influence of emerging technologies on the writing performance of students. It focuses on the students' viewpoint, which is sometimes overlooked in most English as a Foreign Language (EFL) educational contexts. Data collection involved classroom observations, text analysis, and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. The results of the analysis of the students' writing revealed that the impact of online collaboration resulted in an enhancement in the students' overall writing performance compared to the scoring of their first drafts. Nevertheless, the implementation of the method resulted in enhanced performance among students in the sub-skills of grammar and vocabulary while content and organization skills remained unchanged. Interviews highlighted perceived benefits of online cooperation for enhancing writing practices and skills. Students affirmed the value of collaboration as a practical tool to build communication and writing proficiency. This study contributes insights on leveraging technology to empower EFL writers from the learner’s viewpoint. Further research should explore optimal strategies for implementing online collaborative writing instruction.

Incorporating Cultural Background in Teaching EFL Writing in Libyan: A Critical Literature Review

This study explores the crucial influence of cultural background on the writing performance of English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students, focusing specifically on the Libyan context. The impact of cultural background is observed across various dimensions of writing, encompassing content, organization, style, language, and conventions. Additionally, cultural backgrounds shape the writing strategies adopted by EFL and ESL learners. Considering the significance of this influence, the paper advocates for awareness among EFL and ESL teachers regarding the cultural backgrounds of learners when designing or adopting instructional techniques for teaching EFL writing. The literature review critically examined the roles played by learners' cultural backgrounds in shaping their writing skills. It explores the role of the English language in Libya and assesses the current practices in teaching EFL writing within the Libyan educational landscape. The study discovered that very few studies have been conducted concerning EFL and cultural background in the Libyan context. Thus, it identifies challenges faced by Libyan undergraduates in EFL writing due to their different cultural and linguistic backgrounds, which differ from that of the English language. In conclusion, this study offers valuable insights into the complex relationship between cultural background and EFL writing performance. The paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by Libyan students and provides practical recommendations for instructors. Furthermore, the study identifies potential avenues for future research in the dynamic field of EFL writing instruction.

Using the Technology Acceptance Model to Understand Attitudes about Smartphone Translators for EFL Writing

This quantitative case study used the technology acceptance model (TAM), which was developed by Venkatesh and Davis (2000), to comprehend student attitudes related to the use of smartphone translators in the English as a foreign language (EFL) writing classroom. The study surveyed 194 undergraduate students enrolled in a required EFL writing course. The study utilized a factor reduction to group the variables into the TAM model. Standard multiple regressions were then performed on each of the three stages of the TAM. First, it was found that subjective norm (SN), voluntariness (V) and output quality (OQ) had a positive statistically significant effect on the students’ perceived usefulness (PU). Two factors did not display a statistical effect on the model: results demonstrability (RD) and the students’ perceived ease of use (EoU). In the second phase of the model, EoU and PU both had a positive statistically significant effect on the students’ intention to use (IU). However, SN did not have a statistical effect on IU as predicted in the model. The final standardized regression found that IU had a positive statistically significant effect on the students’ usage behavior (UB). The overall results indicated that the more positive a student’s SN, V, OQ, PU, and IU, the more likely the student will be to apply smartphone translators to their arsenal of mechanisms to study English. Teachers should consider including the smartphone translator in their technology toolbox in the EFL writing classroom.

An Investigation into the Relationship Between Metacognitive Knowledge and Writing Achievement of Turkish EFL Learners

Writing poses a substantial yet demanding challenge for individuals learning English as a foreign language (EFL). In contemporary frameworks, this skill is characterized as a complex, recursive, strategic, and multifaceted process that engages both cognitive and metacognitive faculties. Consequently, recent decades have witnessed a burgeoning body of research spotlighting the pivotal role of metacognition in EFL writing. This study, employing an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach, set out to delve into the depth of metacognitive awareness among Turkish EFL students concerning English writing. The study encompassed a cohort of 120 Turkish EFL students at the B2 level. To gauge the participants' metacognitive understanding concerning the variables of person, task, and strategy, a questionnaire was administered. Additionally, interviews were conducted with 35 participants to augment and elucidate the quantitative findings. Analyzing the data disclosed that participants exhibited an average level of knowledge with respect to person and strategy dimensions, but they demonstrated a robust understanding of the task dimension. Further scrutiny through correlation analysis, which explored the link between students' writing achievement and their metacognitive awareness, revealed a weak positive relationship between students' writing proficiency and their comprehension of both person-related and strategy-related aspects. In contrast, there was no statistically significant correlation between task-related knowledge and writing achievement. Content analysis of the findings shed light on noteworthy disparities among high-achieving, average-achieving, and low-achieving EFL writers concerning their grasp of metacognitive knowledge. In alignment with their writing performance, high-achieving writers outperformed their counterparts in all the metacognitive subcategories.

The Effects of Genre Based Approach and Process Approach on EFL Writing Class

Indonesian students learn English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Indonesian students who are second language users (L2 learners) have limited knowledge of frequently used words compared to first language users (L1 learners) and native English speakers. EFL students made more mistakes and errors in EFL writing classes due to limited vocabulary. A frequent word is a single word in the first three frequency levels of the 1000 words. To fill this gap, this study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a genre-based approach (GBA) and a process approach to writing (PAW) on student writing skills. In this study, a quasi-experimental study design was applied in the form of a pre-test and post-test control group design. As a sample for this study, two classes of 3rd semester undergraduate students from the Faculty of Economics and Business in Sumenep, East Java, Indonesia were randomly selected. Seventy students participated in the study, of which 35 students in the experimental group received the GBA and another 35 students in the control group received the process approach to writing. Data were analysed using independent and dependent (paired) sample t-tests. The resulting findings showed that: 1) There was a significant difference in post-test scores between students taught using a genre-based approach and those taught using a process approach to writing. 2) Adopting a genre-based writing approach or a process approach has had a big impact. This study shows that the genre-based approach contributes more than the writing approach. In conclusion, the GBA or PAW was effective in teaching English writing skills.

A Systematic Review of Interventions Improving University Students’ EFL Writing Competence

Writing competence in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is a critical skill for university students, as it affects their academic and career success. However, many EFL university students are not capable of writing English compositions and face considerable challenges in developing their writing skills. To address these challenges, various interventions have been proposed, yet few studies have integrated them in recent years. This study employed PRISMA guidelines to analyze forty-two empirical studies on interventions improving university students’ EFL writing competence based on peer-reviewed journals published between 2012 and 2022. The review identified the types of interventions, evaluated their effectiveness in improving students' writing competence, and provided recommendations for teachers and future researchers. Findings showed that teaching instruction, feedback, cooperative learning and modern technology were applied into teaching activities, which improved university students’ EFL writing competence to various degrees. Teachers are required to select suitable interventions or combine different interventions to help university students to effectively solve problems in English writing. Furthermore, the findings will make a contribution to understanding recent interventions in EFL writing instruction in university settings, providing a reference for educators to develop evidence-based practices to enhance university students’ EFL writing competence.

Teaching critical thinking to Chinese students in English as a foreign language writing class: A review

<span lang="EN-US">Critical thinking (CT) is important for English as a foreign language (EFL) writing. However, the EFL writings of Chinese students are usually negatively commented on in terms of CT in writing. The study reviewed relevant studies on how CT in writing was taught to Chinese EFL learners at the tertiary education level. It shows most EFL writing teachers adopted existing western CT definitions in a general knowledge background and mainly used teacher-centered assessment techniques to teach CT. Students’ CT development was mostly assessed by self-designed CT assessments. Facing the globalization of CT teaching, the study thus updates the assessment techniques to meet the increasing needs of CT teaching in EFL writing in China. Relevant suggestions are also given to education practitioners.</span>

Examining the Effectiveness of AI-integrated Approach in EFL Writing: A Case of ChatGPT

In recent years, there has been a growing trend of integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into language learning, and ChatGPT has emerged as one of the most widely utilized AI tools in this domain. However, incorporating such tools into language classes, particularly in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing classes, poses challenges. This study aims to investigate effective and responsible strategies for incorporating ChatGPT into an undergraduate EFL writing class. To achieve this objective, a one-shot case study was conducted on fourth-semester EFL students enrolled in a Creative and Media Writing class at an Institute of Foreign Languages in Jakarta, Indonesia. Data was collected through tests and questionnaire. The study identified key strategies for the effective and responsible incorporation of ChatGPT, which include establishing a clear usage policy and maintaining a record of students' questions and queries while using ChatGPT in the EFL writing class. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the appropriate and responsible use of ChatGPT, as well as its potential impact on students' writing skills.

A Comparison between EFL Writing Errors in Computer-Based and Paper-Based Assignments

Advances in writing technologies have fostered the gradual move from Paper-Based (PB) to Computer-Based (CB) writing assessment in foreign language (FL) education. The trend was further boosted by the outburst of the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to drastic changes in teaching and assessment practices. In higher education (HE) contexts, writing assessment in English as a foreign language (EFL) is more and more often managed by means of online learning platforms, where students create and submit written assignments on the computer. This paper examines a sample of 100 EFL exam essays completed by 100 Italian university students. Half of the essays were computer-typed on Moodle from home during the Covid-19 lockdown, whereas the other half were handwritten on paper during a face-to-face exam session after the Covid-19 emergency. The study presented herein compares the amount and types of formal errors in the CB and PB written assignments respectively. The results of the comparison may be useful to suggest hypotheses on the impact that both writing modality and environment can have on the quality of EFL writing in assessment contexts.

Text quality and changing perceptions of teacher feedback and affective-motivational variables: a study with secondary EFL students

IntroductionFeedback can support students’ writing and has the potential to enhance writing motivation and reduce writing anxiety. However, for feedback to fulfill its potential, it has to be accepted by students and perceived as motivating.MethodsIn this study, we investigate changes in less proficient English as a foreign language (EFL) students’ (N = 53) writing motivation and affect, as well as their perceptions of teacher feedback and how these relate to students’ argumentative text quality. Measurements were taken before EFL teachers attended a professional learning intervention on feedback (T1) and 8 months later (T2).ResultsFrom T1 to T2, students felt that general feedback quality improved, their writing self-efficacy increased, and their writing anxiety decreased. However, no significant changes in text quality could be observed between T1 and T2, and students continued to struggle with creating structure and coherence in their texts. Regression analyses revealed that feedback perceptions and affective-motivational variables did not predict students’ text quality at T1. Yet at T2, students’ perception of general feedback quality and the effect of feedback on writing motivation were significant predictors of text quality; self-efficacy and writing anxiety were not.DiscussionOur results suggest that more attention needs to be paid to feedback’s motivational impact, especially among less proficient EFL writers.

Expanding the Zone of Proximal Development : An Exploratory Study of Dynamic Assessment in EFL Writing Classroom

This study aimed to explore the role of dynamic assessment (DA) in expanding the zone of proximal development of English as a foreign language (EFL) leaners at different levels. For this purpose, we conducted a comparative study with high- and low- level EFL learners in the writing course consisting of 8 weeks of general writing practice and 6 weeks of national writing examination preparation. We administered pre- and post-tests of a writing prompt and two questionnaires to both groups. The results showed the gap in the use of writing strategies between the two groups was reduced after the DA treatment. Students, in particular those at the lower levels, made more progress and became more aware of the various writing strategies available. Furthermore, the DA intervention increased the intrinsic interest of the two groups in the English writing process and narrowed the difference in writing scores between the two groups. Although each aspect of composition increased to a varying degree, the mean value of the language for the two groups did not reach significance. On the basis of this finding, this study suggests how and when DA intervention may be needed to improve EFL learners’ writing abilities and strategies.

Learner Uptake with Automated Feedback and Teacher Feedback in an Online EFL Writing Context

The Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) system has garnered growing attention in recent years. It is a powerful complement to traditional teacher feedback. Drawing on the data collected from student written texts, AWE feedback, teacher feedback and student interviews in a Chinese university, this study aims to investigates the impact of man-machine feedback on the practice of teaching English writing in an online English as a foreign language (EFL) context as well as students’ engagement with it. The results show that compared with teacher, AWE provides more feedback items and focuses on surface-level such as vocabulary, mechanics and grammar, while teacher pays attention to both surface-level and meaning-level, including organization, content, coherence, etc. Although there is not much difference in the uptake rate between teacher feedback and AWE feedback, the uptake rate of meaning-level feedback is much higher than surface-level feedback. Furthermore, students believe that uptake rate is influenced by various factors such as English competence, feedback quality, score, available time, personal preference, motivation, interest in English learning, and so on. Additionally, students deem that the combination of AWE feedback and teacher feedback has a positive impact on stimulating their writing enthusiasm and improving their writing abilities.

Investigating EFL writers’ critical thinking performance across languages

Understanding how writing in different languages affects one's critical thinking (CT) performance is of high importance for both the teaching and assessment of CT. Previous research has identified a close connection between CT and writing as well as the effectiveness of evaluating CT through the proxy of writing (e.g., Bean, 2011; Dong, 2017, 2018; Rahmat, 2020); however, little is known about whether and how one's CT performance varies when writing in different languages. This mixed-methods study was designed to fill this gap by comparing 31 Chinese English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) students’ CT scores, determined through evaluation of their essays written in English and Chinese. The results showed that the participants demonstrated significantly better CT abilities when they wrote in their L1 (t = 8.105, p < 0.01); however, there was no significant correlation between students’ L1 CT and L2 CT scores. In addition, the study identified a number of factors that significantly influenced students’ decision-making in their L1 and L2 writing processes and affected their CT performance in aspects such as clarity, precision, breadth, depth, and relevance. This study contributes to a dynamic conceptualization of EFL writers’ CT performance across languages and highlights the need to recognize the differences between multilingual students’ CT abilities and CT performance. The study also provides practical implications for the teaching and assessment of CT in multilingual contexts.

Investigating the Effects of Using Grammarly in EFL Writing: The Case of Articles

Online grammar checkers have increasingly been used in writing instruction to detect and remove English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ grammatical errors. This study investigated the effects of the automated writing evaluation software Grammarly on Iranian EFL learners’ article errors which are common in EFL writing. Ninety Iranian students majoring in English language and literature were selected through convenience sampling. They were divided into three groups, with one receiving Grammarly and teacher feedback (experimental group 1), one receiving Grammarly feedback (experimental group 2), and one receiving teacher feedback (control group). Both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyze the data. In addition, one-way ANOVA, frequency analysis, and thematic analysis were used to analyze the data from pretests/posttests, questionnaires, and interviews. The results showed that the Grammarly and teacher feedback group outperformed the other groups in the post-test. This study recommends that EFL teachers consider incorporating online grammar checkers into their EFL writing courses as writing assistant tools.

The effects of genre on the syntactic complexity of argumentative and expository writing by Chinese EFL learners.

Genre researchers have found that writing in different genres involves different cognitive task loads and requires different linguistic demands. Generally speaking, narratives involve the description of events with a focus on people and their actions within a specific time frame, whereas non-narrative genres focus on making an argument or discussing ideas or beliefs in a logical fashion, thus resulting in distinct language features. However, the vast majority of genre-based studies have either focused on one single genre or made comparisons between narrative and non-narrative writing (mostly argumentative) in academic contexts without examining how EFL writers perform across non-narrative genres. Moreover, the measures used in quantifying the syntactic complexity of writing are varied, leading to inconsistent findings. This study investigated the effects of genre on the syntactic complexity of writing through comparing argumentative and expository compositions written by Chinese English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners over one academic year. Fifty-two participants were asked to write eight compositions (with two genres alternated), four argumentative and four expository, which were parsed via the Syntactic Complexity Analyzer. The results with time as the within-subjects variable showed a significant development of syntactic complexity in both argumentative and expository compositions over one academic year. Meanwhile, the paired-sample t-test with genre as the within-subjects variable exhibited a higher syntactic complexity in argumentative compositions than in expository ones on most of the 14 measures examined at four time points over the year. Additionally, a two-way repeated measures analysis of variance with genre and time as independent variables ascertained an interactional effect of time and genre on some of the 14 measures. The present study tested and verified the impact genre exerts on the syntactic complexity of writing, providing implications for teachers to be more informed in teaching and assessing EFL writing and for students to be more conscious of genre difference in EFL writing.

Structure and coherence as challenges in composition: A study of assessing less proficient EFL writers’ text quality

Students are usually expected to write full texts in English as a foreign language (EFL) at the end of secondary education. However, research on EFL writing at school is scarce, especially regarding less proficient writers, and seldom focuses on deep-level text features such as structure and coherence. Based on a sample of 166 EFL students in Year 9 attending German middle and lower performance track schools, this study examined 326 narrative and argumentative texts. First, we assessed structure and coherence via analytic ratings using detailed rubrics to gain insights into possible challenges for students. Our analysis showed that relevant text parts (such as the conclusion) were mostly missing and that students struggled to establish a broad common thread with argumentative texts being overall less structured and coherent than narrative texts. Second, we used the software Comproved® to conduct holistic ratings of overall text quality and compared them with our analytic ratings. Large correlations between both ratings suggest that structure and coherence are important aspects of text quality. We discuss how our rubrics can serve as a useful tool for assessment for learning and assist less proficient writers in establishing deep-level features in their texts. • We developed analytic rating rubrics to assess text structure and coherence. • Secondary EFL students especially struggle with text structure besides coherence. • Students often omit conclusions and do not adhere to a main idea. • Structure and coherence relate to text quality according to holistic ratings. • Analytic rating rubrics may be used as a tool for assessment for learning in class.

Implementing Technology-Mediated Task-Based Language Teaching in an EFL Writing Course

This study explored the effects of technology-mediated task-based language teaching (TMTBLT) in an English as a foreign language (EFL) writing course on students’ descriptive writing performance. A quasi-experiment was conducted. Students in two writing courses were recruited and randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. The participants in the experimental group were engaged in the technology-mediated writing task of transforming their descriptive writing assignment, in which they introduced local tourist attractions, into videos to exchange online with foreign virtual peers. A mixed-methods research approach was adopted to analyze the data collected from participants’ compositions and self-reflections. The results revealed that TMTBLT was effective in developing EFL students’ descriptive writing proficiency. In addition to improving their writing, the students enjoyed participating in the task and used multiple skills. The implications of this study for TMTBLT in EFL writing teaching practices are also discussed.

A Self-Investigation into Thai EFL Writing Instructors’ Perceptions toward Written Feedback on College Students’ Writing Essay Assignment

Although the behavior and impacts of instructor reflection in writing classes have been extensively studied over the past few decades, a significant proportion of the work has concentrated on students&amp;#39; attitudes and utilization of all such responses, as opposed to teachers&amp;#39; perspectives, self-assessments, and actual text comments given. Research findings on instructors&amp;#39; attitudes regarding students&amp;#39; written work are far from conclusive. This research gathered data from eight Thai-nationality writing instructors of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and one hundred and six Thai undergraduate students in order to assess teachers&amp;#39; attitudes toward written comments. In addition, the researcher analyzed instructors&amp;#39; self-evaluations of written feedback and the link between their self-evaluations and whether they even responded to EFL areas. The results revealed that these instructors&amp;#39; self-evaluations of the comments that they claimed they generally supplied and the genuine reflection they delivered on student writing were fairly consistent. The results also reveal that while marking writing drafts, these instructors were far more bothered with local issues, particularly grammatical, and this attention persisted throughout the amendments of the writing. Instructors&amp;#39; predilection for and reliance on grammatical accuracy in their comments may misguide students into prioritizing writing characteristics and then into believing that a zero-blunder essay is a competent and better-quality written work. Remarkably, despite the fact that instructors appeared to dwell on local problems for correction, all favorable comments on essays focused on global features. These instructors had little professional training in evaluating student written assignments, according to the findings of this research.&amp;nbsp;

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology for English Writing: Introducing Wordtune as a Digital Writing Assistant for EFL Writers

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have contributed significantly to the advancement of society. In recent years, AI-powered writing assistants have received increasing attention among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) communities. However, most of these digital writing tools focus on the revision and editing stages. Few digital tools are developed to help users during the writing process, such as assisting users in formulating or translating their ideas into writing. Wordtune is an AI-powered writing assistant that understands the writer’s ideas and suggests options for rewriting them using different tones (e.g. casual, formal) and lengths (e.g. shorten, expand). This tool can help EFL writers maintain a continuous flow and learn useful ways to express their ideas in written English. This tech review aims to provide an overview of Wordtune and its affordance in English writing for EFL writers, while also addressing the benefits and limitations of this technology.