Second Language Writing Research Articles

The Impact of AI-Powered Software on Second Language (L2) Writing: A Systematic Literature Review

The utilization of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tools in second language (L2) writing has evolved over the last decade. This attracted second-language writers to evaluate and improve their writing. This study aims to contribute to the understanding of the current state of AI-powered software in L2 writing, identify gaps in the literature, and investigate areas for future research. In this systematic literature review (SLR), we categorize the typology of AI-powered tools and their impact on L2 writing performance, discuss L2 writers' perceptions, and provide an overview of how they mitigate challenges and limitations in utilizing writing-assisted tools. The results of this SRL may have implications for writing teachers, L2 researchers, and developers of AI-powered writing tools in the field of second language writing.

The Influence of Mother Tongue Thinking on Second Language Writing

In the process of foreign language understanding, learning and using, thinking in the mother tongue will inevitably lead to the intervention of strong mother tongue contextual knowledge in the brain, and then activate the mother tongue expressions that match the mother tongue contextual knowledge. The object of second language acquisition is influenced by age, the current study set out to examine to what degree of acquisition (AOA), defined as a learner's first intensive exposure to a second language (L2) environment, mediates the final state of poster, spoken vocal accommodation. The more the students use mother tongue thinking in English writing, the shorter the writing text. This negative correlation is most prominent in the text-generation activities of writing. In fact, similar experimental findings were found in early studies. For intermediate learners, the longer the code-switching takes place in second-language writing, the shorter the text will be. Therefore, the research topic of this paper is the influence of mother tongue thinking transfer on second-language writing.

BOOK REVIEW: TECHNOLOGY IN SECOND LANGUAGE WRITING: ADVANCES IN COMPOSING, TRANSLATION, WRITING PEDAGOGY AND DATA-DRIVEN LEARNING

This book provides a comprehensive exploration of the integration of technology in second language (L2) writing instruction. It examines the evolution of technology’s role in L2 learning, particularly in writing, where individual practice is crucial. The book consists of 11 chapters encompassing research and development reports on the application of technology, especially machine translation (MT), in the L2 writing learning process. While 90% of the content focuses on research results, a conceptual review in one chapter highlights the limitations of MT in English as a foreign language (EFL) writing. The book caters to L2 teachers and language learning researchers, offering valuable insights into using MT and wiki writing as effective learning instruments. Additionally, it presents novel strategies, such as using Wikipedia to hone critical thinking skills, and introduces handwriting automation for L2 writing assessment. Despite its merits, the book’s structure, content balance, and limited readership accessibility are areas requiring improvement. Nonetheless, its research findings and practical implications make it a valuable resource for L2 educators seeking to harness technology in writing instruction.

Realizing the Sustainability of Portfolio Assessment in Second-Language Writing

Portfolio assessment, as an alternative writing assessment approach, has received growing attention in the past few decades. Although the benefits of portfolio assessment are well validated, there is a dearth of empirical research on how portfolio assessment can be sustained over time and the support teachers need to sustain portfolio assessment practice in their teaching contexts. To fill this significant void, the present study examines the influences that contribute to the sustainability of portfolio assessment in second-language writing. Drawing on data from interviews with the principal, English department chair and four English teachers from one elementary school in Hong Kong, as well as classroom observation and teachers’ team meeting observation, the study revealed that administrators’ role in dispersing decision-making authority to teachers, exploiting learning opportunities and providing a stimulating environment for teachers, and the sharing of common vision and goals, as well as collective flows of learning among team members, are the cornerstone of transformation and sustainability for the practice of portfolio assessment. The paper concludes with practical implications on how the innovative attempts in portfolio assessment can be sustained over time.

"Grandparents for the Next Generation"

Paul Kei Matsuda (1999) has written about the divide between U.S. composition and applied linguistics, which he attributes to an institutionalization of the division of labour between Applied Linguistics and composition in the early 1960’s. As such, when language concerns resurfaced in composition in the early-2000s, this division of labour led to a “lack of a community of knowledgeable peers who [could] ensure intellectual accountability” among compositionists (Matsuda 2013). Did this same divide occur in a Canadian context, or has the field of second language writing developed differently in Canada? The goal of this paper is to construct a history of L2 writing scholarship, reading for any collaboration with writing studies as both fields “grew up” together in Canada. To this end, the paper extends the work of Alister Cumming who narrates the evolution of L2 writing scholarship in Canada. Using data from Cumming’s “Studies of Second-Language Writing in Canada: Three Generations,” this paper reports findings from archival research that traces the publication history of key knowledge-workers (identified by Cumming) from the 80s to the 2000s. These findings tell a story about how L2 writing developed as a field in Canada and the ways it was influenced by fields like education and applied linguistics. Ultimately, these findings contribute to the broader narrative of how L2 writing has professionalized in Canadian higher education. By investigating the historic formation of L2 writing in Canada, scholars, writing instructors, and writing program administrators can draw on historic relations to create writing pedagogy that best meets the needs of an increasingly linguistically diverse writing classroom.

Studies of Second-Language Writing in Canada

Canada’s social and educational policies have always involved immigrant settlement and English-French bilingualism. Research on writing in second languages emerged in the 1980s from graduate programs of education and applied linguistics at major universities in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, and Vancouver, particularly scholars investigating cognitive and learning processes and rhetorical characteristics of writing in English as a mother tongue. In the 1990s several Canadian scholars established systematic programs of research focused on L2 composing processes, writing for academic purposes, assessment, and innovative educational programs— spawning, in turn, in the 2000s a third generation of L2 writing researchers who have now established themselves across Canada and around the world.

Error Analysis in Second Language Writing: An Intervention Research

Error analysis has been a widely used approach to assess the writing of second-language learners. With an extensive literature review, this research investigates the origins of error analysis, its development and applications in second-language writing competency. This research utilizes error analysis to examine errors made by writers using a second language and their impact on language learning and teaching. Thereafter, explores the advantages and disadvantages of error analysis for evaluating second-language writing. And, by assessing the accurate use of grammar and vocabulary in second-language writing following explicit instruction. The participants were intermediate-level English language learners who underwent a pre-test consisting of a writing task and self-assessment of their confidence in using grammar and vocabulary correctly. During the intervention, explicit instruction about grammar and vocabulary usage was provided to participants, including examples, practice opportunities, and feedback. A post-test included another writing exercise, a confidence assessment, and an inquiry about the effectiveness of the instruction given. The results showed that explicit training significantly boosted participants' confidence in using grammar and vocabulary correctly and improved accuracy in their use of written sentences. These findings suggest that targeted instruction on specific use of grammar and vocabulary can effectively enhance second-language writing skills. (Swain & Lapkin, 2000)

Functionalism Paradigm in Second Language Writing

This paper uses a corpus-based analysis systematic literature review to track the influence of functionalism paradigm in second language writing (SLW) over the last five years. The data were analyzed by using keywords and collocation analysis to map the closest association of functional paradigm to second language writing. It was then reviewed manually and thematized based on the research questions as the framework. Based on a corpus of 46 Scopus indexed journals ranges from 2017-2022 this study reveals that the influence of functionalism paradigm does not directly affect to SLW. Functional paradigm spawned the concept of context which then be interpreted and manifested into functional linguistic approach. Thus, studies on SLW revolves around the application of systemic functional linguistics (SFL) to either teaching or assessing SLW. The elements of functionalism paradigm that affects to SLW are the basic assumption and the values of functional paradigm that perceived each variable in a text has a purpose. As an implication, second language writing composition using SFL focuses on text purpose and lexicogrammatical features. Functional linguists perceive language diversity in second language writing as functional, ensuring mutual intelligibility if communicative functions work effectively.

Book Review: Self-Regulated Learning and Second Language Writing, Springer 2022

This article provides a review of a recent monograph, Self-Regulated Learning and Second Language Writing, by Lin Sophie Teng, published by Springer in 2022. The book investigates practical applications to self-regulated second-language writing. Self-regulated learning (SRL) provides several benefits. For instance, it fosters active and productive learning, enhances writing achievement, impacts writing performance, and supports learning outside the classroom. Phases of forethought, performance, and self-reflection are pivotal domains of SRL and essential for effective self-access learning and writing beyond the classroom. The review concludes with some thoughts about the book’s strengths and weaknesses and recommendations for readers.

The Perspectives of Suadi University Instructors and Learners on the Product and Process Approaches to Second-Language Writing

This study investigates instructors’ and learners’ perspectives on using the product and process approaches to teach second-language writing at a Saudi University, focusing on the variations in perspective between instructors and learners. To this end, the researcher undertook a mixed-method study. Two questionnaires, each consisting of ten items, were used to collect data from 72 participants (47.22% instructors, 52.78% learners); the data were analyzed using the independent samples t-test function of IBM SPSS statistics 28.0. In addition, semi-structured interviews with 12 participants (50% instructors, 50% learners) were conducted to gain a holistic picture. The overall findings reveal no statistically significant difference between instructors’ and learners’ perspectives on the product approach to second-language writing. However, the findings indicate a statistically significant difference in their perspectives on the process approach; instructors perceived the process approach to writing more positively than learners. The current study assists instructors in assessing whether their preferred teaching approach differs from that of their students, enabling them to adopt an ideal approach for both parties.

CONTROVERSIES IN THE ROLE OF WRITTEN CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK IN L2 WRITING

Truscott has strongly opposed the use of written corrective feedback in second-language writing classes. According to Truscott, written corrective feedback generates pseudo-learning that has a significant impact on the L2 development of learners. In response, experts in Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Writing addressed his argument. This paper examines the debates surrounding the function of written corrective feedback in L2 writing.

Writing for scholarly publication in an interconnected disjunctured world

Academic productivity and scholarly publication are a major requirement for academics in today’s market-oriented academia and a major marker of their position and career prospects in academic stratification. Adopting a global perspective and drawing on fields such as sociology and economy of knowledge, second language writing (SLW), and the fast-expanding field of English for research publication purposes (ERPP), this paper looks at a number of historical, socio-political and economic issues and a network of actors that have shaped and impacted knowledge economy development and exalted scholarly publication in current academic discourse. The paper also looks at and problematizes the analytical lenses through which SLW has examined the scholarly publication practices of scholars globally. Moreover, it proposes other complementary ways to examine scholarly publication practices in international academic contexts which can add a more nuanced understanding to the current scholarship in this domain. Finally, it puts forward a number of suggestions for further inquiry in the domain of scholarly publication that may be of interest to SLW research community.

Psychophysiological factors as predictors of second language writing achievement in a computer-based test.

Sleep quality, personality, and cognitive load potentially increase second language writing (SLW) anxiety and subsequently affect SLW achievement. This study investigates the predictions of sleep quality, personality (social inhibition/ negative affectivity), and cognitive load (content/ computer) toward SLW anxiety and achievement in a computer-based test. Participants included 172 voluntary undergraduates majoring in English as foreign language. SLW anxiety in a computer-based test, sleep disturbance, personality and cognitive load was assessed with the SLW Anxiety Inventory, Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, Type-D Personality, and cognitive load questionnaires. A structural equation modeling approach was applied to examine the interdependence among the observed variables. An adequate-fit SLW anxiety model was built (X2 = 6.37, df = 6, p = 0.383, NFI = 0.97, CFI = 1.00, RMSEA = 0.02; R-squared multiple correlations: SLW anxiety in a computer-based test = 0.19, computer-based SLW achievement = 0.07). The structural model showed that sleep disturbance (+0.17), social inhibition personality (+0.31), and computer-induced cognitive load (+0.16) were significant predictors of SLW anxiety in a computer-based test. Subsequently, SLW anxiety in a computer-based test (-0.16) and computer-induced cognitive load (-0.16) were significant negative predictors of computer-based SLW achievement.

It's not just a phase: Investigating text simplification in a second language from a process and product perspective.

Text simplification involves making texts easier to understand, usually for lay readers. Simplifying texts is a complex task, especially when conducted in a second language. The readability of the produced texts and the way in which authors manage the different phases of the text simplification process are influenced by their writing expertise and by their language proficiency. Training on audience awareness can be beneficial for writers, but most research so far has devoted attention to first-language writers who simplify their own texts. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of text simplification training on second-language writers (university students) who simplify already existing texts. Specifically, after identifying a first and a second phase in the text simplification process (namely, two distinct series of writing dynamics), we analyzed the impact of our training on pausing and revision behavior across phases, as well as levels of readability achieved by the students. Additionally, we examined correlations between pausing behavior and readability by using keystroke logging data and automated text analysis. We found that phases of text simplification differ along multiple dimensions, even though our training did not seem to influence pausing and revision dynamics. Our training led to texts with fewer and shorter words, and with syntactically simpler sentences. The correlation analysis showed that longer and more frequent pauses at specific text locations were linked with increased readability in the same or adjacent text locations. We conclude the paper by discussing theoretical, methodological, and pedagogical implications, alongside limitations and areas for future research.

Unpacking second language writing teacher knowledge through corpus-based pedagogy training

AbstractCorpus-based language teaching is one area of second language (L2) pedagogy in which L2 teachers may benefit from extensive guidance on how to integrate digital tools into pedagogical practices. Direct corpus approaches like data-driven learning (DDL) cultivate learner engagement and language discovery. However, second language writing (SLW) teachers face significant challenges using corpora in the classroom, and these challenges often go unaddressed in language teacher education, particularly for in-service teachers. This paper reports on a case study in which six university SLW teachers participated in an online corpus-based pedagogy workshop. Teachers developed DDL activity plans and wrote in reflective diaries. The analysis of these artifacts shows that the teachers tended to follow one of two paths toward knowledge integration, as either Planners or Seekers, when implementing corpus activities in their classrooms. The teachers also reported increased confidence in applying direct corpus methods to their lessons by the end of the workshops, though they expressed the need for continued, long-term support.

An Exploration of Voice in the Writing of Arab Learners of English as a Second Language

Developing a writer’s voicea challenging task for second-language writers who are new not only to the culture but also to the values associated with the target language. This study aims at exploring the writer’s voice of Arabic-speaking learners who study English as a Second Language. The study mainly discusses the following question: Do L2 learners who learn to write in both first and second language have an individual, collective, or depersonalized voice? Investigating the impact of culture and society on language and identity will facilitate the discovery of voice in second language writing. Methodologically, the study employs a qualitative research design in which data are collected via a discourse analysis of written texts. The analysis of the data adopted the holistic and dynamic perspective (Zhang & Zhan, 2020) by examining the various factors affecting Arabic-speaking learners of ESL including cultural factors, linguistic resources, and educational/academic pedagogy. Moreover, the study followed the analysis of the writer’s voice proposed by Lehman (2018) and used further Lehman and Anderson’s study of voice in academic writing (Lehman & Anderson, 2021). Lehman proposed three main topics to classify the writer’s voice: (a) individual, (b) collective, and (c) depersonalized. The findings of this research showed that approximately 55.96% of the voice of Arab learners of ESL fell in the individual category, 29.97% fell in the collective category, and 14.07% fell in the depersonalized category.

Effect of Teachers’ Beliefs on Second Language Writing Practice: Case Studies in a Saudi University

This study attempts to fill in a gap found in the literature regarding the Saudi higher education context in terms of the second language (L2) teachers’ perception on second language writing (SLW), and their practice in their classrooms. A case study was employed to explore the beliefs and practices of four female EFL teachers in association to second language writing practices. First semi-structured interviews were conducted whereby the beliefs of the teachers’ writing practice. A series of questions related to the teachers writing classes specifically and teaching writing as a whole in the centre. This study has focused on the teachers’ own personal beliefs on how teaching SLW should take place by looking back at their background, educational vision, and the methods/approaches used/thought in the classroom. The study has explored the teachers’ practice of SLW in the classroom and compared them to their teachers’ beliefs of SLW.

Dynamic Written Corrective Feedback in First-Year Composition: Accuracy and Lexical and Syntactic Complexity

First-year composition courses must balance a range of writing instruction priorities including genre and audience awareness with language instruction, particularly for second-language writers. Despite the attested efficacy of dynamic written corrective feedback for language gains in intensive English programs, little research has investigated dynamic written corrective feedback in supporting language and discourse development among L2 first-year composition students. In the present study, pre- and post-test writing from 63 second-language first-year composition writers was analyzed for grammatical accuracy as well as lexical and syntactic complexity. Writers with dynamic written corrective feedback intervention ( n = 30) failed to outperform a control group on nearly all measures, and in fact made significantly more verb errors and demonstrated significantly less syntactic complexity over time compared to the control group. Results suggest that while dynamic written corrective feedback is efficacious in some settings, it may be at cross purposes with other first-year composition discourse-based goals such as genre and audience awareness.

Writing and Identity: A Narrative Inquiry on Two Saudi Arabian ESL Females

Writing in a second language is considered extremely challenging for several reasons. Concerns that perplex second-language learners include cognitive complications, the composing process, building arguments, and constructing an identity as a writer. Cultural issues related to writing also pose problems for second-language writers This paper focuses exclusively on how international students, female Saudi ESL students, construct their writing identity in the ESL milieu and navigate critical issues in cross-cultural writing. This paper explores how two ESL Saudi Arabian female students in an English program in the United States negotiate and construct their identities while writing in English. The study will also investigate challenges faced by those students in acquiring English writing skills and how those challenges inform their thinking and shape or reshape their identities as writers. 
 The study involves two female Saudi students who are studying the English language at a mid-size diverse Southwest public university in the United States. The researcher collected the data through semi-structured interviews with the participants and then performed a textual analysis of their responses. The researcher transcribed and analyzed the data and describes the results thematically herein. The findings of this study augment our understanding in how female Saudi ESL students construct their identities as writers. The analysis covers some sociocultural factors that shape their writing. The paper concludes with pedagogical implications for ESL teachers and suggestions for future study. 

Function Words as Markers of Translationese: A Corpus-based Approach to Mental Translation in Second Language Writing

Function Words as Markers of Translationese: A Corpus-based Approach to Mental Translation in Second Language Writing