introduction to academic essay writing from theory to practice pdf

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Writing Skills: Theory and Practice

2013, QuaderniCIRD

The aim of this paper is threefold. First, a diachronic development of ESL (English as a Second Language) composition theory from the 1950s to the 1990s will be outlined. Second, the organising principles relevant to ESL composition theory will be analysed. Third, a survey of the material used in my English classes and a presentation of the introductory unit on writing skills will be given. Finally, some tentative conclusions derived from my students’ compositions will be drawn.

Related Papers

Doctoral Disertation

Orlando Chavez V.

The complexity and variability of the development of writing in a second language have motivated extensive theoretical and empirical research of relevance for language learning and teaching. Whereas there is abundant evidence about what develops in writing (e.g., linguistic aspects in texts, writing strategies, processes, and motivation) and why it develops (e.g., learner maturation, instruction, feedback), comparatively less is known about how writing development occurs. Understanding how learners of English as a second/foreign language (ESL/EFL) develop their writing skills has grown in interest given the dominance of English as the current leading language for academic and non-academic communication. The present study investigates EFL learners' writing development in a foreign languages pre-service teacher education programme at a Colombian university. Drawing on the extensive body of ESL/EFL writing literature that has examined the complexity of writing development from distinct yet rather isolated angles and theoretical traditions, this study adopted a multi-lensed approach to investigate writing development as a writer-text-context compound. Methodologically, the study responds to calls for counterbalancing the partiality for quantitative cross-sectional studies of academic texts of groups of writers in EFL writing development research. Thus, it adopts a mixed-methods approach that investigated the participants' writing development over a 16-week academic semester. The quantitative phase examined writing development differences in groups from three curricular stages of the programme (initial = 31; middle = 29; final = 40; N=100) through a non-academic writing task and a questionnaire. The qualitative phase examined the developmental trajectories and the factors affecting the writing development of six individual learners (three higher scorers and three lower scorers selected from the three curricular stages) using interviews and six texts produced by each participant over the semester. Three independent raters evaluated the texts in the two phases of the study using a rubric developed for this study to reflect the comprehensive view of writing by including text-, writer-, and reader-related writing dimensions. The interviews and questionnaires provided data about writing development that cannot be seen in the texts. Email letters were chosen as a representative non-academic genre used by ESL/EFL learners in the context examined and globally. The findings showed significant differences across the groups. They revealed various developmental trajectories across the various writing dimensions and individual writers, associated with long- and short-term factors influencing EFL writing development. These findings cast light on what develops, why it develops, and how development occurs at both group and individual levels in an EFL situation. It was found that writing progress is limited but significant, nonlinear, and resulting from an interplay between contextual and individual characteristics (e.g., L1, family, instruction, personality, motivation, proficiency, and age). It was also found that writing development is also linked to interactions between writing facets (e.g., content, task, genre, language, authorial voice, audience awareness, language, readability, writing situation) in a way that resembles a self-organising system (Larsen-Freeman & Cameron, 2008a). While the present study was exploratory, the comprehensive view adopted provides a better understanding of writing development to inform EFL writing research, teaching, and assessment. The complexity and variability of writing development remind L2 writing researchers, teachers, and evaluators that, as the writing progress is not linear, having times in which there is no evidence of progress, or and at times, apparent regression, caution is needed in the evaluation of EFL learners' writing proficiency.

Muhammad Fareed , Almas Ashraf

Writing is an important skill for language production. However, it is considered a difficult skill, particularly in English as a second language (ESL) contexts where students face many challenges in writing. Therefore, the present study was conducted with an aim to investigate problems in Pakistani undergraduate ESL learners' writing and factors that hinder their writing skills. It also aimed at obtaining suggestions on how to improve Pakistani ESL learners' writing skills. For this purpose, focus groups of Pakistani English language teachers'and undergraduate ESL learners were conducted. Writing samples were also collected from 30 ESL undergraduate learners to find the major problems in their writing. The interviews and essays were analyzed using thematic content analysis. The findings reveal that the major problems in Pakistani undergraduate ESL learners' writing are insufficient linguistic proficiency (including command over grammar, syntax and vocabulary), writing anxiety, lack of ideas, reliance on L1 and weak structure organization. These challenges are influenced by various factors including untrained teachers, ineffective teaching methods and examination system, lack of reading and writing practice, large classrooms, low motivation and lack of ideas. The study also sheds light on the remedial measures such as increased reading, conscious and incidental vocabulary teaching, writing practice, trained teachers, reforms in the examination system, and writing competitions.

Nunu Belkaniya

Written communication is the area of language which requires the use of correct grammar, spelling, relevant lexis and appropriate style, punctuation and good structuring. This paper details on common difficulties ESL students encounter on their way of producing different pieces of writing. Students lacking experience in writing essays, reports, summaries and other assignments often misuse vocabulary and mix formal and informal styles. These irrelevances affect the output results and minimize student's chances to succeed in academic performance or to apply for a desirable job. The evidence suggests that when writing activities are mostly based on grammar exercises and less on concise text composing tasks students find it difficult to approach essay, review or report writing .But merely challenging students with more writing assignments teachers would little contribute to improving their students' writing skills. As might be expected , a guided practice with clear explanation ...

LSP International Journal

NURSUHAILA IBRAHIM

Writing is an essential skill that needs to be mastered by students. They need to adopt some strategies in order to be a good writer, especially in fulfilling their academic requirements. This study attempts to compare the writing strategies used by undergraduate and postgraduate students. A total of 44 students participated in this study. A survey questionnaire adapted from Flower and Hayes (1981) framework was administered to the respondents. Analysis of strategies based on three factors namely task environment, background knowledge and composing process was used. The t-test results showed that there was no significant difference between the mean response of undergraduate and postgraduate students. In task environments, the undergraduate students were found to choose topic that they know while the postgraduate students tend to choose a topic that they like. Both groups tend to use their schemata or background knowledge in order to write. Furthermore, findings from composing proces...

Journal of NELTA Gandaki

Pitamber Gautam

Nooreiny Maarof

Writing is a great challenge whether performed in the mother tongue or in a second or foreign language (L2/FL). Studies in L2 writing show that writing is a complex cognitive activity comprising a number of processes which includes the use of various strategies. This study aimed to examine strategies used in essay writing among 50 high-intermediate and low proficiency ESL upper secondary school students and to determine any significant differences in strategy use between the two groups. Data from the Writing Strategy Questionnaire indicate that the ESL students were moderate writing strategies users. The while-writing strategies were most frequently used whereas the revising strategies were least used. All students displayed approximately similar frequency use of strategies. They differed only in the type of strategies used. An implication of the study is that students need to be encouraged to use various strategies in improving their writing. Strategy training for ESL students is important to help them write successfully in the target language. Keywords: writing strategies, ESL students, proficiency levels

Inmaculada Ortega Angulo

Jenny Prozell-Thoma

Jenny Prozell

The following paper is a contribution to the existing small body of research on the theory and practice of creative writing (CW) in the English as foreign language (ESL) secondary school classroom. The research aimed at improving the writing skills of Year 9 students through the use of creative writing in a large, private comprehensive school in the Eastern part of Germany. It was carried out under the theoretical underpinning of practitioner research. The study included 31 students from the chosen grade. Prior to the intervention, student writing samples on file were analyzed according to word length and error coding. A pre-intervention writing assessment was used as a quantitative measure to monitor change in student writing. During the intervention, students were observed and interviewed to find out if and how student writing changed on the participant’s individual level. A post-intervention writing assessment was then used to measure change in student writing. A post-intervention group interview as well as post-intervention survey were also conducted. The study found that improvement took place with word length, but not on the level of spelling or synthax-related issues. The percent improvement between girls and boys showed a significant difference in text length. The findings from the student interviews obtained showed that students’ self-perception changed towards their writing. Students felt reassured and more positive towards writing than before the intervention. It was further observed that creative writing (CW) tasks served students’ writing motivation, helped bring out self-expression skills and reduce language anxiety. Disadvantaged students profited from creative writing as much as high ability students, which demonstrates that the use of the method is particularly fit for inclusive ESL settings. It was also found that task design as well as first language (L1) use play a major role in the ESL creative writing process.

Crossings: A Journal of English Studies

Md. Nasim Fardose Sajib

Writing in English, especially writing creatively or independently, is usually a challenging endeavor for learners in the tertiary level classrooms in Bangladesh. The study aims at discovering the present scenario and the reasons for these challenges. This paper also prescribes to the learners some ways for developing writing skills so that they can apply them in their academic life. Data was collected using a questionnaire which was formulated on the basis of different processes of writing and classroom practice by the learners. The survey was conducted among the students who were studying or had taken language skills courses at the Department of English in a private university of Bangladesh. Based on the findings, some practical recommendations have been made for all three stakeholders: learners, teachers, and institutions.

Journal of Language Teaching and Research

E. Julia Kim

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