Beyond proficiency

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-289
Author(s):  
Stuart G. Towns ◽  
Richard Watson Todd
Keyword(s):  
Writing Development ◽  
Student Writing ◽  
Development Studies ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Pulitzer Prize ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Writing Quality ◽  
Lexical Cohesion ◽  
Award Winning ◽  
Interpretive Methods

Abstract Many studies have investigated the correlations between linguistic features and human judgements of writing quality. These studies usually investigate either proficient student writing or exceptional literary writing. The current study attempts to bridge these two perspectives by comparing proficient writing to award-winning exceptional writing using movie reviews written by bloggers and Pulitzer Prize winners. A range of linguistic features representing syntactic complexity, lexical complexity, and lexical cohesion were analyzed using both automated and interpretive methods. It is found that some, but not all, of the trends seen in writing development studies continue on to exceptional writing, with lexical sophistication and lexical cohesion through conceptual associations making the largest contributions to the differences between proficient and exceptional writers.

Genre Effect on L2 Syntactic Complexity and Holistic Rating for Writing Quality of Intermediate EFL Learners

2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 451-469
Author(s):  
Lili zhang ◽  
Haitao liu
Keyword(s):  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Argumentative Writing ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Writing Quality ◽  
Efl Writing ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Writing Courses ◽  
English Writing ◽  
Writing Scores

Abstract This exploratory study examines whether genre has an impact on syntactic complexity and holistic rating in EFL writing. Over 300 sample texts produced by intermediate learners were collected from a test and some regular after-class assignments for English writing courses. Each participant completed two writing tasks, one argumentative and the other narrative. Results show that genre type has a significant impact on L2 syntactic complexity. Genre effect is found stronger with timed writing tasks. L2 holistic ratings show correlation with syntactic complexity on the different measure(s) depending on genre type and planning conditions. Regression analyses reveal that for timed writing tasks, clausal density (clauses per sentence) is a reliable predictor for holistic assessment on intermediate EFL learners’ writing quality. It is found to account for 6% of the score variance for timed writing and 10% for timed argumentative writing. Genre is evidenced to be related to EFL writing holistic ratings. Closer examination indicates that while syntactic complexity is predictive of holistic writing scores for argumentative writing, it does not correlate with holistic scores for narrative writing. Other linguistic features rather than syntactic complexity may be accountable. Overall, the study lends support to genre effect in the relationship between syntactic complexity and L2 writing quality holistic rating.

scholarly journals THE USE OF NOMINALIZATION IN EMI STUDENT WRITING - A LONGITUDINAL PERSPECTIVE

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Do Thi Thanh Ha ◽  
Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Writing Development ◽  
Student Writing ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Developmental Patterns ◽  
Program Coordinators ◽  
Teaching Context ◽  
Language Research ◽  
Changes Over Time

ESL student writing development has been a concern in second language research. However, most of the current studies focus on the development in the language teaching context.  The context of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) has been under-represented, in which how EMI students’ writing changes over time without teaching or explicit feedback on language has not been well-researched. This paper aimed at tracing the development of students writing in an EMI program in Vietnam. Particularly, the paper analyzed one particular aspect of syntactic complexity (i.e. nominalization), a construct considered important in developmental profiling of individuals (Lu, 2011; Vyatkina, 2013).  Assignments from three EMI students were collected over three semesters and changes in their use of nominalization were closely investigated and developmental patterns were described. The results of the study inform ESL and SLA researchers and academics of how academic writing develops in a non-instructed environment and accordingly enable EMI program coordinators and designers to provide appropriate language supports to students during the course.

Beyond Differences: Assessing Effects of Shared Linguistic Features on L2 Writing Quality of Two Genres

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaopeng Zhang ◽  
Xiaofei Lu ◽  
Wenwen Li
Keyword(s):  
Latent Variables ◽  
Moving Average ◽  
College Level ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Writing Quality ◽  
Efl Writing ◽  
Test Corpus ◽  
Argumentative Essays ◽  
Complex Nominals

Abstract This study explored the relationship between linguistic features and the rated quality of letters of application (LAs) and argumentative essays (AEs) composed in English by Chinese college-level English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. A corpus of 260 LAs and 260 AEs were analyzed via a confirmatory factor analysis. Latent variables were EFL writing quality, captured by writing scores, and lexical sophistication, syntactic complexity, and cohesion, each captured by different linguistic features in the two genres of writing. Results indicated that lexical decision times, moving average type-token ratio with a 50-word window, and complex nominals per clause explained 55.5 per cent of the variance in the holistic scores of both genres of writing. This pattern of predictivity was further validated with a test corpus of 110 LAs and 110 AEs, revealing that, albeit differing in genre, higher-rated LAs and AEs were likely to contain more sophisticated words and complex nominals and exhibit a higher type-token ratio with a 50-word window. These findings help enrich our understanding of the shared features of different genres of EFL writing and have potentially useful implications for EFL writing pedagogy and assessment.

Technology-mediated writing: It’s not how much, but the thought that counts

2021 ◽  
pp. 204275302199638
Author(s):  
Kelley Regan ◽  
Anya S Evmenova ◽  
Melissa D Hughes ◽  
Maria P Rybicki-Newman ◽  
Boris Gafurov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Instructional Strategies ◽  
Sixth Grade ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Student Writing ◽  
Writing Quality ◽  
Struggling Writers ◽  
Group Design ◽  
Present Group

Struggling writers including students with disabilities (SWD) need instructional strategies to support their ability to write independently. Integrating technology-mediated instruction to support student writing can mitigate students' challenges throughout the writing process and personalize instruction. In the present group design study, teachers taught 11 to 12 year olds in sixth grade with varying abilities to use a technology-based graphic organizer (TBGO) when digitally planning and composing a persuasive paragraph. Results indicated that the writing quality of the paragraph and use of transition words by typical and struggling writers was significantly better when the TBGO was used as compared to students who wrote without the TBGO. Additionally, when the TBGO was removed, students in the treatment group maintained gains. Student participants and teachers in this study identified features that were especially supportive to students’ writing behaviors. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

scholarly journals A Systemic-Functional Analysis of English Language Learners' Writing

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 207-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciana C. DE OLIVEIRA
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Educational Practice ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Lexical Cohesion ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistic ◽  
Clause Combining ◽  
The University ◽  
Passing Score

This article presents a systemic-functional linguistic analysis of two writing samples of the University of California Analytical Writing Placement (AWP) Examination written by English language learners (ELLs). The analysis shows the linguistic features utilized in the two writing samples, one that received a passing score and one that received a failing score. The article describes some of the grammatical resources which are functional for expository writing, which are divided under three main categories: textual, interpersonal, and ideational resources. Following this brief description is the analysis of both essays in terms of these resources.. The configuration of grammatical features used in the essays make up the detached style of essay 1 and the more personal style of essay 2. These grammatical features include the textual resources of thematic choices and development, clause-combining strategies (connectors), and lexical cohesion; interpersonal resources of interpersonal metaphors of modality; and ideational resources of nominalization and abstractions as ideational metaphors. Implications for educational practice and recommendations for educators based on the analysis are provided.

L2 Theme development in Discursive and Experimental undergraduate student writing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Chen ◽  
Sheena Gardner
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Student ◽  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Writing Development ◽  
Experimental Writing ◽  
Student Writing ◽  
Report Writing ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Successful Student ◽  
Lexical Density

Abstract To complement earlier studies of writing development in the BAWE corpus of successful student writing (Nesi & Gardner 2012; Staples et al. 2016), we examine the Systemic Functional Linguistics notion of Theme as used by L2 writers across first- and third-year and in two distinctive discourse types: persuasive/argumentative Discursive writing of assignments in the soft disciplines and Experimental report writing of assignments in the hard sciences. Theme analysis reveals more substantial differences across the two discourse types than between first- and third-year L2 undergraduate writing. Textual Themes are consistently more frequent than interpersonal Themes, and some variance is found within subcategories of each. Significant differences in lexical density occur across third-year discourse types and between first- and third-year Experimental writing where a predominance of N+N topical Themes is also found. These findings are important as previous research has tended to focus on L1 Discursive writing.

scholarly journals AN ANALYSIS OF COHESION OF EXPOSITION TEXTS: AN INDONESIAN CONTEXT

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 515
Author(s):  
Emi Emilia ◽  
Nurfitri Habibi ◽  
Lungguh Ariang Bangga
Keyword(s):  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Written Language ◽  
High Achievers ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Lexical Cohesion ◽  
Functional Linguistics ◽  
Cohesive Devices ◽  
Eleventh Graders ◽  
Flow Of Information

The paper reports on the results of a study aiming to investigate the cohesion of exposition texts written by eleventh graders of a school in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. The study used a qualitative case study research design, especially text analysis, involving 32 students. In the interest of space, the paper will present the data obtained from six texts written by 6 students, representing low, mid, and high achievers. The texts were analyzed using systemic functional linguistics (SFL), especially in terms of schematic structure and linguistic features, especially those contributing to the cohesion of the texts, such as Theme progression and cohesive devices. The results show that all texts show students’ grasp and understanding of the schematic structure of an exposition, including thesis, argument, and restatement of the thesis. All texts also successfully use the zig-zag and the Theme reiteration patterns, which indicate the students’ emerging capacity to create a text with cohesion at the clause level. However, only texts written by high achievers employ the multiple Theme pattern, indicating the students’ emerging capacity to create a text with better sense of connectedness, unity, and flow of information at the global level. High achiever texts also employ discourse features which allow the reader to predict how the text will unfold and guide them to a line of understanding of a text as a whole. Moreover, in terms of cohesive devices, all texts use some simple cohesive devices—reference, lexical cohesion, and conjunction. It should be mentioned that all texts are rudimentary with some inappropriate word choices and grammatical problems. This suggests that the students still needed more guidance and time to do research on the topic in focus, to go through the process of writing as professional do, to allow them to create a better text with more elaboration and characteristics of written language with consistency and accuracy. It is recommended that further research on different perspectives and foci of analysis of different text types using systemic functional linguistics, with more representative samples, and studies on the teaching of writing be conducted.

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