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.

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.

Engagement in high- and low-rated argumentative essays: Interactions in Indonesian students’ writings

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-24
Author(s):  
Anis Handayani ◽  
Nur Arifah Drajati ◽  
N. Ngadiso
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Writing Quality ◽  
Explicit Teaching ◽  
Data Validity ◽  
Argumentative Essays ◽  
Persuasive Arguments

This study reports the use of engagement in high-rated and low-rated EFL undergraduate students’ argumentative essays. The engagement here refers to one of the aspects in interacting with the readers, which is called metadiscourse (Hyland, 2005a). The data in this study were ten highest-rated and ten lowest-rated argumentative essays written by first-year undergraduate students. The data were coded manually by two raters to maintain data validity. The results reveal that high-rated essays contain less engagement than low-rated ones. However, it also shows that the engagement in high-rated essays was more varied and grammatically sophisticated than those in low-rated essays. Furthermore, while this study reveals that the higher number of engagement used in argumentative essays does not always coincide with the improved quality of the writing, it implies that the writing quality and score do not depend on the number of engagement expressed but more on the ways students use the engagement effectively. Thus, the explicit teaching on how to use engagement effectively in persuasive writings may be useful for the students to build more persuasive arguments as well as to improve their writing quality.

scholarly journals The Effect of Using Conjunction as Cohesive Device on the Undergraduates’ Quality of Writing in Argumentative Essays of Jordanian EFL Learners

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rawhi Yousef Salman Al Shamalat ◽  
Che An Binti Abdul Ghani
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Writing Quality ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Cohesive Devices ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Argumentative Essays ◽  
Mu'tah University

The goal of this research was to investigate the effect of use conjunctions on the overall quality of argumentative writing of Jordanian English as foreign language (EFL) learners. This mixed-method research included sixty (n=60) undergraduate students at the Department. of English Language and Literature at Mu’tah University in Jordan. The participants of the research were selected using purposive sampling method. The data of the research were collected using written essays and interviews. The data was analyzed using SPSS. The data was collected using analytical scale Jacob et al., (1981) to measure the quality of argumentative essays. The result of this research showed that there was a weak negative but irrelevant correlation between writing quality and the frequency of conjunctions as cohesive devices. This correlation indicates that the frequent and general use of devices in the writing of Jordanian students did not contribute to the quality of the writing under any conditions. Also the finding revealed that there is an extremely negative but irrelevant correlation between the use of conjunctions devices by Jordanian EFL students and their writing quality. Therefore, the correlation was negative and insignificant for Jordanian EFL students. More specifically, the result shows that the frequencies of conjunctions were not found as an indicator of good writing quality for Jordanian EFL students. This research is significant for providing a considerable number of pedagogical implications for further research that will offer great contribution to the field of teaching writing in EFL setting in Jordan in particular and English as second language (ESL) context in general. Moreover, the research has shown a better understanding of cohesive devices / conjunctions by Jordanian EFL students at Mu’tah University.

scholarly journals EFFECT OF CAPTION TYPE IN PICTURE PROMPTS ON EFL WRITING QUALITY

2020 ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Jaqueline Shi
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Linear Regression ◽  
Writing Assessment ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Writing Quality ◽  
Efl Writing ◽  
Chinese College Students ◽  
On Line ◽  
Picture Prompts

To explore the validity of picture-prompt writing assessment, the study investigated the influence of caption type (i.e. narrative, abstract, and zero) in the picture prompt on EFL writing quality of Chinese college students in terms of holistic scores and functional dimensions (i.e. Dimensions of Involvement, Narration, Elaborated reference, Persuasion, Abstractness, and On-line informational elaboration). ANOVA, MANOVA, and linear regression analysis were conducted and results showed that (a) participants performed significantly better with the abstract caption; (b) Dimensions of Involvement and Abstractness significantly distinguished essays with the abstract caption from those with other types; (c) Dimension of Persuasion significantly predicted ratings of essays with the narrative caption, while Dimension of Narration significantly predicted ratings of essays with the abstract caption. Finally, implications for picture-prompt writing assessment and instruction were discussed.

scholarly journals The Usage of Cohesive Devices by High-Achieving EFL Students in Writing Argumentative Essays

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-58
Author(s):  
Andri Saputra ◽  
M. Arif Rahman Hakim
Keyword(s):  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Writing Quality ◽  
Lexical Diversity ◽  
Cohesive Devices ◽  
Determining Factors ◽  
Good Writing ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
High Achieving ◽  
Argumentative Essays

This study aims to investigate types of cohesive devices frequently used in writing argumentative essays by high-achieving college students in Indonesia and to analyse their awareness of usage of these. Participants were asked to write an essay on a pre-determined topic; analysis was then conducted to investigate the most frequent cohesive devices used. Data on the second study question, understanding of the usage of cohesive devices, were gathered though semi-structured interviews. The data indicate that students effectively used various types of grammatical cohesive devices, particularly reference devices. However, some claimed not to know that they were using other cohesive devices. They believed that conjunctions were the only type that functions to connect ideas across sentences and paragraphs, and did not realise that this, that, the, and other reference devices are cohesive devices. In terms of the use of lexical cohesive devices, participants used synonyms more than other sub-types of lexical cohesive devices. The most frequently used device was the, which functions both as a cohesive device and an article. All participants agreed that though links or cohesive devices are necessary to achieve coherence, two claimed that these are not determining factors in producing good writing quality. They argued that high-quality writing needs to contain linguistic features related to sophisticated language and text difficulty. The first suggestion is that focused programs should be adopted to teach the writing of argumentative essays to help lower-achieving students attain the same writing level as high-achieving students. Second, a teaching programme integrating the use of sophisticated grammar, lexical diversity and cohesive devices should be a curriculum priority. 

Students’ Understanding of Generic Structure of the Text and the Quality of Writing: A Correlational Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-45
Author(s):  
Atikah Wati
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Senior High School ◽  
Second Grade ◽  
Statistical Calculation ◽  
Writing Quality ◽  
Generic Structure ◽  
Writing Test ◽  
Correlational Research

Indriyani et al, (2013) stated that many students had dificulty in understanding the generic structure of analytical exposition text. Therefore, the present study tried to investigate the correlation between students understanding in writing generic structure of analytical exposition and the quality of students’ writing in second grade of senior hight school. Grounded in explanatory correlational research design by Creswell (2011), this study conducted over two weeks in one of senior high school in Indramayu. Close-ended questionnaire and writing test were instruments to collect the data and it was analyzed  by using SPSS 22. The statistical calculation from students understanding in writing generic stucture of the text and writing test indicated that the value of tcount was 3.23 and the value of ttable was 0.361. It can be concluded that the hypothesis was accepted because tcount 3.23 > ttable 0.361. The finding reveal that there was middle correlation or middle prediction in students understanding of generic structure of analytical exposition and students writing quality with the score 0,52.

MEDIATEXT IS A TOOL THAT DETERMINES THE QUALITY OF INFORMATION

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 158-164
Author(s):  
Navruza Yakhyayeva ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Properties ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Text Linguistics ◽  
Quality Of Information ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Linguistic Units ◽  
Scientific Classification

The quality and content of information in the article media text is based on scientific classification of linguistic features. The study of functional styles of speech, the identification of their linguistic signs, the discovery of the functional properties of linguistic units and their separation on the basis of linguistic facts is one of thetasks that modern linguistics is waiting for a solution. Text Linguistics, which deals with the creation, modeling of its structure and the study of the process of such activity, is of interest to journalists today as a science.

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