Undergraduate Iranian EFL Learners’ Use of Writing Strategies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/wap.v2i1.65Keywords:
Writing strategies, direct strategies, indirect strategies, gender, grade level, years of studyAbstract
This study investigates English language learners’ writing strategies with reference to their gender and year of study at a university in Iran. To this end, a writing strategies questionnaire was employed to tap into the memory, cognitive, compensation, metacognitive, social, and affective strategies of 230 participants. Semi-structured interviews with participants were also conducted in addition to the questionnaire. Participants’ perceptions demonstrated no significant differences in writing strategy use for either gender or year of study. Metacognitive and cognitive strategies were found to be the most frequently used strategies by all writers, and both the low- and high-level male and female learner-writers used writing strategies with approximately the same frequency. Interviews identified sociocultural and contextual differences in students of both genders and years of study which reflect the challenges foreign language learner-writers of English face in an academic context. Further research on writing strategies taking more specific variables, task settings, and contexts into consideration is necessary to shed more light on EFL writing strategy use.
References
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Chamot, A. U. and El-Dinary, P. B. (1999) Children’s learning strategies in language immersion classrooms. Modern Language Journal 83: 319–338.
Cohen, A. and Aphek, E. (1981) Retention of second language vocabulary overtime: Investigating the role of mnemonic associations. System 8: 221–235.
Cohen, A. D. and Brooks-Carson, A. (2001) Research on direct versus translated writing: Students’ strategies and their results. The Modern Language Journal 85: 169–188.
Cohen, A. D. and Cavalcanti, M. C. (1990) Feedback on compositions: Teacher and student verbal reports. In B. Kroll (ed.) Second Language Writing 155–177. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Ellis, R. (1994) The Study of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Ehrman, M. and Oxford, R. (1989) Effects of gender differences, career choice, and psychological type on adult language learning strategies. Modern Language Journal 73: 1–13.
Grabe, W. (2001) Reading-writing relations: Theoretical perspectives and instructional practices. In D. Belcher and A. Hirvela (eds.) Linking Literacies: Perspectives on L2 Reading-Writing Connections 15–47. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Green, J. M. and Oxford, R. L. (1995) A closer look at learning strategies, L2 proficiency, and gender. TESOL Quarterly 29: 261–297.
Gu, Y. and Johnson, R. K. (1996) Vocabulary learning strategies and language learning outcomes. Language Learning 46: 643–679.
Holliday, A. (2002) Doing and Writing Qualitative Research. London: Sage.
Horwitz, E. K. (2000) It ain’t over til it’s over: On the foreign language anxiety, first language deficits, and the confounding of variables. The Modern Language Journal 84: 256–259.
Johnson, B. (2001) Toward a new classification of nonexperimental quantitative research. Educational Researcher 30(2): 3–13.
Kerlinger, F. (1986) Foundations of educational research. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
Kinnear, P. R. and Gray, C. D. (1999) SPSS for Windows Made Simple. Sussex: Psychology Press, Ltd.
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Nation, P. (2000) Teaching vocabulary. In J. Coady and T. Huckin (eds.) Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition 238–254. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Okamura, A. (2006) Two types of strategies used by Japanese scientists, when writing research articles in English. System 34: 68–79.
O’Malley, J. M., Chamot, A. U., Stewner-Manzanares, G., Russo, R. P., and Kupper, L. (1985) Learning strategy applications with students of English as a second language. TESOL Quarterly 19(3): 557–584.
Oxford, R. (1990) Language Learning Strategies: What Every Teacher Should Know. New York: New burry House.
Oxford, R., Cho, Y., Leung, S., and Kim, H. (2004) Effects of the presence and difficulty of task on strategy use: An exploratory study. International Review of Applied Linguistic in Language Teaching 42(1): 1–47.
Oxford, R. and Nyikos, M. (1989) Variables affecting choice of language learning strategies. Foreign Language Annals 21(4): 321–329.
Peacock, M. and Ho, B. (2003) Student language learning strategies across eight disciplines. International Journal of Applied Linguistics 13(2): 179–200.
Petric, B. and Czarl, B. (2003) Validating a writing strategies questionnaire. System 31: 187–215.
Silva, T. (1993) Toward an understanding of the distinct nature of L2 writing: The ESL research and its implications. TESOL Quarterly 27: 557–578.
Tyacke, M. and Mendelsohn, D. (1986) Student needs: Cognitive as well as communicative. TESL Canada Journal (Special Issue)1: 171–183.
Wang, W. and Wen, Q. (2002) L1 Use in the L2 composing process: An exploratory study of 16 Chinese EFL Writers. Journal of Second Language Writing 11(3): 225–246.
Wharton, G. (2000) Language learning strategy use of bilingual foreign language learners in Singapore. Language Learning 50: 203–243.
Williams, M. and Burden, L. R. (1997) Psychology for Language Teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Yaghoubi, S. (2003) On the relationship between writing anxiety, writing strategies, and sentence complexity. Unpublished Master’s Thesis, University of Tehran.
Zhang, L. J. (2003) Research into Chinese EFL learner strategies: Methods, findings and instructional issues. RELC Journal 34: 284–322.
Bowen, J. D., Madsen, H. M., and Hilferty, A. (1985) TESOL Techniques and Procedures. Rowley, Massachusetts: Newbury House.
Brown, A. and Dowling, P. (1999) Doing Research/Reading Research: A Mode of Interrogation for Education. London: The Falmer Press.
Carrell, P. and Connor, U. (1991) Reading and writing descriptive and persuasive texts. The Modern Language Journal 75: 314–328.
Carson, J. G. and Longhini, A. (2002) Focusing on learning styles and strategies: A diary study in an immersion setting. Language Learning 52(2): 401–438.
Chamot, A. U. and El-Dinary, P. B. (1999) Children’s learning strategies in language immersion classrooms. Modern Language Journal 83: 319–338.
Cohen, A. and Aphek, E. (1981) Retention of second language vocabulary overtime: Investigating the role of mnemonic associations. System 8: 221–235.
Cohen, A. D. and Brooks-Carson, A. (2001) Research on direct versus translated writing: Students’ strategies and their results. The Modern Language Journal 85: 169–188.
Cohen, A. D. and Cavalcanti, M. C. (1990) Feedback on compositions: Teacher and student verbal reports. In B. Kroll (ed.) Second Language Writing 155–177. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Ellis, R. (1994) The Study of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Ehrman, M. and Oxford, R. (1989) Effects of gender differences, career choice, and psychological type on adult language learning strategies. Modern Language Journal 73: 1–13.
Grabe, W. (2001) Reading-writing relations: Theoretical perspectives and instructional practices. In D. Belcher and A. Hirvela (eds.) Linking Literacies: Perspectives on L2 Reading-Writing Connections 15–47. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Green, J. M. and Oxford, R. L. (1995) A closer look at learning strategies, L2 proficiency, and gender. TESOL Quarterly 29: 261–297.
Gu, Y. and Johnson, R. K. (1996) Vocabulary learning strategies and language learning outcomes. Language Learning 46: 643–679.
Holliday, A. (2002) Doing and Writing Qualitative Research. London: Sage.
Horwitz, E. K. (2000) It ain’t over til it’s over: On the foreign language anxiety, first language deficits, and the confounding of variables. The Modern Language Journal 84: 256–259.
Johnson, B. (2001) Toward a new classification of nonexperimental quantitative research. Educational Researcher 30(2): 3–13.
Kerlinger, F. (1986) Foundations of educational research. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
Kinnear, P. R. and Gray, C. D. (1999) SPSS for Windows Made Simple. Sussex: Psychology Press, Ltd.
Magogwe, J. M. and Oliver, R. (2007) The relationship between language learning strategies, proficiency, age and self-efficacy beliefs: A study of language learners in Botswana. System 35: 338–352.
Nation, P. (2000) Teaching vocabulary. In J. Coady and T. Huckin (eds.) Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition 238–254. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Okamura, A. (2006) Two types of strategies used by Japanese scientists, when writing research articles in English. System 34: 68–79.
O’Malley, J. M., Chamot, A. U., Stewner-Manzanares, G., Russo, R. P., and Kupper, L. (1985) Learning strategy applications with students of English as a second language. TESOL Quarterly 19(3): 557–584.
Oxford, R. (1990) Language Learning Strategies: What Every Teacher Should Know. New York: New burry House.
Oxford, R., Cho, Y., Leung, S., and Kim, H. (2004) Effects of the presence and difficulty of task on strategy use: An exploratory study. International Review of Applied Linguistic in Language Teaching 42(1): 1–47.
Oxford, R. and Nyikos, M. (1989) Variables affecting choice of language learning strategies. Foreign Language Annals 21(4): 321–329.
Peacock, M. and Ho, B. (2003) Student language learning strategies across eight disciplines. International Journal of Applied Linguistics 13(2): 179–200.
Petric, B. and Czarl, B. (2003) Validating a writing strategies questionnaire. System 31: 187–215.
Silva, T. (1993) Toward an understanding of the distinct nature of L2 writing: The ESL research and its implications. TESOL Quarterly 27: 557–578.
Tyacke, M. and Mendelsohn, D. (1986) Student needs: Cognitive as well as communicative. TESL Canada Journal (Special Issue)1: 171–183.
Wang, W. and Wen, Q. (2002) L1 Use in the L2 composing process: An exploratory study of 16 Chinese EFL Writers. Journal of Second Language Writing 11(3): 225–246.
Wharton, G. (2000) Language learning strategy use of bilingual foreign language learners in Singapore. Language Learning 50: 203–243.
Williams, M. and Burden, L. R. (1997) Psychology for Language Teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Yaghoubi, S. (2003) On the relationship between writing anxiety, writing strategies, and sentence complexity. Unpublished Master’s Thesis, University of Tehran.
Zhang, L. J. (2003) Research into Chinese EFL learner strategies: Methods, findings and instructional issues. RELC Journal 34: 284–322.
Published
2010-06-11
Issue
Section
Research Matters
How to Cite
Abdollahzadeh, E. (2010). Undergraduate Iranian EFL Learners’ Use of Writing Strategies. Writing and Pedagogy, 2(1), 65-90. https://doi.org/10.1558/wap.v2i1.65
