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A Multiple‐Data Analysis of the 3.5‐Year Development of EFL Student Writers
Author(s) -
Sasaki Miyuki
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
language learning
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.882
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1467-9922
pISSN - 0023-8333
DOI - 10.1111/j.0023-8333.2004.00264.x
Subject(s) - psychology , fluency , english as a foreign language , recall , language proficiency , mathematics education , linguistics , pedagogy , cognitive psychology , philosophy
The present study investigated the changes in Japanese students’ English writing behaviors over a 3.5‐year period using multiple data sources including written texts, videotaped writing behaviors, and stimulated‐recall protocols. Data from student interviews supplemented the analyses. Because 6 (henceforth, English as a second language [ESL] students) out of the 11 participants spent 2 to 8 months in English‐speaking environments, the study was also able to examine the effects of such overseas experiences. The results revealed that over the observation period (a) both the English as a foreign language (EFL, remaining in Japan) and the ESL students improved their English proficiency, English composition quality/fluency, and confidence in English writing; (b) the ESL students’ overseas experiences were helpful for improving their writing strategy use and motivation to write better compositions; and (c) neither group's abilities or skills became like those of the EFL experts studied in Sasaki (2002).