Pedagogical Implication of Clause Expansion Mastery through E-Learning Instruction to Improve Academic English Writing Skills

Abstract

The current study investigated the pedagogical implication of Clause Expansion (CE) mastery to improve academic English writing skills. Fifteen students participated in the study. A two-cycle action research design was used to justify how the mastery of clause expansion contributed to the development of academic writing skills. Prior to intervention, they were assigned to write academic texts based on IELTS writing test. Then, they were given a three-week task-based e-learning instruction on CE., based on Systemic Functional Linguistic Framework of Clause Expansion.In the process of Explicit Instruction (EI) of CE, they were exposed in academic writing exercises to apply their knowledge on CE in various grammatical contexts in which it is required as Input Flood (IF). Another test was administered to see how it progressed from the pre-test. Then, another three-week task-based e-learning module, was given for their second online learning activities. A post-test was administered to see how it contributed to their overall writing skills. It turned out that CE mastery under e-learning special instruction did significantly improve their writing skills. They become more confident in writing academic texts. It is highly recommended that CE be taught as an integral part of a writing course.