Writing Instruction in an EFL Context: Learning to Write or Writing to Learn Language?

Abstract

Writing is an important skill to function effectively in a foreign language. In an EFL context, writing is all the more important as a high percentage of students learn English for academic and professional purposes that require advanced writing skills. In the most recent scholarship of L2 writing, arguments have emerged regarding whether the focus of writing instruction should be to teach students how to write effectively in the target language, or how they should use writing to learn the language. Eliciting the main tenets around both these theoretical orientations, the current paper examines writing instruction in EFL contexts and makes the case that the learn-to-write and write-to-learn language approaches are not mutually exclusive. The paper further posits that learner needs should pivot L2 writing instruction in EFL contexts, and that approaches to L2 writing instruction need to be flexible and adaptable.

The effects of mobile-assisted concept mapping on EFL learners’ writing fluency and motivation

“…The importance of writing has been highly emphasized in English as a foreign language (EFL) context (Bhowmik, 2021;Kaveh & Rassaei, 2022;Lee et al, 2016). It is generally believed that people are not considered as "educated" unless they become able to read and write in that language (Chastain, 1998).…”

Evaluating Cami AI Across SMAR Stages: Students’ Achievement and Perceptions in EFL Writing Instruction

“…Third, the students could make their descriptive writing composition coherent with the help of images generated by Cami AI (Ismayanti & Kholiq, 2020;Navidinia, 2019;Rizqullah et al, 2023). Fourth, the integration of technology using the SAMR framework guided the teacher to assist EFL students with the stage-by-stage descriptive writing process (Bhowmik, 2021;Canbay, 2020), which reduced learning complexity. The student learned to develop the composition from the simple step to a more advanced level along with familiarization with technology, Cami AI.…”

Ensino de escrita e avaliação de manuais didáticos de Português L2

“…Ademais, destacamos uma discussão recente surgida na literatura, que deriva do questionamento: o ensino da competência escrita deve ser efetivamente ensinar a escrever na língua-alvo ou a escrita deve ser usada para o aprendizado da língua? A esse respeito, Bhowmik (2021) defende que as abordagens de aprender a escrever e escrever para aprender L2 não são excludentes, mas complementares, tendo como foco principal as necessidades dos aprendentes.…”