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Dujsik, Darunee. "The effects of pre-writing strategy training guided by computer-based procedural facilitation on ESL students' strategy use, writing quantity, and writing quality." [Tampa, Fla] : University of South Florida, 2008. http://purl.fcla.edu/usf/dc/et/SFE0002566.
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Elabdali, Rima. "Wiki-based Collaborative Creative Writing in the ESL Classroom." PDXScholar, 2016. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/3378.
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Despite the growing number of L2 studies examining digitally-mediated collaborative writing, the vast majority of these studies have focused on academic writing tasks. This study examined the dynamics and perceptions of groups of ESL students who used wikis to write collaborative short stories. The study also compared the short stories written in groups with posttest short stories written individually in terms of creativity, accuracy, and complexity. The study involved nine students taking a Creative Writing course in an intensive English program at a large university in the U.S. It followed a multiple case study design; the students were divided into three pairs and one triad (four case studies). For three weeks, the groups engaged in a series of wiki-based and creative writing activities and produced four collaborative short stories. During the following three-week period, the students wrote nine individual short stories using a similar writing prompt to the one used in the collaborative task. For each student, the collaborative and individual writing samples were compared on the three dimensions of creativity, accuracy, and complexity to examine whether collaboration influenced the quality of the product. Further, the dynamics of collaboration were explored through analyzing the wiki discussions and revision histories for each group. Finally, students' perceptions of the task were surveyed through individual interviews and self-assessment questionnaires. While there was not a clear effect of collaboration on the creativity and accuracy of the short stories, the complexity was slightly higher for the majority of the informants. The analysis of the short stories also indicated that ESL students faced difficulty writing in a genre that does not have a strict pre-established outline. Analysis of the wiki discussions and revision history showed trends of group dynamics in the four case studies. Further analysis of perception data revealed that although the majority of the informants had a negative perception of the collaborative task, they expressed a positive attitude toward the individual creative writing task.
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Rexstedt, Galina. "Computer-assisted collaborative process writing inthe EFL classroom : A literature review on the use of blogs and wikis in EFLclassrooms." Thesis, Högskolan Dalarna, Engelska, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:du-27441.
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Web 2.0 technologies are increasing in popularity, offering huge possibilities, but also bringing new challenges to language learning classes. In the context of ESL and EFL teaching and learning Web 2.0 technologies, specifically blogs and wikis can be used for teaching collaborative process writing. This study investigates previous research on the use of blogs and wikis as tools for collaborative process writing in the context of ESL/EFL classrooms and identifies the advantages and disadvantages of using blogs and wikis for this purpose as well as tries to investigate how their use in ESL/EFL can be organized. The findings show that there are a number of advantages that speak for using blogs and wikis in ESL/EFL teaching and learning. However, there are also disadvantages that can interfere the successful use of blogs and wikis for collaborative process writing. As to possible ways of using blogs and wikis within ESL/EFL context, effective examples of group and pair work were identified.
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Jin, Li. "Computer-mediated peer response in a level-IV ESL academic writing class : a cultural historical activity theoretical perspective." [Tampa, Fla.] : University of South Florida, 2007. http://purl.fcla.edu/usf/dc/et/SFE0002033.
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Lai, Siu-ming Theresa. "Electronic communication and its contribution to students' writing development a case study of a group of ESL engineering students in Hong Kong /." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 2001. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B31944814.
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Chan, Yan-ming Franklin, and 陳仁明. "A study of the effects of the medium of word processing and electronicfeedback on intermediate ESL students' attitudes to writing andrevision strategies." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2001. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31944759.
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Wu, Hui-Ju. "The Effects of Blog-supported Collaborative Writing on Writing Performance, Writing Anxiety and Perceptions of EFL College Students in Taiwan." Scholar Commons, 2015. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/5600.
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Compared with first language (L1) writing, writing in a second or foreign language (L2) is considered to be more challenging and difficult. The challenges and difficulties may result from both the cognitive and the affective aspects of writing. To mitigate the difficulties of L2 writing and help students master L2 writing, teachers could consider using the pedagogical strategies which can help enhance students' cognition in writing or students' writing performance, and also can help reduce students' fear of L2 writing. One of the pedagogical strategies is online collaborative writing supported by CMC. Collaborative learning helps enhance students' cognitive outcomes, such as academic achievement and cognitive development, as well as produce less anxiety in learning. CMC facilitates collaboration, and also provides more chances for interaction which could result in more thoughts. The more thoughts would facilitate to compose. Therefore, it is assumed that online collaborative writing is more effective than traditional collaborative writing in terms of writing performance and writing anxiety.
The present study is a quasi-experimental study. Participants were 101 first-year college students from two intact classes of a private university in Taiwan. One class was randomly assigned as the control class. Participants were engaged in traditional collaborative writing. The other was the experimental class. Students wrote collaboratively via blogs. Before the treatment, both classes were asked to completed a background survey, a pre-test L2 writing anxiety questionnaire, and a pre-test individual writing task. The treatment lasted for ten weeks during which each collaborative group in both classes completed five collaborative writing tasks. After the treatment, a collaborative writing questionnaire, a post-test L2 writing anxiety questionnaire, and a post-test individual writing task were administered to all participants. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted to the students who made the largest, medium, and lowest gains in both classes. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted to analyze the data.
In terms of the quantitative results, there were no significant difference in collaborative writing performance and the quantity of individual writing between classes. The experimental class only significantly performed better than the control class in the quality of individual writing. Concerning the writing anxiety measured, the control class was significantly lower than the experimental class. Regarding students' perceptions, the results of the questionnaire showed that the control class made much more positive responses than the experimental class. As for the qualitative results, students' interviews revealed (1) the function of collaborative writing, (2) the features of the media, (3) the difficulty they encounter during collaborative writing, (4) the positive and negative factors influencing their motivation to write, and (5) their suggestions for teachers. The qualitative results support the quantitative results.
Overall, this dissertation study found that, based on statistic results, traditional collaborative writing seems to be more effective than blog-supported collaborative writing in decreasing the writing anxiety of the EFL college students with weaker English ability and little writing experience. In addition, according to students' perceptions and interview results, traditional collaborative writing also appears to be more acceptable in this context. Although the statistic results suggest that the effect of blog-supported collaborative writing on writing performance and writing anxiety seems to be limited and little probably due to the use of blogs as individual and synchronous tools, its effectiveness can not be completely denied because students' perceptions and interviews suggest its positive influence and outcome. L2 teachers are suggested to provide more training sessions, employ the collaborative writing activity as an out-of-class assignment, and carefully monitor the process of collaborative writing if they do use blogs in L2 writing instruction.
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Lin, Ming Huei. "Blog assisted language learning in the EFL writing classroom : an empirical study." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2012. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/3489/.
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This is a study exploring the effects of blog assisted language learning (BALL) in the EFL writing classroom in Taiwan. It focuses principally on a comparative experimental project that was carried out over the period of one academic year. The project involved two groups of first year university students of a low intermediate level in English. There were 25 students in each group, and both groups were taught by the same teacher-researcher (i.e. the author of this thesis). In this thesis, we present a detailed statistical examination of various aspects of BALL, including students’ writing performance, learning motivation towards writing and self-efficacy beliefs with regard to their EFL writing skills and abilities. We also take a corpus-based look into the written language collected from both of the groups using a series of numerical counts obtained by computerised measurements. We also present the results of a qualitative, phenomenological analysis that reflects the nature of the participants’ BALL experience. The overall argument of the thesis is that BALL is at best no more effective than traditional approaches to EFL writing pedagogy, and in some cases is actually less effective than traditional, low-tech methods.
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Charalambous, Angeliki Constantinou. "Technology in the EFL classroom: the effects of computer applications on Cypriot high school learners' motivation and writing." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2013. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.606707.
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Computer applications are continuously evolving and influence many aspects of life, including literacy and writing in EFL learning. However, although their use is widespread, their effectiveness in education is still under discussion. This study investigated the effects of computer applications in the specific context of public secondary schools in Cyprus, where pupils face various problems that prevent them from developing effective writing skills in EFL learning. The study covered the population of eight EFL ordinary classes in four public secondary schools: four teachers and 200 adolescent pupils were involved. The control group followed the ordinary programme, while the experimental group followed a designed programme with computer applications such as email, wiki, blog, and collaborative projects. The study employed a quasi-experimental, mixed methods research design, utilising quantitative instruments: survey questionnaire, writing samples, and term records. These were corroborated with qualitative data derived from interviews, observation and teachers' reports. The study indicated that the EFL writing skills of Cypriot secondary school learners could be improved through the use of certain computer applications in teaching and learning. The data showed that computer applications facilitated writing processes and motivated pupils to produce longer pieces of text compared with control pupils. Perceived improvements in amount, length, content, and vocabulary of written text were recorded compared with control pupils. Also, the students gained a feeling of satisfaction and pride from online publication of their work. The findings therefore support the use of the selected computer applications for teaching and learning. This study improves understanding of the impact of computer applications on adolescent pupils' attitudes towards writing in EFL and could eventually improve the motivational aspects of the learning environment in public secondary schools in Cyprus. The study has implications for EFL pedagogy, curriculum design, learner and teacher training. .. ~:
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Chang, Wei-Chih Alec. "The 'English as a foreign language' writing classroom and weblog : the effect of computer-mediated communication on attitudes of students and implication for EFL learning." Thesis, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10443/1038.
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Innovative forms of communication technology have generated new educational models and learning environments. Existing literature includes much discussion concerning the consequences of using communication technology in the context of second language learning. However, recent research has not reached any convincing conclusion about the effects of communication technology in EFL teaching and learning. There are still many variables that need to be accounted for when the use of technology occurs in real-life educational environments, particularly when the adoption of a newly developed communication technology - the Weblog - could / may work better for language learners under specific circumstances. This empirical study focused on whether the use of Weblogs positively changes the learners' attitudes towards EFL writing and their informal use of the English language. Once the focus of this study had been established, the research questions and hypotheses were then addressed as a means of examining the effect of Weblogs. A quasi-experimentarl esearchd esignw as applied with a mixed-methodsa pproacht o elicit data from 119 EFL students in two universities in Taiwan. The collected data included 112p re- and 102 post- GEPT exam papers,1 19 questionnairer esponsesa nd the qualitative data of interviews with 24 research participants. These data were then analysed using inductive (qualitative logic) and deductive (quantitative logic) methods to find out the consequences of the research assumptions. The results corroborate the theoretical findings on the significance of computer-mediated communication in learners' affective learning. In other words, the use of Weblogs influenced the learners' attitudes towards EFL writing. The combination of quantitative and qualitative findings suggested that Weblog technology engages learners in active reading and encourages learners' reflectivity, collaboration, and participation in EFL writing. Finally, the results also echo the theoretical concerns about the learners' self-efficacy and language register in the context of second language writing
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Valleroy, Rachel. "ESL Writing Across the Curriculum." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1333599999.
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Sorg, Rosemary Kathyrn. "Identifying Errors in ESL Writing." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1418231647.
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Romstedt, Kathleen A. "The effects of L1 pre-writing discussion on ESL writing." The Ohio State University, 2000. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1334859682.
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Micek, Timothy A. Steffensen Margaret S. "Effects of dedicated reading on ESL writing." Normal, Ill. Illinois State University, 1994. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ilstu/fullcit?p9510426.
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Thesis (D.A.)--Illinois State University, 1994.<br>Title from title page screen, viewed March 28, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Margaret S. Steffensen (chair), Bruce W. Hawkins, Sandra M. Metts, David L. Tucker. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 179-184) and abstract. Also available in print.
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Pryde, Susanne Mona Graham. "Low frequency vocabulary and ESL writing assessment." Thesis, Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1998. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B2012496X.
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Soucy, Adrienne Carleton University Dissertation Linguistics and Applied Language Studies. "Writer's notebooks: writing to learn in ESL." Ottawa, 1993.
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Zhu, Hong. "Cohesion and coherence in Chinese ESL writing." Diss., Virginia Tech, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/40410.
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Saba, Maggie Sami. "Writing in a New Environment: Saudi ESL Students Learning Academic Writing." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/54012.
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This qualitative case study sought to gain a deeper understanding of the obstacles that students from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia face when learning English in a writing course that implements critical thinking and writing process pedagogy. The study took place over five months at the Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute in spring 2012. While ten participants--six female and four male Saudi Arabian ESL students--participated in this study, these findings focus primarily on one male and one female student. The aim of this focus was to give a rich and in-depth description of the two students. Two main queries guided this study: 1) How do sex differences affect Saudi students' perception of their teachers' and peers' authority? 2) How do those perceptions affect their development as writers and critical thinkers when learning in an intensive writing course at the high intermediate level? The researcher documented data through three sources: classroom observation, interviews with ESL students and teachers, and student writing samples.<br>Ph. D.
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Zhang, Hongxia. "A study on ESL writing anxiety among Chinese English majors : Causes, effects and coping strategies for ESL writing anxiety." Thesis, Högskolan Kristianstad, Sektionen för Lärarutbildning, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hkr:diva-8247.
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The aim of this study was to measure the level of ESL writing anxiety experienced by Chinese English majors. The effects of ESL writing anxiety on English writing performance, the students’ perception of the main causes of ESL writing anxiety and their learning style preferences in ESL writing class were also examined, which provided pedagogical implications of successful learning and teaching strategies for reducing ESL writing anxiety. This study was based on quantitative research and three questionnaires were used to collect data. The results of the SLWAI showed that there is a high level of ESL writing anxiety among Chinese English majors, and the Cognitive Anxiety is the most common type of ESL writing anxiety. The differences in the level of English writing anxiety between the groups of freshmen and sophomores reached the level of statistical significance. The sophomores were found to suffer significantly higher levels of English writing anxiety than the freshmen. Correlation analysis results suggested a negative relationship between measure of ESL writing anxiety and measures of writing performance (course grade and timed writing grade). An in-depth analysis of the causes of ESL writing anxiety revealed that linguistic difficulties, insufficient writing practice, fear of tests (TEM), lack of topical knowledge and low self-confidence in writing performance constitute the main sources of ESL writing anxiety experienced by Chinese English majors. Furthermore, suggestions on learning and teaching strategies for reducing ESL writing anxiety were provided on the basis of the acknowledge of sources of ESL writing anxiety and students’ learning style preferences in ESL writing class.
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Almohawis, Khaled. "Graduate Saudi ESL Students’ Perceptions of Writing Pedagogies in EFL Versus ESL Contexts: An Approach Toward Understanding Students’ Writing Difficulties." OpenSIUC, 2020. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/dissertations/1866.
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This phenomenological study examines Saudi students’ perceptions of writing difficulties in U.S. universities as they have experiencing EFL and ESL contexts. The reason for focusing on Saudi students as participants is to limit linguistic, educational, cultural, and social factors that may affect the findings. The participants are seven Saudi graduate students at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC). Interview is used as a research instrument to provide a space for each participant to recall as many memories and perceptions as possible in order to manifest comprehensive presentations of their experiences in the Saudi and U.S. contexts. The two research goals are: (1) exploring the similarities and differences between the two contexts based on the participants’ perceptions; and (2) identifying potential effects of these similarities and differences on the participants’ writing during graduate studies in the U.S. Participants’ perceptions focus on the differences between the Saudi and U.S. contexts, rather than similarities, and their comparisons of the two contexts are discussed based on eight key factors: student’s role, students’ expectations, teacher’s role, relationship with instructors, writing process, feedback and grading, off-campus social life, and educational policies. The potential effects of these differences on Saudi students’ writing in the U.S. context are classified into three domains: educational procedures and academic standards; pedagogies; and writing processes. I conclude this study by offering recommendations for U.S. professors and instructors who may teach Saudi students and future Saudi students who plan to come to the U.S. universities.
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Stanley, Kevin A. "The role of handwriting in ESL writing assessment." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape3/PQDD_0020/MQ47746.pdf.
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Ibrahim, Nizar. "Feedback on ESL writing: Can we integrate form." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/289801.
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Giving grammar feedback to ESL writers is still debatable among researchers. While researchers like Truscott (1996) argue that grammar feedback does not help ESL students, others like Ferris (2001) argue that it does. Moreover, scholars debate whether the modes of feedback (written and oral versus computer) might affect student revisions. Research has been conducted on the effectiveness of different types and modes of feedback, but it is inconclusive and decontextualized. The present study addresses the effectiveness of different types and modes of feedback in the ESL writing classroom. Thirteen ESL students at a southwestern university participated, where they were required to write three papers. They were divided into two groups. Group 1 received rhetorical and grammatical feedback combined on the first paper, while Group 2 received only rhetorical feedback on that paper. On Paper 2, the order was reversed. For Paper 3, the students were re-grouped into two groups. Group 1 received rhetorical and grammar feedback combined through computer and Group 2 received it in the written mode. A mixed approach, quantitative and qualitative, was used. The frequencies of the errors and the corrections that the students made on each paper were calculated and tabulated. The students wrote journals and were interviewed regarding their reaction to the different types and modes of feedback. The study revealed rather a complex picture of how and why students use different types and modes of feedback. The students' backgrounds, their perception of writing, their writing and revision processes and their motivation affected their use of grammar feedback as well as computer feedback. Although the students did not make a lot of changes, error feedback drew their attention to their errors and made them more aware of these errors. Students did not use computer feedback successfully and they attributed that to their cultural background, attitudes, writing styles and the dynamics of computer feedback. This study suggests that training students on self-editing might help them in detecting and correcting their errors. It also suggests that we need to integrate computer feedback with other formats of feedback and to assess the students' reactions to using computer as well as the ways in which they use it. This assessment can be employed to adjust our pedagogical approaches.
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Yamamoto, Natsuki. "The use of modals in ESL academic writing." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1999. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1727.
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Hon, Yuen-wa, and 韓婉華. "Effects of paired writing on Hong Kong ESL students' writing motivation and performance." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10722/209660.
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The present study is to evaluate the effects of Paired Writing on both tutors’ (high-ability Paired Writers’) and tutees’ (low-ability Paired Writers’) writing performance and motivation to write, in terms of self-efficacy and intrinsic interest, while controlling for the instructional procedures and teachers’ effect. Participants were 143 secondary one students of a local secondary school. The results showed that Paired Writers outperformed the individual writers after the intervention and made significant improvement in grammar. Regarding the effects on tutors and tutees, tutors performed significantly better than high-ability individual writers, especially in relevancy & clarity and creativity; whereas tutees made significant improvement in grammar only. Additionally, tutors had significant gain in self-efficacy following the intervention in comparison with high-ability individual writers.<br>published_or_final_version<br>Educational Psychology<br>Master<br>Master of Social Sciences
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Benz, Bradley Paul. ""ESL trouble spots" : composition handbooks, ideology, and the politics of ESL writing and global English /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/9408.
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Heidler, Linda E. "NNS Use of Adverbs in Academic Writing." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2011. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc84213/.
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Recent studies have begun to redefine the idea of accuracy in second language acquisition to include not only grammatical correctness, but also native-like selection. This is an exploratory study aimed at identifying areas of nonnative-like selection of adverbs, such as sentence position, semantic category preferences, frequency of use and breadth of word choice. Using corpus-linguistic methods it compares the writing of nonnative English speakers at an intermediate and advanced level to both American college students’ writing and published academic writing. It also conducts in-depth case studies of three of the most commonly used adverbs. It finds that while advanced students are grammatically accurate, there are still several ways in which their use of adverbs differs from that of native speakers.
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Lee, Heekyeong. "Investigation of freewriting activities in ESL process writing classrooms." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape9/PQDD_0005/MQ43312.pdf.
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Jiang, Wei. "Peer review in ESL writing : attitudes and cultural concerns." Virtual Press, 2003. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1272422.
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To investigate how Chinese ESL learners feel about the peer review process in oral and email-based modalities and how Chinese cultural barriers such as concerns about face saving and shyness might impact their learning attitudes, I taught an ESL writing course to collect data and write this dissertation. Tools for investigation I used included two identical peer review attitude questionnaires that were conducted at two occasions (at the beginning and the end of the course), a Peer Review Guideline and Sign Test.Many published studies on peer review focus on how to implement computer technology in the classroom, but ignore cultural impacts on ESL. The results of the Sign Test revealed that a large number of the students preferred to do oral and email comments in an indirect way, because they felt that they would need group harmony.It was noted that some students would like to receive email comments from their partner, not provide the comments to him/her, because commenting on his/her essay would hurt him/her. In many participants' view, teacher's reviews are more important than their partner's, since cultural barriers such as face saving and shyness prevented them from voicing their own opinion. The results also indicated that the students reacted favorably to the e-mail modality, although some of them still thought that it was a waste of time. Therefore, this modality did serve some students to allay their concerns about face-saving. In the study, a few students favored "anonymous" peer reviews, which could be achieved through email peer review.<br>Department of English
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Lee, Heekyeong Carleton University Dissertation Linguistics and Applied Language Studies. "Investigation of freewriting activities in ESL process writing classrooms." Ottawa, 1999.
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Wong, Dora Ling Fung. "Use of online peer review in ESL eNews writing." Thesis, University of Bristol, 2015. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.702163.
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Use of online peer review in teaching and learning writing is commonly practiced in the ESL classroom. Digital tools such as the weblog increase transparency in learning as it promotes information sharing and facilitates peer review. Online peer feedback through the digital platform can therefore be combined with teacher feedback and students' self-reflection to meet the needs of the ESL writing curriculum. It fulfills the notion of "sustainable assessment" (Boud & Molloy, 2013) and also meets at least two of the five challenges of assessment raised by Dysthe (2008:15): accountability and aligning theory of learning with assessment. The present study examines how online peer review affect the quality of e-news writing among ESL undergraduate students at a university in Hong Kong. A mix of qualitative and quantitative approaches was used to conduct online surveys and collect grades, student news writings, peer comments and self-reflections. Interviews, focus groups and case studies were also employed to investigate students' perception of peer review and their use of peer comments. In addition, a corpus-based study of student news writing benchmarked with professional news provides a detailed study on the quality of ESL news writing, student peer comments and self-reflections. Three research questions were raised to investigate the effectiveness of online peer review in ESL news writing: 1. What are students 'views on conducting online peer review using a news blog? 2. What is the impact of online peer review on the quality of news writing in an ESL classroom? 3. What language proficiency factors are taken into account in online peer review? Datasets of surveys, interviews and case studies reflect a very positive view from the students on the use of online peer review in learning news writing. However, almost all students ranked teacher feedback higher than peer comment and self-reflection. Levels of confidence in their own and peers' ability and influence of culture may explain the student preference. Overall, the online peer review practice demonstrates a positive impact on the student performance in their final work. This is shown by an upward move in the grade distribution curve and improvements made in the final writing based on samples of self-reflections in response to the peer comments. More importantly, critical and reflective thinking skills are demonstrated in self-reflections which include justification of students' use of peer comments. The statistical summary of peer comments and self-reflections indicates that the students focused on categories of content, organization, and layout & design of news writing. Grammar and style & tone remained to be challenging categories for the ESL peer reviewers. Factors like individual competency and group dynamics could be reasons affecting the results. It can also be argued that the students chose to avoid error identification due to peer pressure. However, the high percentage of agreement with the peer comments on category of grammar and concordance findings of peer comments on the style & tone of news writing suggest the peer comments are of good quality. A comparative study of the student and professional news corpora also indicates that the students have obtained a sound understanding of the online news genre and demonstrated satisfactory acquisition of news writing skills. However, the corpus study also reveals problematic use of the past participle, preposition, punctuation, and subject-verb agreement which are grammatical errors common among ESL learners. The findings therefore indicate the limitation of the peer review practice especially in grammatical accuracy
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Choi, Jessie Wai-Ching. "The role of online collaboration in promoting ESL writing." Thesis, University of Leicester, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/30925.
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This study examined an ESL writing class, which consisted of 36 students, at a community college of Hong Kong. The students took part in three online collaborative writing tasks in the second semester of 2004-2005 by sending drafts to peers who gave them suggestions and comments for improvement and working together on the completion of the writing task via email.;The 36 students worked in small groups of four to six. They wrote, responded and revised using the email system offered by the WebCT interface of their course book. The results were evaluated by means of questionnaire, interview and participating students, report of the peer observer, written work, e-responses and reflective summaries of students.;As an introduction, the background of this study is examined. Then in Chapter 2, the notion of collaborative learning is explored with a close examination of its relationship with technology and the ESL writing context and a discussion of the related research literature. Following this, issues concerning online course design are discussed. In Chapter 3, the design of the study is given. Results and implications re presented in Chapters 4 and 5.;Results suggest that students generally enjoyed the supportive atmosphere created by online collaborative tasks and regarded the use of online collaboration as a means of improving their writing by enhancing their motivation, awareness of the audience and the importance of revising, and by reducing their stress and cultivating their positive attitudes towards writing, although some of them were found to have reservations about the effectiveness of peer feedback. The writer concludes that online collaboration does have potential in motivating ESL learners and bringing about positive learning effects on writing, but that the key lies in how it is managed and how effectively it is incorporated into the programs.
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Company, Maria Teresa. "Error Frequencies Among ESL Writers: A Resource Guide." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2012. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/3420.
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Being a competent writer is an important skill in academic education. However, second language (L2) writers often struggle to be linguistically and lexically competent. This project explored the most frequent linguistic writing errors made by 343 English as a second language (ESL) students when Dynamic Written Corrective Feedback (WCF) was applied as an instructional methodology. These errors were also classified by language groups based on the students' first language (L1). These students were enrolled in an intensive English program at the English Language Center (ELC), Brigham Young University. The first languages of these students were Spanish, Korean, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian. The students' writing samples were collected to compile the most frequent linguistic error types. The results of this project show that the most frequent linguistic errors for ESL students are spelling, word choice, determiner, preposition, singular/plural, and word form. Among these errors, spelling and word choice were the most common errors for all ESL students no matter their L1. The principal aim of this project was to take the data collected in the error analysis and create a booklet to be used as a reference guide to frequent ESL linguistic writing errors. With this booklet, teachers should be more aware of frequent errors to better assist their students since this could help them anticipate some of the linguistic difficulties that L2 learners may encounter. This booklet could also help L2 learners attain writing linguistic competence.
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Klingbeil, Tedrick Reinhold. "Analysis of the Composition I-ESL Course." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1332962137.
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Peng, Gao. "On the effectiveness of writing strategies in promoting 13-15 years old Chinese ESL learners' writing ability." Thesis, Högskolan Kristianstad, Sektionen för lärande och miljö, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hkr:diva-8702.
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The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of writing strategies in promoting 13-15 years old Chinese ESL learners’ writing ability. Two writing strategies I selected in this study are Julia's (in James 2000) 8-step writing strategy and Englert's (1991) POWER strategy. Both writing strategies are designed based on Hayes and Flower's (1989) theory of writing process but with different steps in guiding writing. According to their different functions, these two strategies can stand for two main kinds of writing strategies at present. The study included two questionnaires and two writing tests designed for fifteen Chinese students who were chosen randomly in grade 3 of a middle school. Through the analysis of these questionnaires, the students’ attitude to writing and the functions of writing strategies were collected in order to keep the two tests reliable and authentic. And then, the pre-test was used to evaluate these students' primary level of English writing; in the post-test, these students were divided into three groups: the first two groups received two writing strategies and the last one was no strategy group. The comparison of their writing results between the two tests were analysed. Both writing strategies groups in the post-test showed the effectiveness of the given writing strategies . Two writing strategies were chosen for this study according to the research objects' English level and cognitive capability. And the fifteen research objects chosen in Chinese middle school represent the average level of Chinese ESL learners in writing. The analysis of their results in both tests focused on the content of their writings and writing elements, such as, vocabulary, grammar, organization. In the qualitative research of the study, the 8-step writing strategy is shown to be the more effective one for 13-15 years old Chinese ESL learners.
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Wong, Alice Su Chu. "An Investigation of the Predictors of L2 Writing Among Adult ESL Students." Thesis, University of Canterbury. School of Literacies and Arts in Education, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/7837.
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The three studies reported in this thesis investigated the contributing factors of L2 writing among adult ESL learners in the academic setting. The major purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between L2 proficiency, writing strategies, writing attitude, writing errors and L2 writing performance. This thesis aimed to provide insights for the contributing factors that are predictive of L2 writing performance in adult ESL learners, studying in English and non-English dominant settings.
Study 1 (reported in Chapter 3) focused on determining the appropriate measures for investigating the individual factors of writing performance; particularly learners’ writing strategies, learners’ second language proficiency, first language (L1) interference and their relation to writing performance. Thirty-one intermediate students of L2 served as participants. A measure of vocabulary size and a writing strategy questionnaire were administered to the students. Findings in this study indicated that most of the participants’ planning strategies were limited to having a mental or written plan whereas over half of the respondents reported that they always start with an introduction and were more likely to stop drafting after a few sentences. In terms of drafting strategies, it was found that most respondents reread what they had written to get ideas on how to continue but did not go back to their outline to make changes in it. With regard to L1 use, a majority of participants do not write bits of text in their native language. Nevertheless, quite a number of participants indicated that they would write in their L1 if they don’t know a word in English. Findings in this study also suggested that participants’ biggest concerns were related to grammar and vocabulary, which resulted in them making surface level changes and checking. An overall analysis of participants’ writing output and responses from the questionnaire also provided important insights to the improvement of the measures. The revision process included rewording and rephrasing ambiguous items, removing irrelevant items from the questionnaire and restructuring the writing task for the next study.
In Study 2 (presented in Chapter 4), a follow-up study was conducted to examine L2 writers’ proficiency level, writing attitude, writing errors and writing strategies in an English-dominant setting. Nine research questions were designed to guide the study framework and gather specific data regarding the research aims. A writing measure, vocabulary tests and a questionnaire were administered to the students. Findings from Study 2 indicated that L2 proficiency, particularly vocabulary size, was related to writing performance. In addition, it was also discovered that L2 writers who performed poorly were prone to performing writing strategies related to surface level checking. Therefore, it was concluded that linguistic barriers in L2 affect both writing performance and students’ ability in applying the effective strategies in writing. Apart from that, Study 2 also found that the use of L1 and translation into L2 was associated with lower writing performance. Additionally, Study 2 found that pronoun, word and sentence errors were the most prevalent errors among ESL students. A possible reason for this is because L2 students need to work with two languages while writing, mainly the grammar rules in English which are not found in their L1 as well as their own native language. Thus, L2 students face the challenge of working out English grammar rules while writing. Overall, findings in this study suggest that prevalent writing errors in English may be a sign of L1 interference and that as the use of L1 increases, writing performance decreases.
In Study 3 (reported in Chapter 5), the role of proficiency level, writing attitude, writing errors and writing strategies was explored by measuring the relationship between writing attitude scores, errors in writing, strategy use and essay scores. Additionally, the role of L2 proficiency in writing performance was also investigated by assessing the relationship between vocabulary size scores, writing errors and writing performance. Findings from Study 3 revealed unexpected findings with regard to the relationship between L1 use and writing performance among the three sample groups. L1 use was found to be correlated with writing performance for Group A but not Groups B and C. It was argued that L2 writers of different L2 proficiency level and academic experience may have different orientations of L1 use. Further work on the impact of L1 use on L2 writing will be needed in order to provide insights into this area. With regard to writing errors, a relationship between errors and writing performance was reported. It was found that subject verb agreement error appeared to be a common factor for the three groups in the study that was related to writing performance. In addition, errors were also significantly correlated with L2 proficiency, suggesting that as L2 proficiency increased, errors decreased. Overall, Study 3 argues for the importance of developing and enhancing learners’ L2 proficiency to reduce errors and improve learners’ writing performance. Additionally, Study 3 also argues for the need to emphasize effective writing strategies in the ESL writing classroom.
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Jim, Mei-hang. "A study of lexical errors in Cantonese ESL students' writing." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 2005. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B31602812.
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Liu, Yingliang. "ESL Students in the College Writing Conferences: Perception and Participation." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/193868.
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Teacher-student writing conferences are an important component in college writing courses. Coming from different cultural and educational backgrounds, many ESL students are not familiar with this practice and tend to listen to the instructor passively. Their perception of the conference may affect their interaction with the instructor. This study investigates how ESL students' perception affects the teacher-student interaction in the writing conferences. The multiple-case study explores: (1) ESL students' expectations of the writing conference and factors contributing to the expectations, (2) participation patterns of ESL students in the conferences, and (3) ESL students' perception of the effectiveness of teacher-student conferencesA questionnaire, distributed to 110 (65 NS and 45ESL) students enrolled in the first-year composition classes, examines students' previous writing experience and expectations of the writing conferences. Pre-conference interviews with 19 focus students (8 NS and 11 ESL) were conducted to verify the survey results. Students' participation patterns were investigated via the video-recorded writing conferences of the 19 focus students. Students' perceptions of the conference were investigated through the post-conference interviews with the 19 focus students and follow-up interviews with six Chinese students.The questionnaire results showed that ESL students and NS students expect to receive feedback on their drafts at the writing conference. ESL students, not familiar with the dynamic feature of the conference, expected the instructor to directly tell them what to do without planning to explain their own thoughts. These student expectations were shaped by factors beyond individual preferences. ESL students' expectations were reflected in the way they participate in the writing conferences. Compared with NS students, who knew better how to "buy" the teacher feedback by asking for opinions or suggestions and announcing plans of revision, ESL students tended to be good listeners at the conference by answering questions. They seldom initiated comments and questions in the conferences. Post-conference interviews revealed that ESL students perceived the conference as effective as they received directive feedback from the teacher. It was noted that their participation was constrained by their preconceived assumption of the teacher-student relationship. The findings offer implications on how to conduct conferences to maximize students' benefits.
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Jim, Mei-hang, and 詹美恒. "A study of lexical errors in Cantonese ESL students' writing." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2005. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31602812.
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Stiefvater, Andrea L. "Language Socialization in ESL Writing Classes: A Systemic Functional Analysis." Cincinnati, Ohio : University of Cincinnati, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view.cgi?acc_num=ucin1226983324.
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Thesis (Dr. of Education)--University of Cincinnati, 2008.<br>Advisor: Gulbahar Beckett. Title from electronic thesis title page (viewed Feb.16, 2009). Includes abstract. Keywords: 2nd Language Writing; TESL; EAP; SFL. Includes bibliographical references.
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Hartshorn, K. James. "The Effects of Manageable Corrective Feedback on ESL Writing Accuracy." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2008. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/1522.
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The purpose of this study was to test the effect of one approach to writing pedagogy on second-language (L2) writing accuracy. This study used two groups of L2 writers who were learning English as a second language: a control group (n = 19) who were taught with traditional process writing methods and a treatment group (n = 28) who were taught with an innovative approach to L2 writing pedagogy. The methodology for the treatment group was designed to improve L2 writing accuracy by raising the linguistic awareness of the learners through error correction. Central to the instructional methodology were four essential characteristics of error correction including feedback that was manageable, meaningful, timely, and constant. Core components of the treatment included having students write a 10-minute composition each day, and having teachers provide students with coded feedback on their daily writing, help students to use a variety of resources to track their progress, and encourage students to apply what they learned in subsequent writing. Fourteen repeated measures tests using a mixed model ANOVA suggest that the treatment improved mechanical accuracy, lexical accuracy, and certain categories of grammatical accuracy. Though the treatment had a negligible effect on rhetorical competence and writing fluency, findings suggest a small to moderate effect favoring the control group in the development of writing complexity. These findings seem to contradict claims from researchers such as Truscott (2007) who have maintained that error correction is not helpful for improving the grammatical accuracy of L2 writing. The positive results of this study are largely attributed to the innovative methodology for teaching and learning L2 writing that emphasizes linguistic accuracy rather than restricting instruction and learning to other dimensions of writing such as rhetorical competence. The limitations and pedagogical implications of this study are also examined.
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Brunette, Kathryn Elaine. "Adult ESL Writing Journals: A Case Study of Topic Assignment." PDXScholar, 1994. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/4738.
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Over the past ten years, the use of student writing journals has become increasingly widespread in the TESOL field. Such journals serve a wide variety of purposes: a cultural diary, a free writing exercise, a forum for reaction or comment on readings or classroom discussions, in addition to a form of teacher/student dialogue. The main purpose of this study has been to determine the relationship of topic assignment to the quantity and quality of resulting entries. The data, 144 journal entries generated by ten adult ESL students over a period of ten weeks, were measured for length, in terms of total words and total number of T-units, and quality as assessed by the Jacobs profile (1981) which considers the following areas: content, organization, vocabulary, language use and mechanics. In addition, student reactions to instructor comments and attitudes toward journal keeping were explored in an end of term questionnaire. It was found that, on a group level, the assignment of four specified topic types (A. Topics relating to class lectures and discussions, B. Topics relating class discussions to the students' respective cultures, C. Topics relating to class or personal experiences and D. No topic assignment) did not appear to have any relationship with either the quality or quantity of writing. However, on an individual level, topic assignment did seem to have a relationship with the quantity of writing and in some cases, the quality as well. In considering student reaction to instructor comments, all students reported reading instructor comments, but rarely responded to them. When considering topic assignment, 74% of the students stated preferring an assigned topic, yet 60% actually wrote more when given a free choice of topic. Also, on the individual level, students stated a variety of topic type preferences that roughly corresponded with an increase in entry length. Finally, students seemed to have a positive attitude toward journal keeping as 80% stated they would like to keep a journal next term.
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Chen, Wenting. "How Knowledge and Attitude Affect ESL Students’ Collaborative Writing Outcomes." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1438696895.
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Gaynor, Robert Lee. "Computer Grammar Checkers and ESL Writers." PDXScholar, 1994. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/4796.
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The use of word processors has become common in writing instruction for students of English as a second language (ESL). Recent developments in microcomputer technology have increased the number of "tools" or writing aids that are incorporated into word processing programs. Among these are computer style and grammar checkers, programs that attempt to identify and diagnose stylistic, grammatical, and mechanical problems in writing. This study examines the suitability of commercial grammar checking programs for use by ESL writers through descriptive analysis of program features and evaluation of accuracy. The programs evaluated are Grammatik 5, Microsoft Word 6.0 and Correct Grammar (both using CorrecText as an underlying system), and Right Writer 6.0. The principal issues explored in the descriptive analysis are comparative ease-of-use, the nature of diagnostic advice and tutorial information, and modification capabilities of each program. The analysis shows that grammar checking programs that are part of word processing programs (e.g., Word Perfect and Microsoft Word) are easier to use, but lack key components that permit modification of advice messages and tutorial information, or addition of new error patterns. The evaluation of accuracy examines program performance in terms of error types the programs were designed to identify in relation to errors common in ESL writing. In a test of sample sentences, the overall accuracy rate for the most successful program, Grammatik 5, was only 50%. Microsoft Word and Correct Grammar were second with 42%; Right Writer 6.0 was the weakest, with a score of 25%. Program accuracy was substantially reduced in analysis of a sample student essay. Microsoft Word and Correct Grammar performed best, but with only 21% accuracy. The score of Grammatik 5 was reduced to 17%, and that of Right Writer 6.0 to 13%. This suggests that student writing contains a larger number of errors the programs cannot identify than do the test sentences. In addition, sentences in the essay contained multiple errors, while most of the test sentences contained only one error. Low accuracy rates might be improved by rule modification features of standalone versions of programs such as Grammatik 5 and Correct Grammar.
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Alshahrani, Ali Ayed Saeed. "Preparing ESL students for university level writing : the influence of using an electronic portfolio as a learning tool on ESL students' writing motivation and perforrmance." Thesis, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10443/1544.
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Thousands of English as a Second Language students in Western universities strive to meet the daily challenge of preparing written assignments. These texts need to comply with the demands and preferences of their university lecturers with regard to clarity of meaning, the logical flow of ideas and the use of an academic vocabulary. However, a characteristic of ESL students’ written work is a weakness of content and a lack of logical organisation of their ideas (Roberts and Cimasko 2008). In many intensive English language programmes, students are taught to use the process-writing approach, the success of which is related to how it is perceived and introduced to the students (Lefkowitz 2009). Atkinson (2003) emphasised that the process-writing approach perceives writing to be a cognitive process that is highly private or individualistic, where writers use specific cognitive phases, such as pre-writing, drafting, and revising, to generate their text. However, writing has been increasingly recognized as a socially and culturally situated activity connecting people with each other in ways that carry particular social meanings (Hyland 2003). Despite this view of writing as a social act, Lefkowitz (2009) claimed that many English Language Programme Centres (ELPCs) superficially implement process-writing in class by aiding students in revising their essays to achieve grammatical accuracy; however the generation, formation and revision of ideas are considered to be of less importance. This study investigates the use of an electronic portfolio (TaskStream e-portfolio) in an ESL writing course as a tool to support students as they work through the key phases of the writing process. The aim was to help them adopt a consistent approach to their writing practice (self-consistency), to encourage a positive view of the value and importance of writing (self-belief), to foster a realistic appraisal of their strengths and weaknesses as writers (self-judgement), and to examine the relationship between these characteristics and the students’ overall writing performance. To that end, the study addressed four main questions: • Does utilising a web-based learning platform encourage a change in ESL learners’ writing self-belief? • Does utilising a web-based learning platform encourage a change in ESL students’ writing self-efficacy? • Does utilising a web-based learning platform encourage ESL students to consistently apply a process approach to writing? • Does utilizing a web-based learning platform lead to a change in ESL students’ overall writing performance? Using a non-equivalent pre-/post-test quasi-experimental research design, 46 ESL students from the same English Language Centre were recruited. The students were divided into a control group and an experimental group and the study ran during the spring and summer terms of 2010. A mixed methodology was used, consisting of an online questionnaire, writing sampling, online tracking and interviews in order to collect relevant data. The findings from the pre-test showed no significant differences between the participants in the two groups. The post-intervention results indicated no significant improvement among the control group’s motivational constructs and performance in writing, whereas significant differences were found in the experimental group’s writing performance and in the students’ perceived value with regard to writing, writing self-concept, writing self-efficacy and writing process approach self-consistency, following the implementation of the web-based course. However, no significant differences in ESL students’ anxiety about writing were observed. These findings suggested that e-portfolio software has the potential to promote change in ESL students’ writing self-belief and performance. Limitations of the study are discussed, implications of the findings explored, and recommendations for further research in this field are suggested.
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Ko, Kyoungrok. "Perceptions of KFL/ESL Teachers in North America Regarding Feedback on College Student Writing." The Ohio State University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1276447371.
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Solagha, Omta Zoi. "Writing Difficulties in the Swedish ESL-Classroom : How teachers of English deal with students’ writing difficulties." Thesis, Stockholms universitet, Institutionen för språkdidaktik, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-94207.
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This study covers a research within the area of writing difficulties in the ESL classroom (English as second language). This essay aims to look at teachers’ attitudes towards working with writing difficulties and also how teachers deal with this issue in the classroom. The data for this study was collected through the qualitative method; interviews and observations. The informants who participated in this study are English teachers, working in year 7-9. The observations were conducted during the informants’ lessons. Previous research has also been used in this study in order to establish the teachers’ work within writing. The study shows that the teachers feel that it is challenging to work with students who have writing difficulties, since those students might be unmotivated. However, the informants believe that teachers need to motivate their students to write more, in order to achieve development. Moreover, the study shows that teachers do not use any specific method when working with writing, instead they try to see what the students have difficulties with, and subsequently find solutions based on the individual’s needs.
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Li, Nim-yu Kitty. "The word processor and ESL college basic writers : a study of writing quality, revision strategies, writing attitude and writing apprehension /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1994. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B1594993X.
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Syncox, David. "The effects of audio-taped feedback on ESL graduate student writing." Thesis, McGill University, 2003. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=19391.
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This thesis examined the effects of audio-taped feedback on ESL graduate student writing. Thirty-two students participated in the study over one semester. A triangulated approach to data collection was used by gathering and analyzing information from three principal sources: (a) students' written texts, (b) audio-taped feedback from the instructor, and (c) interviews with the participants. The research revealed that single and multiple feedback moves, in the form of models and prompts, were used by the instructor with similar frequency. Results also indicated that students benefited in all cases from audio-taped feedback. Overall, findings suggest that audio-taped feedback is very effective at helping students to produce an improved draft. The study includes discussion of the pedagogical implications of audio-taped feedback. Limitations to the study are discussed and conclusions are drawn based on the findings.
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Ghosh, Sanjukta. "Peer feedback and self review in ESL writing of Chinese students." Thesis, Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1998. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B19883845.
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Tangpijaikul, Montri. "The Thai university student's fine-tuning of discourse in academic essays and electronic bulletin boards performance and competence /." Phd thesis, Australia : Macquarie University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.14/73139.
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Thesis (DAppLing)--Macquarie University, Faculty of Human Sciences, Dept. of Linguistics, 2009.<br>Bibliography: p. 208-233.<br>Introduction -- Conceptual frameworks: language competence and the acquisition of modality -- Generic frameworks: speech, writing and electronic communication -- Linguistic frameworks: modality and related concepts -- Research design and methodologies -- FTDs in the ACAD and BB corpora -- Learner's use of FTDs in discoursal context and their individual repertoires -- Conclusions and implications.<br>While natural interaction is one of the important components that lead to successful language learning (Vygotsky 1978, 1986), communication in classroom practice in Thailand is mostly teacher-centered and not genuinely interactive. Online group communication is different because it allows learners to exercise interpersonal communicative skills through interaction and meaning negotiation, as in reciprocal speech situations. At the same time it gives learners time to think and produce language without having to face the kind of pressure they feel in face-to-face classroom discussion. The language learner's competence is thus likely to be enhanced by opportunities to communicate online, and to be more visible there than in academic contexts, although there is a dearth of experimental research to show this. One way of investigating the pedagogical potential of bulletin board discussions is to focus on the interpersonal linguistic devices used in textual interactions (Biber 1988). -- The purpose of this research is to find out whether students communicating online in bulletin board writing will exercise their repertoires of linguistic fine-tuning devices (hedges, modals, and intensifiers) more extensively than when writing academic essays. This was expected because hedges, modals and intensifiers are likely to be found in interactive discussions (Holmes 1983), while academic tasks do not create such an environment. Though hedges and modal devices are also found in academic genres (Salager-Meyer 1994, Hyland 1998), those used tend to be academic in function rather than communicative. -- In order to compare the frequency and variety of the fine-tuning devices used by learners in the two mediums, data was gathered from 39 Thai students of English at Kasetsart University, from (1) their discussions in online bulletin boards and (2) their academic essays. Tasks were assigned on parallel topics in three text types (narrative, explanatory, argumentative) for both mediums. The amount of writing was normalized to create comparable text lengths. Measures used in the quantitative analysis included tallying of the types and tokens of the experimental linguistic items, with the help of the AntConc 2007 computer concordancer. Samples of written texts from the two mediums were also analyzed qualitatively and compared in terms of their discourse structure (stages, moves and speech acts), to see which functional segments support or prompt particular types of pragmatic devices. -- The findings confirm that in electronic bulletin boards the students exercise their repertoires of fine-tuning devices more frequently, and use a greater variety of pragmatic functions than in academic essays. This is probably because online discussion fosters interactions that are more typical of speech (Crystal 2006), and its structure allows for a series of interpersonal moves which have no place in academic tasks. Text-type also emerged as a significant factor: writing argumentative texts prompted greater use of modals and intensifiers than the narrative and explanatory ones. Thus students' communicative competence showed itself most fully in the argumentative online assignments, and was not so evident in academic and expository essays. Frequent use of modal and intensifying elements was also found to correlate with the students' English proficiency grades, and how regularly they wrote online. This incidentally shows the importance of exposure to L2 in language acquisition, and that lower-proficiency learners need more opportunities to exercise their L2 resources in interactive discourse, in order to develop competence in using them. -- These research findings support Long's (1996) 'Interaction Hypothesis', that learners learn best in situations that cater for interaction; and Swain's (1985) 'Output Hypothesis', that learners need the chance to exercise their language naturally in a variety of contexts -through academic tasks as well as social interactions, which are equally important for language education. Extended performance opportunities undoubtedly feed back into the learner's communicative competence.<br>Mode of access: World Wide Web.<br>xi, 389 p. ill