Collaborative prewriting discussion (CPD) is one of the most popular activities in second language (L2) writing classrooms. To help students discuss effectively, language teachers may consider a number of factors and conditions (e.g., task instructions, types of writing tasks, language use, students' beliefs, students' proficiency, or group…

An important issue in the teaching of writing is whether students should prepare a plan before they start writing. Teacher guides generally recommend pre-task planning (PTP) but with provisos. Research that has investigated PTP, however, does not lend unconditional support to PTP. This article takes a look at the research and draws from it a…

This article discusses two schemes for teaching writing in schools. One uses analysis of model texts into techniques and devices then application of these by students to their written compositions and one uses a process approach that includes pre-writing and exploring, drafting, sharing and discussing, revising and celebrating to exploit students'…

To motivate learners to engage in writing courses and help to improve their writing performance, a mobile-game-based collaborative prewriting approach was proposed in this study. A quasi-experiment was implemented by recruiting two classes of non-English major students from a university in northeastern China. Class 1 learned to write under the…

As a reflection of the value attached to interaction in L2 learning, pair and small-group activities have been integrated into different phases in the writing process. Focusing specifically on peer interaction during the planning and revision phases, this "In the Classroom" study explores the relationship between peer interaction and…

Although the development of implicit grammatical knowledge is highly desirable, not all grammatical constructions could be learned implicitly. Therefore, one of the ultimate objectives of most English as Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms is to aid learners in developing their (automatic) explicit grammatical knowledge. Using progressively complex…

This study explores the impact of mind mapping on the writing of English as a Foreign Language [EFL] among Saudi learners and the bilateral effects of mind mapping and other writing processes. Little research has been devoted to the effect of electronic mind mapping as a mediating tool. Despite the cyclical nature of writing processes, the…

Using a smartphone is a very convenient way to learn languages in modern life. To understand the impact of the immersive environment created by a smartphone on essay writing in Chinese for second language learners, a study was conducted on 36 Vietnamese students in their first year at a university in Taiwan. This study adopted an experimental…

This study aimed to investigate the kinds of peer scaffolding behaviors occurring during English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing activities through three steps of writing process. The participants comprised ten English major students in writing classroom in University of Phayao selected by purposive sampling. They were classified into five…

The current study explores whether form-focused instruction with different timing and availability conditions can be used with repetitive writing tasks to enhance grammatical accuracy and fluency. Sixty-one intermediate English as a foreign language (EFL) learners performed three text reconstruction tasks: Task 1, Repeat Task, New Task, and…

Addressing the lack of studies on L2 online and collaborative prewriting, this study examines L2 collaborative prewriting through voice chat. It explores the effects of an online prewriting condition (individual vs collaborative) on performance in subsequent individual writing as assessed by text length, accuracy, complexity, and analytical rating…

The main problem faced by English teachers in the current English as a Second Language (ESL) writing classroom was a lack of strategies to support the process of teaching and learning writing that would help to enhance the content quality of pupils' writing performance. Additionally, primary pupils were found to face difficulties with getting…

To challenge resistance to required literature courses, instructors quiz students regularly on the readings; they also require examinations that ask students to define key terms, to answer background questions focused on authors and dates, to identify key passages by author/title/speaker, and to explain the thematic significance of each quotation.…

This research investigates the changes in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' psychological attributes in relation to awareness of the lexicogrammatical features and generic structures of a discussion genre essay. This was achieved by implementing a genre-based approach to text-based writing lessons during a 15-week course. The following…

In writing instruction, teachers often struggle with developing engaging and interactive activities given constraints such as large classes and packed teaching schedules. A purposeful and appealing pre-task can energize the writing process and set the context for the subsequent writing task. With this purpose in mind, the author designed the…