The effect of genre-based instruction on foreign language writing anxiety

Kutay Uzun, Ece Zehir Topkaya

Abstract


The present study aimed to find out if Genre-Based Writing Instruction had an effect on learners’ Foreign Language Writing Anxiety levels. The research setting was a compulsory English Literature course in an English Language Teaching (ELT) department, in which a writing module adopting a Genre-Based Approach was integrated with the aim of teaching the literary analysis essay as a genre. The participants of the study were 78 2nd year undergraduate students of ELT who were taking the course. The study employed an Embedded Mixed Methods Design and Writing Anxiety was measured by means of the Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory. The scale was adapted to the research context using the data obtained from 153 participants from the same context, who would not participate in the intervention study. 3 measurements before (Week 1), during (Week 7) and after (Week 12) the intervention were taken from the participants for comparisons. The perceptions of the participants were also sought for by means of interview sessions. Since the quantitative data was found to have been both normally distributed and spherical, a One-Way Repeated Measures of ANOVA was administered to reveal if there was any change in the Writing Anxiety levels of the participants. Pairwise comparisons were made by means of the Bonferroni Post Hoc criterion. The findings showed that the Genre-Based writing module may have had an effect on the Writing Anxiety levels of the participants as the analyses revealed a declining trend with significant differences among all measurements, indicating small to medium effects.

Keywords


Genre-Based Instruction, Foreign Language Writing Anxiety, Literary Analysis Essay

Full Text:

PDF

References


Abdel Latif, M. M. (2015). Sources of L2 writing apprehension: A study of Egyptian university students. Journal of Research in Reading, 38(2), 194–212. http://doi.org/10.1111/j. 1467-9817.2012.01549.x

Almacıoğlu, G., & Okan, Z. (2018). Genre-based approach to writing instruction for students at an English language and literature department. Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 4(1),71-100.

Andrade, M., & Evans, N. (2013). Principles and practices for response in second language writing: Developing self-regulated learners. New York: Routledge.

Argıt, C. E., & Özer-Griffin, B. (2015). Improving writing skills with genre-based instruction for Turkish as a foreign language learners. International Journal of Languages’ Education and Training [Special Issue], 307-316.

Atay, D., & Kurt, G. (2006). Prospective teachers and L2 writing anxiety. Asian EFL Journal, 8(4), 100-150.

Bayat, N. (2014). The effect of the process writing approach on writing success and anxiety. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 14(3), 1133-1141.

Bhatia, V. K. (1993). Analysing genre: Language use in professional settings. London: Longman.

Boice, R., & Johnson, K. (1984). Perception and practice of writing for publication by faculty at a doctoral-granting university. Research in Higher Education, 21, 33 –43.

Cheng, A. (2006). Understanding learners and learning in ESP genre-based writing instruction. English for Specific Purposes, 25(1), 76-89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/elt/54.2.15

Cheng, Y. (2002). Factors associated with foreign language writing anxiety. Foreign Language Annals, 35(5), 647-656. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2002 .tb01903.x

Cheng, Y. S. (2004). A measure of second language writing anxiety: Scale development and preliminary validation. Journal of Second Language Writing, 13(4), 313-335. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2004.07.001

Conway, A. M., Tugade, M. M., Catalino, L. I., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2013). The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions: Form, function and mechanisms. In I. Boniwell & S. David (Eds.), Oxford handbook of happiness (pp. 17-34), Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Daly, J. A., & Wilson, D. A. (1983). Writing apprehension, self-esteem, and personality. Research in the Teaching of English, 17(4), 327-339.

Dong, Y. (2015). Critical thinking in second language writing: Concept, theory and pedagogy. Unpublished PhD Dissertation. The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

Flowerdew, J. (2002). Genre in the classroom: A linguistic approach. In A. M. Johns (Ed.), Genre in the classroom: Multiple perspectives (pp. 91-102). Mahwah: Routledge.

Grupe, D. W., & Nitschke, J. B. (2013). Uncertainty and anticipation in anxiety: An integrated neurobiological and psychological perspective. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 14, 488-501. doi: 10.1038/nrn3524

Han, J., & Hiver, P. (2018). Genre-based L2 writing instruction and writing-specific psychological factors: The dynamics of change. Journal of Second Language Writing, 40, 44.59.

Henry, A., & Rosenberry, R. L. (2001). A narrow-angled corpus analysis of moves and strategies of the genre: ‘Letter of Application’. English for Specific Purposes, 20(2), 153-167.

Hopkins, A., & Dudley – Evans, A. (1998). A genre-based investigation of the discussion sections in articles and dissertations. English for Specific Purposes, 7(2), 113-122.

Hyland, K. (2007). Genre pedagogy: Language, literacy and L2 writing instruction. Journal of Second Language Writing, 16(3), 148-164.

Hyland, K. (2008). Genre and academic writing in the disciplines. Language Teaching, 41(4), 543-562. doi: 10.1017/S0261444808005235

Hyon, S. (1996). Genre in three traditions: Implications for ESL. TESOL Quarterly, 30, 693–722.

Kanoksilapatham, B. (2007). Rhetorical moves in biochemistry research articles. In D. Biber, U. Connor, & T. A. Upton (eds.), Discourse on the move: Using corpus analysis to describe discourse structure (pp. 73-119). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Kurt, G., & Atay, D. (2007). The effects of peer feedback on the writing anxiety of prospective Turkish teachers of EFL. Journal of Theory and Practice in Education, 3(1), 12-23.

Lan, Y., Hung, C., & Hsu, H. (2011). Effects of guided writing strategies on students' writing attitudes based on media richness theory. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 10(4), 148-164.

Lin, G. H. C., & Ho, M. M. S. (2009). An exploration into foreign language writing anxiety from Taiwanese university students’ perspectives. NCUE Fourth Annual Conference on Language, Teaching, Literature, Linguistics, Translations and Interpretation, 307–318.

Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. S. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Beverly Hills: Sage.

Martinez, C. T., Kock, N., & Cass, J. (2011). Pain and pleasure in short essay writing: Factors predicting university students’ writing anxiety and self-efficacy. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 54, 351–360. doi:10.1598/JA AL.54.5.5

Onwuegbuzi, A. J. (1997). Writing a research proposal: The role of library anxiety, statistics anxiety, and composition anxiety. Library & Information Science Research, 19, 5 –33. doi:10.1016/S07408188(97)90003-7

Osman, H. (2004). Genre-based instruction for ESP. The English Teacher, 33, 13-29.

Öztürk, H., & Çeçen, S. (2007). The effects of portfolio keeping on writing anxiety of EFL students. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 3(2), 218-236.

Pajares, F. (2003). Self-efficacy beliefs, motivation, and achievement in writing: A review of the literature. Reading & Writing Quarterly: Overcoming Learning Difficulties, 19(2), 139-158.

Phonhan, P., Phusawisot, P., & Praphan, P. (2015). The use of theme-based instruction to reduce writing apprehension for Thai undergraduate students. RMU.J, 9(3), 19-32.

Regan, P. (2007). Interpreting language used in reflective practice. Reflective Practice, 8(1), 109-122.

Soo, K. Y., Rajendran, C. B., Noridah, S., Puteri, N. H. K., Sofwah, M. N., & Suhaili, M. Y. (2013). The use of online corrective feedback in academic writing by L1 Malay learners. English Language Teaching, 6(12), 175-180.

Swales, J. (1990). Genre analysis: English in academic and research settings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Tsiplakides, I., & Keramida, A. (2009). Helping students overcome foreign language speaking anxiety in the English classroom: Theoretical issues and practical recommendations. International Education Studies, 2(4), 39-43. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ies.v2n4p39

Tsiriotakis, I. K., Vassilaki, E., Spantidakis, I., & Stavrou, N. A. M. (2017). The examination of the effects of writing strategy-based procedural facilitative environments on students’ English foreign language writing anxiety levels. Frontiers in Psychology, 7(2074). doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.02074

Uzun, K. (2016). Developing EAP writing skills through genre-based instruction: An action research. The International Journal of Educational Researchers, 7(2), 25-38.

Wertsch, J. V. (2002). Voices of collective remembering. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Wynne, C. (2014). Towards a theory of productivity problems in graduate student writing. Unpublished PhD Dissertation, The University of Texas at El Paso, USA.

Yastıbaş, G. Ç., & Yastıbaş, A. E. (2015). The effect of peer feedback on writing anxiety in Turkish EFL students. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 199, 530-538.

Yaylı, D. (2011). From genre awareness to cross-genre awareness: A study in an EFL context. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 10(3), 121-129.

Yaylı, D. (2012). Tracing the benefits of self-annotation in genre-based writing. The Journal of Language Teaching and Learning, 2(1), 45-58.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies
ISSN 1305-578X (Online)
Copyright © 2005-2022 by Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies