Background/purpose: Academic writing in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) poses challenges for graduate students, particularly in achieving coherence and organization. Thematic choices play a crucial role in guiding readers and ensuring textual cohesion. While Theme selection has been explored in various contexts, little research has examined…

Corpus-based studies of lexical bundles have opened new avenues for language teaching research. The fact that naturally occurring language consists of patterns of lexical repetition and multi-word units has given rise to the question of chunkiness in learner language. This study was designed to examine lexical bundles and their functions in a…

Many higher educational institutions have adopted Learning Management Systems. Blackboard, characterized as one of the technological educational systems, is one of the leading and extensive Learning Management Systems adopted by most universities. However, literature showed that a missing link appears between Blackboard adoption and Blackboard…

Education outcomes for L2 students in academic preparation programs, undergraduate studies, and graduate work are directly influenced by the learning and use of academic vocabulary. Among 15 Saudi graduate students studying in New Zealand, this study investigated at their perspectives with academic vocabulary learning. Students in Saudi Arabia who…

This study explores Saudi undergraduate students' perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in academic writing. Despite extensive research on AI in higher education, there is limited focus on academic writing, especially in the Saudi context. A survey of 189 students, proficient in English and enrolled in freshmen academic writing…

The present study focuses on feedback-based writing conferences (FBWCs) that involve feedback sessions with the teacher in a more dialogic and collaborative atmosphere to respond to students' writing. The rationale behind eliciting students' views and preferences regarding one-on-one and group FBWCs stems from the importance of fostering effective…

The aim of this study was to explore the potential of Google Docs in facilitating and supporting pedagogical practices in a writing course at a large Saudi university. As a qualitative case study, the study was conducted among 10 EFL learners working in five pairs on article report writing over one academic semester. The instructor's observation…

Assuming cohesion as a non-structural resource of texture in text, the present study analyzed students' academic essays to establish the role of cohesion in creating text. A survey was also conducted to gauge students' beliefs about their ability to use cohesive devices in writing. The results of the text analysis and the survey were then used to…

Reading for academic purposes in both first language (L1) and second language (L2) contexts has long been the subject of research using measures such as reading strategy inventories, reading recall protocols, and a variety of experimental designs aimed to examine the relative contribution to their reading ability of the readers' L1 or L2, type and…

Language used to report research findings and put forward arguments is at the heart of effective communication with readers. To this end, scholars use a variety of stylistic features. One of these is variety in language, which includes structures, lexis, and organization markers. Although much research has been conducted on these aspects, a…

This empirical study attempts to examine the use of cohesive devices in the written discourse of EFL undergraduate students and seeks to find how the use of incorrect and repetitive cohesive ties affects the effectiveness of academic writing. Halliday and Hasan's (1976) list of cohesive devices was employed to analyze the cohesion in the…

Purpose: The current research presents a 14-week experience of developing socially orientated narratives in a digital mode, which involved 60 female Saudi English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. Initially working together, they were later divided into groups of approximately eight members each. The purpose of this research is to determine…

Of all English Language skills, writing poses the greatest challenge for students due to the demands of style, structure and vocabulary. Even if second language learners (L2 learners) can speak the language well enough for everyday activities--shopping, traveling, and so on, producing an academic write-up that is precise, accurate, objective and…

This study was intended to find out the certain strategies which were used by low level and high level English proficiency students in comprehending academic reading and the aspects which influence students' reading comprehension. The methods of the research used a qualitative approach based on the theory of case study. The data were collected by…

Using needs analysis as a research methodology, this study attempted to design a 20 hour academic writing (AW) course for Level 2 Foundation Year Saudi EFL students. Needs analysis was based on a diagnostic test, structured questionnaires, and researcher's observation to obtain information on students' language and skills needs, profile, levels of…