A writer's L1 is generally believed to influence their L2 English writing significantly. However, the extent to which L1 backgrounds influence Asian learners' L2 English writing has not been wholly elucidated due to the lack of data covering various learners in Asia. Therefore, this study analysed more than one-million-word essays written by 2,318…

The challenges facing non-native English-speaking students (NNESSs) in adapting to the conventions of academic writing at the tertiary level in English-medium institutions have been widely canvassed in scholarly research. Nonetheless, there does not appear to be a great deal of research that investigates the experiences of Arabic-speaking students…

This study explored the efficacy of video podcasts (VODcasts) in fostering whole-language learning among college EFL students. Employing a quasi-experimental design with pre-tests, post-tests, and a control group, the research compared the effects of a one-year remedial instruction program. The experimental group received instruction incorporating…

Metaphors are known to present both opportunities and challenges for second language learners, but relatively little is known about learners' awareness of them. To investigate this, we analyzed 72 argumentative essays written in English by a group of 37 intermediate Chinese university students of English. We identified metaphors using an…

Purpose: This study aims to explore computer-assisted language learning (CALL) activities to improve the English essay writing of Pakistani university students. It highlights the role of CALL in the language proficiency model cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP), which can enable second language learners to engage in more critical…

First language (L1) has been an affecting factor in learning English as a foreign language (EFL) that causes negative transfer including in thesis writing. The effect can be observed by looking at English productive skills, more specifically written form, as well as thesis writing. This research investigated how L1 interfered student's English…

Task design features have different effects on second language (L2) production and can be adopted for different pedagogical purposes. However, the synergistic effects of task features were left unexplored in the extant task-based literature. The present study investigated the synergistic effects of two task design features, namely, prior knowledge…

This systematic review focused on higher education teachers' and students' perceptions and practices of written feedback, as well as their relationships and differences in English as a foreign/second language and academic writing. This study aimed to identify empirical studies, describe their characteristics, summarize the findings, and make…

Reading is one of the most important skills in higher education. Various students show problems with reading, which can lead to problems with text decoding, reading comprehension, or both. In this study, we investigate the L1 (Dutch) and L2 (English) reading comprehension performance of students with and without dyslexia. Participants were…

Languaging--that is, using language to mediate thinking, orally or in writing--facilitates second language (L2) learning. As languaging requires the deliberate, analytical action of L2 learners, learners with higher language aptitude are likely to benefit more from languaging than those with lower aptitude. Thus, this study investigated the extent…

This study explores ChatGPT affordances, students' use of prompts, and their perceptions of using the tool in EFL writing. With screen capture technology to observe students' interactions with ChatGPT during writing process and semi-structured interviews, the data were analysed using a collaborative reflective thematic analysis. The results…

Although study abroad is an established research context for second language acquisition, the emotional experiences of U.S. students learning less commonly taught languages, such as Czech, require further research, particularly in settings where these languages lie outside students' primary academic pursuits. This study explores U.S. students'…

This study examines the use of lexical bundles in reports produced by university-level L2 English writers in civil and environmental engineering (CEE). The corpus consists of 119 reports, and the study compares the use of different types of lexical bundles (3-word, 4-word, and 5-word) in high-scoring and low-scoring papers. The results show that…

Virtually all researchers understand the requirement of presenting their studies in peer-reviewed English-medium journals. Russian scientific writers understand this necessity too; however, evidence suggests that these particular researchers are under-performing relative to similar non-native English speakers. The considerable challenge Russians…

The theory of language socialization and its subfield academic discourse socialization consider how newcomers are socialized into the practices and identities of communities through interaction with various communicative partners. Drawing on the framework of individual networks of practice, this case study considers the academic writing practices…