Developing Teaching and Learning Resources for L2 Learners’ English Academic Writing: Preliminary Findings in a National University in Japan

Conference: The Paris Conference on Education (PCE2022)
Title: Developing Teaching and Learning Resources for L2 Learners’ English Academic Writing: Preliminary Findings in a National University in Japan
Stream: Curriculum Design & Development
Presentation Type: Live-Stream Presentation
Authors:
Tingjia Wang, Hiroshima University, Japan

Abstract:

This presentation showcases the preliminary findings of a material development project conducted in a national university in Japan. This project aims to develop teaching and learning resources about English academic writing for L2 leaners in a non-English speaking, tertiary context. Drawing on the stratification framework in systemic functional linguistics (SFL), this research has structured L2 learners’ English academic writing at four levels: word level – clause/sentence level – section/text level – context level. The preliminary observation focuses on students’ academic writing and reflective writing collected from four courses in the academic year of 2021, including English Composition I, Academic Writing I & II, and Pedagogical Approaches in Academic Writing in English. Preliminary observations identify key challenges in L2 learners’ development of English academic writing skills: (a) L2 learners are unaware of the difference between academic and general vocabularies; (b) L2 learners rely on Conjunction like However and Moreover as the only resource to create inter-sentence cohesion; (c) some L2 learners are lack of knowledge about the Abstract structure and the writing outline. To address these challenges, this research has adapted SFL-informed tools like Reading-to-learn approach and Theme-Rheme structure to assist L2 learners’ teaching and learning of English academic writing. This research project has been recently funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Early-Career Scientists Grant (April 2022 – March 2024). The design of the next-round data collection and the progress of the material development based on the preliminary findings will also be discussed in this presentation.



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