Writing strategy instruction: Its impact on writing in a second language for academic purposes

Abstract

Writing for academic purposes in a second/foreign language is a major challenge faced by many students at both secondary and tertiary levels. This suggests that displaying content knowledge and understanding of a subject through a second language is a very complex process. This article discusses the findings of a longitudinal intervention study that attempted to investigate the impact of writing strategy instruction on writing strategy use and writing performance of a group of undergraduate students following a course in English for Academic Purposes in Sri Lanka. The study used a pre-test post-test experimental research design and the data were collected using multiple methods. The results revealed that the students could be trained to use writing strategies effectively and their writing strategy use and writing performance increased significantly after strategy instruction.