The investigation of L2 writing process differences between argumentative and narrative genres

Abstract

English writing is not only an essential role but also a notable challenge for L2 learners. While studies have explored strategies for enhancing L2 writing proficiency by focusing on analyzing written products (Dizon, 2016; Pyo, 2020), there is a growing interest in investigating the L1 and L2 writing process (Abas & Aziz, 2016; Cumming, 1998; Hartina et al., 2018; Silva, 1993). Additionally, the role of genre has been recognized as a crucial part of L2 writing, enabling researchers to examine the discourse and linguistic features related to textual compositions (Pyo, 2020; Rose, 2012; Watanabe, 2017). However, limited research has investigated from the perspective of the writing process in genres. Therefore, the study aimed to explore the differences in the writing process between argumentative and narrative genres composed by L2 writers. Two participants were recruited and performed one task for each genre. Each movement in their writing was annotated and categorized into one of the five writing stages: Planning, Drafting, Revising, Editing, and Inquiring. By comparing the writing stages in two genres, the results indicated a disparity in the time allocation to some extent. Moreover, it was also found that the students tended to prioritize tense editing and vocabulary inquiring in narrative writing rather than argumentative writing. In summary, this study has identified variations in the writing process between the two genres, contributing to the knowledge of the writing process in L2 writing. Moreover, the pedagogical implication could be helpful not only for L2 writing teachers to understand students’ writing difficulties further but also for L2 learners to enhance their writing strategies.