ESL Pre-university Learners’ Writing Apprehension Levels in Argumentative Writing
Keywords:
writing apprehension, argumentative writing, pre-university learners
Abstract
Writing ability is essential in second language (L2) learners’ educational and professional life. However, experiencing writing apprehension can inhibit the L2 learners’ confidence (Daly, 1975). The objective of this study was to investigate the writing apprehension levels of ESL pre-university learners in writing argumentative composition. 320 pre-university learners from a local institution participated in the study. Two instruments were employed in the study. The first was the Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI) and the other one was the Analytic Scale of Argumentative Writing (ASAW). The findings revealed a moderate level of writing apprehension among the pre-university learners in argumentative writing. Among the three Second Language Writing Apprehension (SLWA) dimensions, avoidance behaviour obtained the highest mean score. As writing is one of the important components tested in Malaysian University English Test (MUET), the findings of the present study may become a platform for instructors to develop a better understanding about SLWA. Hence, it may throw light on what educators can do to help these L2 learners cope with or eliminate writing apprehension as it hampers the writing quality.
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References
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Buley-Meissner, M.L. (1989). Am I really that bad? Writing Apprehension and Basic Writers. Journal of Basic Writing 8(2) pp. 3-20.
Cheng, Y.S. (2002). Learners' Belief in Second Language anxiety. Concentric: Studies in English Literature and Linguistics, 27(2), 209-223.
Cheng, Y. S. (2004). A Measure of Second Language Writing Anxiety: Scale Development and Preliminary Validation. Journal of Second Language Writing, 13(4). doi:10.1016/j.jslw.2004.07.001
Cheng, Y.S., Horwitz, E. K., & Schallert, D. L. (1999). Language Anxiety: Differentiating Writing and Speaking Components. Language Learning, 49(3), 417-446. doi:doi:10.1111/0023-8333.00095
Daly, J. A. & Miller, M. D. (1975). The empirical development of an instrument to measure writing apprehension. Research in the Teaching of English, 9(3), 242-249. Retrieved 2014 August, 10, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40170632
Erkan, D. Y., & Saban, A. (2011). Writing Performance Relative to Writing Apprehension, Self-Efficacy in Writing, and Attitudes towards Writing: A Correlational Study in Turkish Tertiary-Level EFL. The Asian EFL Journal Quarterly, 13(1), 164-192.
Foroutan, M. (2012). Effect of Dialogue Journal Writing through the Use of Conventional Tools and E-mail on Writing Anxiety in the ESL Context. English Language Teaching, 5(1), 10-19. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/elt.v5n1p10
Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125‐132. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1988.tb04190.x
Huwari, I. (2011). Writing Apprehension in English among Jordanian Postgraduate Students at Universiti Utara Malaysia. Academic Research International, 1(2), 1-9. Retrieved 20 July, 2014, from http://journals.savap.org.pk/vol1n2.html
Krejcie, R.V. & Morgan, D.W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurements, 30, 607-610. Retrieved 14 September, 2014, from http://www.dissertation-statistics.com/sample-size.html
Latif, M. A. (2007). The factors accounting for the Egyptian EFL university students’ negative writing affect. Essex Graduate Student Papers in Language & Linguistics, 57-82.
Lin, G. (2009). An Exploration into Foreign Language Writing Anxiety from Taiwanese University Students' Perspectives. NCUE Fourth Annual Conference on Language Teaching , Literature, Linguistics, Translation, and Interpretation (pp. 301-318). Taiwan: National Changhua University of Education. Retrieved 5 July, 20155, from http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED506178.pdf
MacIntryre, P. D. (1995). How Does Anxiety Affect Second Language Learning? A Reply to Sparks and Ganschow. The Modern Language Journal, 79(1), 90-99. Blackwell Publishing and National Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations, 79(1), 90-99. doi:10.2307/329395
Min, L. S. (2014). English Language Writing Anxiety among Final Year Engineering Undergraduates in University Putra Malaysia . Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 5(4). doi:10.7575/aiac.alls.v.5n.4p.10
Nimehchisalem, V. (2010). Developing an AnalyticScale for Evaluating Argumentative Writing of Students in a Malaysian Public Universities, Unpublished Research Report. Selangor: Universiti Putra Malaysia.
Rankin-Brown, M. (2006). Addressing writing apprehension in adult English language learners. CATESOL State Conference (pp. 1-7). Pacific Union College. Retrieved 20 August, 2014, from http://www.catesol.org/06Rankin1.pdf.
Termit Kaur. (2012). The Relationship of Writing Apprehension Level and Self-efficacy Beliefs on Writing Proficiency Level among Pre-university Students. English Language Teachin, 5(7), 42-52. doi:10.5539/elt.v5n7p42
Tsui, A. B. (1996). Reticence and Anxiety in Second Language Learning. In Bailey & Nunan, Voices form the Language Classroom (pp. 145-167). Cambridge: CUP.
Young, D. J. (1990). An investigation of students' perspectives on anxiety and speaking. Foreign Language Annals, 23(6), 539-564.
Zhang, H. (2011). A study on ESL writing anxiety among Chinese English majors Causes, effects and coping strategies for ESL writing anxiety. Thesis and Dissertations. Retrieved 2 September, 2014, from www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:426646/FULLTEXT02
Zhang, L. J. (2001). Exploring variability in language anxiety: Two groups of PRC students learning ESL in Singapore. RELC Journa, 32(1), 73-94. doi:10.1177/003368820103200105
Buley-Meissner, M.L. (1989). Am I really that bad? Writing Apprehension and Basic Writers. Journal of Basic Writing 8(2) pp. 3-20.
Cheng, Y.S. (2002). Learners' Belief in Second Language anxiety. Concentric: Studies in English Literature and Linguistics, 27(2), 209-223.
Cheng, Y. S. (2004). A Measure of Second Language Writing Anxiety: Scale Development and Preliminary Validation. Journal of Second Language Writing, 13(4). doi:10.1016/j.jslw.2004.07.001
Cheng, Y.S., Horwitz, E. K., & Schallert, D. L. (1999). Language Anxiety: Differentiating Writing and Speaking Components. Language Learning, 49(3), 417-446. doi:doi:10.1111/0023-8333.00095
Daly, J. A. & Miller, M. D. (1975). The empirical development of an instrument to measure writing apprehension. Research in the Teaching of English, 9(3), 242-249. Retrieved 2014 August, 10, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40170632
Erkan, D. Y., & Saban, A. (2011). Writing Performance Relative to Writing Apprehension, Self-Efficacy in Writing, and Attitudes towards Writing: A Correlational Study in Turkish Tertiary-Level EFL. The Asian EFL Journal Quarterly, 13(1), 164-192.
Foroutan, M. (2012). Effect of Dialogue Journal Writing through the Use of Conventional Tools and E-mail on Writing Anxiety in the ESL Context. English Language Teaching, 5(1), 10-19. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/elt.v5n1p10
Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125‐132. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1988.tb04190.x
Huwari, I. (2011). Writing Apprehension in English among Jordanian Postgraduate Students at Universiti Utara Malaysia. Academic Research International, 1(2), 1-9. Retrieved 20 July, 2014, from http://journals.savap.org.pk/vol1n2.html
Krejcie, R.V. & Morgan, D.W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurements, 30, 607-610. Retrieved 14 September, 2014, from http://www.dissertation-statistics.com/sample-size.html
Latif, M. A. (2007). The factors accounting for the Egyptian EFL university students’ negative writing affect. Essex Graduate Student Papers in Language & Linguistics, 57-82.
Lin, G. (2009). An Exploration into Foreign Language Writing Anxiety from Taiwanese University Students' Perspectives. NCUE Fourth Annual Conference on Language Teaching , Literature, Linguistics, Translation, and Interpretation (pp. 301-318). Taiwan: National Changhua University of Education. Retrieved 5 July, 20155, from http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED506178.pdf
MacIntryre, P. D. (1995). How Does Anxiety Affect Second Language Learning? A Reply to Sparks and Ganschow. The Modern Language Journal, 79(1), 90-99. Blackwell Publishing and National Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations, 79(1), 90-99. doi:10.2307/329395
Min, L. S. (2014). English Language Writing Anxiety among Final Year Engineering Undergraduates in University Putra Malaysia . Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 5(4). doi:10.7575/aiac.alls.v.5n.4p.10
Nimehchisalem, V. (2010). Developing an AnalyticScale for Evaluating Argumentative Writing of Students in a Malaysian Public Universities, Unpublished Research Report. Selangor: Universiti Putra Malaysia.
Rankin-Brown, M. (2006). Addressing writing apprehension in adult English language learners. CATESOL State Conference (pp. 1-7). Pacific Union College. Retrieved 20 August, 2014, from http://www.catesol.org/06Rankin1.pdf.
Termit Kaur. (2012). The Relationship of Writing Apprehension Level and Self-efficacy Beliefs on Writing Proficiency Level among Pre-university Students. English Language Teachin, 5(7), 42-52. doi:10.5539/elt.v5n7p42
Tsui, A. B. (1996). Reticence and Anxiety in Second Language Learning. In Bailey & Nunan, Voices form the Language Classroom (pp. 145-167). Cambridge: CUP.
Young, D. J. (1990). An investigation of students' perspectives on anxiety and speaking. Foreign Language Annals, 23(6), 539-564.
Zhang, H. (2011). A study on ESL writing anxiety among Chinese English majors Causes, effects and coping strategies for ESL writing anxiety. Thesis and Dissertations. Retrieved 2 September, 2014, from www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:426646/FULLTEXT02
Zhang, L. J. (2001). Exploring variability in language anxiety: Two groups of PRC students learning ESL in Singapore. RELC Journa, 32(1), 73-94. doi:10.1177/003368820103200105
Published
2016-04-20
How to Cite
Jagabalan, J. K., Tan, H. and Nimehchisalem, V. (2016) “ESL Pre-university Learners’ Writing Apprehension Levels in Argumentative Writing”, Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH), 1(2), pp. 54 - 62. doi: 10.47405/mjssh.v1i2.12.
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