Writing Strategies and Writing Difficulties among College Students of Differing English Proficiency

• Main Authors: Ya-wen Wu, 吳雅雯
• Other Authors: Mei-chen Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/98311855855952092389

碩士 === 國立屏東商業技術學院 === 應用外語系 === 95 === Use of strategies is a key to learner autonomy. Up to date, very few empirical studies have explored writing strategies, in particular, in the context of EFL. The purpose of the study was to examine writing strategies and writing difficulties among college students with different levels of English proficiency. 184 English majors were asked to complete two questionnaires of writing strategies and writing difficulties. Several significant results were found in this survey research. First, writing strategies were moderately used among college students. Second, more strategies were used in the writing stage than in the planning or editing stage. The planning stage received the least strategy use. Third, high-, mid- and low-achievers used writing strategies with equivalent frequency. English proficiency affected type of strategy use, rather than frequency of strategy use. College students of differing ability had preference over different strategies, but the frequency of strategy use remained the same among these learners. Fourth, insufficient English competence was mainly responsible for student writing difficulties. First language interference was found to be the greatest writing difficulty in the discourse level, and insufficient vocabulary knowledge, in the sentence level. Last, English proficiency significantly affected both type and degree of writing difficulties. College students of differing ability had different writing problems, and mid- and low-achievers encountered greater writing difficulties than their high-achieving counterparts. Pedagogical implications and suggestions for future research were provided to conclude the study.