A metadiscursive didactic sequence for writing argumentative essays in English for students of a bachelor's program in foreign languages

• Main Authors: Angelmiro Galindo, Lina María Moreno
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad del Valle 2020-07-01
• Series: Lenguaje
• Subjects: argumentative essay; individual bilingualism; metadiscfursive didactic sequence
• Online Access: https://revistalenguaje.univalle.edu.co/index.php/lenguaje/article/view/8382/12618

The article describes an action research focused on the implementation of a metadiscursive didactic sequence and its impact on the construction of the superstructure, macrostructure, and microstructure of argumentative essays written in English as a foreign language. Twenty-four students of fourth semester enrolled in a Bachelor's Program in Foreign Languages (English and French) in a Colombian university participated in the study. The data collection instruments were: (1) an argumentative essay written in English, (2) an evaluation rubric of the argumentative essay, (3) a teacher's diary and (4) a student’s portfolio. The findings revealed that, on the one hand, the diagnosis made justified the metadiscursive didactic intervention in the written production of argumentative essays and, on the other, that the intervention improved the students’ performance related to the superstructure and to certain extent the macrostructure and the microstructure of their texts. It was concluded that the impact on text production depends on the aspect of the essay structure that is focused on and on the conscious regulation of the writing process.