L2 Writing Conferences : exploring learner beliefs and strategies

• Main Author: Qureshi, Z. A.
• Published: University College London (University of London) 2017
• Online Access: https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.746652

One to one writing conferences are a relatively recent practice on EAP courses at UK universities. Conference advocates see such interaction as prime opportunities for dialogic feedback to occur about an academic text between student writers and teachers. Yet when the writer is an international student, unaccustomed to the conventions and practices of the western academy, participation during conferences can be challenging. Carrying beliefs about language and learning forged within their own personal, cultural and educational experiences, such L2 writers often approach conferencing with expectations regarding their structure, outcomes and the roles they need to play. If we wish L2 writing conferences to be more successful, a first step is to better understand what beliefs such writers carry with them about conferencing and how it impacts upon their conference behaviour. However, research in this area has been limited in both number and scope. This study sought to investigate what L2 writers believed about writing conferences, the kinds of strategies they employed during conferencing and the relationship between their beliefs and strategies. The study followed four international students’ writing conferences over 2 semesters of an international foundation programme at a UK university. Their beliefs and strategy use was captured using questionnaires, stimulated recall interviews and audio recordings of their conferences. Adopting a socio-cultural perspective, the data was then analysed in the form of in-depth case studies. The study both supported and challenged previous findings in the literature. For example, L2 writers were found to hold multiple beliefs about conferences, use a range of conference strategies and there was a link between some of their beliefs and strategy use. Furthermore, students seemed to hold a ‘defining’ belief that influenced their other beliefs, their use of strategies and indicated a preference towards a more product or process-oriented view of writing and conference behaviour.