Factors Accounting for Writing Apprehension of Vietnamese EFL Undergraduates

1. FACTORS ACCOUNTING FOR WRITING APPREHENSION OF VIETNAMESE EFL UNDERGRADUATES Tran HoaMi Tin T. Dang

2. Contents 1 2 3 4 5 Tran Hoa Mi - Tin T. Dang

3. 1. Introduction 1.1. Rationale • Significance of achieving proficiency in writing in English (Lindemann, 1995; Pingping, 2006) • Effects of EFL learners’ writing apprehension on their outcomes (Al_Sawalha & Chow, 2012) • Little research on writing apprehension of Vietnamese EFL undergraduates Tran Hoa Mi - Tin T. Dang

4. 1. Introduction 1.2. Research aims • To understand Vietnamese EFL undergraduates’ levels of writing apprehension • To examine factors that might mediate students’ writing apprehension Tran Hoa Mi - Tin T. Dang

5. 2. Literature Review 2.1. Definition • Writing apprehension (WA) is a person’s tendencies to approach or avoid writing situations accompanied by some amount of perceived evaluation (Daly & Wilson, 1983). • WA is a “distress associated with writing and a profound distaste for the process” (Madigan, Linton & Johnson, 1996, p. 295). Tran Hoa Mi - Tin T. Dang

6. 2. Literature Review 2.2. Characteristics of apprehensive individuals Tran Hoa Mi - Tin T. Dang

7. 2. Literature Review 2.2. Characteristics of apprehensive individuals Tran Hoa Mi - Tin T. Dang

8. 2. Literature Review 2.3. Factors accounting for writing apprehension Tran Hoa Mi - Tin T. Dang

9. 2. Literature Review 2. Literature review 2.3. Factors accounting for writing apprehension Tran Hoa Mi - Tin T. Dang

10. 3. Methodology 3.1. Research questions • To what extent do Vietnamese EFL undergraduates experience writing apprehension? • What are factors that might mediate students’ writing apprehension? Tran Hoa Mi - Tin T. Dang

11. 3. Methodology 3.2. Participants Vietnamese EFL undergraduates at Nguyen Tat ThanhUniversity, HCMC, Vietnam 3.3. Instruments a questionnaire designed in a five-point Likert scale format 1: strongly disagree 2: disagree 3: uncertain 4: agree 5: strongly agree Tran Hoa Mi - Tin T. Dang

12. 3. Methodology 3.3. Instruments Tran HoaMi - Tin T. Dang

13. 3. Methodology 3.3. Instruments WRITING APPREHENSION SCALES Tran Hoa Mi - Tin T. Dang

14. 3. Methodology 3.3. Instruments Tran Hoa Mi - Tin T. Dang

15. 3. Methodology 3.3. Instruments Tran Hoa Mi - Tin T. Dang

16. 4. Findings 4.1. Writing apprehension level Table 4.1. Evidence of writing apprehension Tran Hoa Mi - Tin T. Dang

17. 4. Findings 4.2. Factors accounting for writing apprehension Table 4.2. Factors accounting for writing apprehension Tran Hoa Mi - Tin T. Dang

18. 4. Findings 4.3. The relationship among factors accounting for WA and evidence of WA Table 4.3. Correlations among factors accounting for WA and evidence of WA Tran Hoa Mi - Tin T. Dang

19. 4. Findings 4.4. Summary • Students reflected their WA in two aspects: low self-confidence and fear of evaluation. • Three factors caused WA for students: (1) Not learning writing previously, (2) Low grades in previous essay exams, and (3) Lack of linguistic knowledge. • Avoidance and low self-confidence behavior correlated to many factors. Tran Hoa Mi - Tin T. Dang

20. 5. Implications and further research 5.1. Implications • Build students’ confidence • Avoid formal evaluations of early essays • Handle factors that contribute to students’ apprehension about writing • Treat factors that affect students’ manifestations of WA Tran Hoa Mi - Tin T. Dang

21. 5. Implications and further research 5.2. Further research • cover a more varied range of factors • invite a larger number of participants • conduct in-depth interview Tran Hoa Mi - Tin T. Dang

22. REFERENCES Al_Sawalha, A. M. S. & Chow, T. V. F. (2012). The effects of writing apprehension in English on the writing process of Jordanian EFL students at Yarmouk University. International Interdisciplinary Journal of Education, 1 (1), 6 – 14. Daly, J. A. (1977). The effects of writing apprehension on message encoding. Journalism Quarterly, 54(3), 566-572. Daly, J. A. (1978). Writing apprehension and writing competency. The Journal of Educational Research, 72, 10-14. Daly, J. A. (1985). Writing apprehension. In M. Rose (Ed.), When a Writer can’t Write (pp. 43-82). New York: Guilford. Daly, J. A., & Miller, M. D. (1975b, winter 1975). Further studies in writing apprehension: SAT scores, success expectations, willingness to take advanced courses and sex differences. Research in theTeaching of English, 9 (3), 250-256. Daly, J. A., & Wilson, D. A. (1983). Writing apprehension, self-esteem, and personality. Research in the Teaching of English, 17, 327-341. Faigley, L., Daly, J. A., & Witte, S. P. (1981). The role of writing apprehension in writing performance and writing competency. Journal of Educational Research, 75, 16-21. Gungle, B. W., & Taylor, V. (1989). Writing apprehension and second language writers. In D. M. Johnson, & D. H. Roen (Eds.), Richness in writing: Empowering ESL students (pp. 235- 248). New York: Longman. Tran Hoa Mi - Tin T. Dang

23. REFERENCES Hassan, B. (2001). The relationship of writing apprehension and self-esteem to the writing quality and quantity of EFL university students. Mansoura Faculty of Education Journal, 39, 1-36. Huwari, I. F., & Aziz, N. H. A. (2011). Writing apprehension in English among Jordanian postgraduate students at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM). Academic Research International, 1 (2), 190 – 198. Latif, M. A. (2007). The factors accounting for the Egyptian EFL university students’ negative writing affect. Essex Graduate Student Papers in Language & Linguistics, 9, 57-82. Lee, S. Y., & Krashen, S. (1997). Writing apprehension in Chinese as a first language. ITL: Review of Applied Linguistics, 115-116, 27-37. Lee, S. Y. (2002). The influence of cognitive/affective factors on L1/L2 literacy transfers. Studies in English Language and Literature, 10, 17-32. Lee, S. Y., & Krashen, S. (2002). Predictors of success in writing in English as a foreign language: reading, revision behavior, apprehension, and writing. The College Student Journal, 36 (4), 532-543. Lindemann, E. (1995). A Rhetoric for Writing Teachers (3rd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. Madigan, R., Linton, P., & Johnson, S. (1996). The paradox of writing apprehension. In L. Gregg & E.R. Steinberg (Eds.), Cognitive processes in writing (pp.295-307). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. Tran Hoa Mi - Tin T. Dang

24. REFERENCES Masny, D. & Foxall, J. (1992). Writing Apprehension in L2. Washington DC: Office of Educational Research and Improvement. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 352844) Öztürk, H., & Çeçen, S. (2007). The effects of portfolio keeping on writing anxiety of EFL Students. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 3 (2), 218 – 236. Pingping, H. (2006). An exploratory study of English writing strategies. CELEA Journal, 29(2), 61 – 70. Powell, B. J. (1984). A comparison of students' attitudes and success in writing. Journal of Negro Education, 53, 114-123. Raisman, N. (1982). I just can’t do English: Writing anxiety in the classroom. English in the Two-Year College, 9 (1), 19-23. Selfe, C. L. (1981). The composing processes of high and low writing apprehensives: A modified case-study. Washington, DC: Educational Resources Information Center. Singh, T. K. R., & Rajalingam, S. K. (2012). The relationship of writing apprehension level and self-efficacy beliefs on writing proficiency level among pre- university students. English Language Teaching, 5 (7), 42-52. doi:10.5539/elt.v5n7p42． Tran Hoa Mi - Tin T. Dang