AN INVESTIGATION OF UNIVERSITY EFL STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS WRITING-TO-READ TASKS

Authors

  • Lin Zhou College of International Studies, Guizhou University, China
  • Peerasak Siriyothin School of English, Institute of Social Technology, 111 University Avenue, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand.

Keywords:

Writing-to-read tasks, summary writing, journal writing, EFL students’ attitudes

Abstract

Research indicates that using writing as a learning tool may lead to better reading achievement.Based on the strong reading-writing connections, the authors examined EFL students’ attitudestowards two types of writing-to-read tasks, namely reading with summary writing and reading withjournal writing. Fifty four Chinese EFL learners participated in the eighteen-week study. Data werecollected using students’ self-report questionnaires, students’ written feedback and face-to-face semistructuredinterviews. Results show that the students had a positive tendency towards the two tasks,while they still had some problems and suggestions. It is recommended that writing-to-read activitiesbe introduced into TEFL classrooms to enhance reading teaching and learning.

References

Al-Ghonaim, A. (2005). ESL college students’beliefs and attitudes about reading-to-writein an introductory composition course:A qualitative study. [On line]Available:http://dspace.lib.iup.edu:8080/dspace/handle/2069/18.

Anderson, J. (1993). Journal writing: the promiseand the reality. J. Reading, 36(4):304-309.

Baker, W. and Boonkit, K. (2004). Learningstrategies in reading and writing: EAPcontexts. RELC J., 35(3):299-328.

Bamford, J. and Day, R.R. (2004). Extensivereading activities for teaching language.In: MLJ Reviews. Liskin-Gasparro, J.E.(ed.). (2006). Cambridge University Press,NY., 90(3):424-425.

Beers, K. (2003). When kids can’t read whatteachers can do. Portsmouth: Heinemann,p. 61-72.

Brantmeier, C. (2001). Second language readingresearch on passage content and gender:challenges for the intermediate levelcurriculum. Foreign Language Annals,34:325-333.

Brantmeier, C. (2003). Does gender make adifference? Passage content and comprehensionin second language reading.Reading in a Foreign Language, 15(1):1-24.

Brantmeier, C. (2005). Effects of reader’s knowledge,text type, and test type on L1 andL2 reading comprehension in Spanish.MLJ., 89:37-53.

Brown, H.D. (1994). Teaching by principles: aninteractive approach to language pedagogy.Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice HallRegents, 480p.

Brown, S. (2002). Is rereading more effective thanPrereading? RELC J., 33(1):91-100.

Carrell, P.L. (1983a). Some issues in studyingthe role of schemata, or backgroundknowledge. In: Second LanguageComprehension, Reading in a ForeignLanguage, 1:81-92.

Carrell, P.L. and Eisterhold, J.C. (1983b). Schematheory and ESL reading pedagogy. In:Interactive Approaches to SecondLanguage Reading. Carrell, P.L., Devine,J., and Eskey, D.E. (eds.). Cambridge: CUP,p. 289.

Carson, J.G., Carrell, P.L., Silberstein, S., Kroll, B.,and Kuehn, P. (1990). Reading-writingrelationships in first and second language.TESOL Quarterly, 24(2):245-261.

Carson, J.G. (2004). A task analysis of readingand writing in academic contexts. In: LinkingLiteracies: Perspevtives on L2 Readingwriting Connections. Belcher, D. andHirvela, A. (eds.). The University ofMichigan, Ann Arbor, p. 351.

Collins, J., Lee, J., Madigan, T., and Fox, J. (2005).Writing to enhance comprehension inlow-performing urban elementary schools.A Symposium Presented at the AnnualMeeting of the National ReadingConference; Dec 2, 2005; Miami FL.

Eisterhold, J.C. (1990). Reading-writing connections:toward a description for secondlanguage learners. In: Second LanguageWriting: Research Insights for theClassroom. Kroll, B. (ed.). Cambridge:Cambridge University Press, p. 88-101.

Eskey, D.E. (2005). Reading in a second language.In: Handbook of Research in SecondLanguage Teaching and Learning. Hinkel,E. (ed.). Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum,p. 563-597.

Esmaeili, H. (2002). Integrated reading andwriting tasks and ESL students’ readingand writing performance in an Englishlanguage test. The Canadian ModernLanguage Review, 58(4):599-622.

Evans, S. and Green, C. (2007). Why EAP isnecessary: A survey of Hong Kongtertiary students. JEAP., 6:3-17.

Gorsuch,G. and Taguchi, E. (2008). Repeatedreading for developing reading fluencyand reading comprehension: The case ofEFL learners in Vietnam. System, 36(2):253-278.

Grabe, W. (2002). Second language reading.In: The Oxford Handbook of AppliedLinguistics. Kaplan, R.B. (ed.). OxfordUniversity Press, Oxford, p. 49-59.

Grabe, W. (2004). Reading-writing relations:Theoretical perspectives and instructionalpractices. In: Linking Literacies: Perspectiveson L2 Reading-writing Connections.Belcher, D. and Hirvela, A. (eds.). TheUniversity of Michigan, Ann Arbor, p. 15-47.

Hirvela, A. (2004). Connecting Reading andWriting in Second Language WritingInstruction. University of Michigan, AnnArbor, 224p.

Hirvela, A. (2005). Computer-based reading andwriting across the curriculum: two casestudies of L2 writers. Computers andComposition, 22:337-356.

Huang, S.C. (2006). Reading English for academicpurposes - What situational factors maymotivate learners to read? System,34(3):371-383.

Hwang, S.K. (2001). Reading skills developmentof an ESL student: a four-year longitudinalstudy. Korea TESOL J., 4(1):1-15.

Jabbour, G. (2004). Lexis and grammar in secondlanguage reading and writing. In: LinkingLiteracies: Perspectives on L2 ReadingwritingConnections. Belcher, D. andHiervela, A. (eds.). The University ofMichigan, Ann Arbor, p. 291-308.

Kennedy, B.L. (1994). The role of topic and thereading/writing connection. TESL-EJ,1(1), [on-line]. Retrieved July 19, 2001,from http://violet.berkeley.edu/~cwp/TESL-EJ/ej01/a3.html

Kucer, S.L. (1987). The cognitive base of readingand writing. In: Reading in the CompositionClassroom. Carson, J.G. and Leki, I.(eds.). Heinle and Heinle Publishers,Boston, p. 27-51.

Langer, J.A. and Applebee, A.N. (1987). Howwriting shapes thinking: a study of teachingand learning. NCTE Research Report#22. Urbana, IL: NCTE.

Li, G.Y. (2004). A new English course. bookedition. Shanghai Foreign LanguageEducation, Shanghai, 234p.

Many, J.E., Fyfe, R., Lewis, G., and Mitchell, E.(1996). Traversing the topical landscape:exploring students’ self-directed readingwriting-research processes. ReadingResearch Quarterly, 31(1):12-35.

Marsh, S.M. (1998). Widening the lens of diversity:motivating reflective journal writing.ERIC Digest, ED 418 425.

McCarthey, S.J. (2001). Identity construction inelementary readers and writers. ReadingResearch Quarterly, 36(2):122-151.

National Curriculum for College English Majorsof Higher Education in P.R.C. (2000).Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education.

Nuttall, C. (1996). Teaching Reading Skills in aForeign Language. 2nd. Reed Educationaland Professional Publishing Ltd., Oxford,235p.

Olson, C.B. (2003). The Reading/WritingConnection: Strategies for Teaching andLearning in the Secondary Classroom.2nd. Pearson Education, Inc., 432p.

Padgett, A.L. (2000). Journal writing in elementaryschool: word processor vs. paper andpencil. ERIC Digest, ED 441 255.

Parkinson, J., Jackson, Kirkwood, L.T., andPadayachee, V. (2007). Scaffolded readingand writing course for foundation levelscience students. English for SpecificPurposes. [on line] Available: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science.

Smagorinsky, P., Cook, L.S., and Reed, P.M.(2005). The construction of meaning andidentity in the composition and readingof an architectural text. Reading ResearchQuarterly, 40(1):70-88.

Spivey, M.M. (1990). Transforming texts:constructive processes in reading andwriting. Written Communication, 7(2):256-287.

Tierney, R. and Pearson, P.D. (1983). Towards acomposing model of reading. ERIC Digest,EJ280830.

Tsang, W.K. (1996). Comparing the effects ofreading and writing on writing performance.Applied Linguistics, 17(2):210-233.

Shi, L. and Kubota, R. (2007). Patterns of rhetoricalorganization in Canadian andAmerican language arts textbooks: anexploratory study. English for SpecificPurposes, 26(2):180-202.

Shia, R.M. (1998). Academic intrinsic and extrinsicmotivation and metacognition. [Online] Available: http://www.cet.edu/research/pdf/motivation.pdf.

Yamada, K. (2002). Comparison of two summary/text-ontegration writing tasks requiringdifferent inferential processes. RELC J.,33(2):142-156.

Yigiter, K, Saricoban, A., and Gurses, T. (2005).Reading strategies employed by ELTlearners at the advanced level. TheReading Matrix, 5(1), [on line] Available:http://www.readingmatrix.com/researchdir/

Downloads

Published

2026-08-27

How to Cite

Zhou, L., & Siriyothin, P. (2026). AN INVESTIGATION OF UNIVERSITY EFL STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS WRITING-TO-READ TASKS. Suranaree Journal of Science and Technology, 16(4), 297–309. retrieved from https://ph04.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/SUJST/article/view/13529

Issue

Section

Research Article