Understanding ESL Postgraduate Students' Dissertation Writing Challenges: The Interplay Between Second Language Writing Anxiety and Writer's Block

No matter how hard they try, some ESL postgraduate students experience periods when they can produce, if any, little writing. When such periods last for a considerable amount of time, the student is said to have a writer's block (WB). Given the reciprocal connection between WB and second langua...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inThe English Teacher Vol. 53; no. 1; pp. 44 - 56
Main Authors Osman, Wan Safuraa Wan, Senom, Fatiha, Shah, Shanina Sharatol Ahmad
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Seri Kembangan Malaysian English Language Teaching Association (MELTA) 01.04.2024
Subjects
Academic Language
Academic writing
Anxiety
Data Analysis
Data collection
Dissertations & theses
Doctoral Dissertations
Educational Environment
English as a second language instruction
Feedback
Graduate students
Higher education
Interviews
Language proficiency
Learning
Reading Skills
Reading-writing relationship
Research methodology
Second language writing
Student writing
Teachers
Teaching Methods
Writing Apprehension
Writing processes
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:No matter how hard they try, some ESL postgraduate students experience periods when they can produce, if any, little writing. When such periods last for a considerable amount of time, the student is said to have a writer's block (WB). Given the reciprocal connection between WB and second language writing anxiety (SLWA), more evidence is needed to determine the connection between the two factors in dissertation writing. Hence, this study aimed to investigate how challenges in second language (L2) postgraduate dissertation writing may heighten SLWA and WB, while also examining their interplay. In this mixed-method study, a total of 43 postgraduate students participated by completing an online survey to assess their levels of SLWA, while a subset of nine participants underwent semi-structured interviews. The thematic analysis revealed that WB stems from: i) SLWA experience; and ii) challenges in the writing process, research conceptualization, academic writing conventions, and academic reading. To overcome SLWA and WB, it is recommended that supervisors and language teachers provide specific suggestions to resolve writing issues, refrain from using anxiety to provoke performance, help break down the ultimate goal of dissertation writing into several obtainable goals, and foster open discussions about strategies for motivation and progress monitoring.
ISSN:0128-7729
DOI:10.52696/IFZJ8661