EFFECT OF EIGHT-WEEK TRAINING WITH TITLE-FOCUSED INSTRUCTIONS ON STRUGGLING EFL SUMMARY WRITERS AT AKITA PREFECTURAL UNIVERSITY, JAPAN

Kana Ozaki

Abstract


While source-based writing is considered crucial in academics, summary writing remains challenging for English as a foreign language (EFL) students. This study investigated how 27 writers with low English proficiency improved their summarization performance after receiving eight-week title-focused reading instructions for scientific expository texts. The reading and writing strategies that boosted students’ first language (L1) summary performance were statistically examined using paired sample t-tests. The findings revealed the most significant improvement in the main idea coverage of the source text, which boosted some reading and writing strategy use. Using keywords from the texts also enhanced the prediction of content meanings, promoting upper-level processing. The results imply that the simple title-focused instructions can increase beginner writers’ coverage of primary ideas, which leads to enhancing their total summarization performance.

 

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EFL students, summarization strategies, low English proficiency, title-focused instructions

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejfl.v9i4.6374

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