Academic writing development: a complex, dynamic process (2024)

@inbook{8dd1d5cec5fa4c4a9ec33778a38e65c5,

title = "Academic writing development: a complex, dynamic process",

abstract = "Traditionally we look at learning outcomes by examining single outcomes. A new and future direction is to look at the actual process of development. Imagine an advanced, 17-year-old student of English (L2) who has just finished secondary school in the Netherlands and wants to become an English teacher. He first completes a teacher training programme, and later at age 30, he obtains a university master{\textquoteright}s degree in the Netherlands. After high school he is quite advanced already (estimated low B2 level), and when he finishes his MA thesis, he is able to write an academic research paper with the proper academic register (estimated C2 level). The purpose of the present chapter is to gain insight into the linguistic developmental process of his academic writing from a dynamic perspective. Over the course of 13 years (with a gap of five years), he writes many texts, 49 of which are selected to be examined in detail. The analyses show that his writing development is a long, complex, dynamic process, in which different sub-components of the language change in interaction with each other. During his teacher training programme the language develops substantially differently from his development during his university programme, where more of an academic register is expected. As the language develops, longer noun phrases occur, and more academic words appear, as reflected in a longer average word length. The linguistic system becomes more accurate as the process of acquisition continues, at one point quite abruptly, but even at the end of the participant{\textquoteright}s studies, the writing still contains some errors. This study not only gives insight into the differences between characteristics of advanced formal writings and academic writing, but also has implications for the assessment and measurement of linguistic development. It turns out that not a single dependent variable develops linearly, and they all may level off during development. However, at the end, we will suggest that the finite verb token ratio is the best overall complexity and sophistication developmental measure, as it correlates highly with all other variables.",

author = "Wouter Penris and Marjolijn Verspoor",

year = "2017",

language = "English",

isbn = "9781783097128",

series = "Second language acquisition",

publisher = "Multilingual Matters Ltd",

pages = "215--242",

editor = "Simone Pfenniger and Judit Navracsics",

booktitle = "Future Research Directions for Applied Linguistics",

}

Academic writing development: a complex, dynamic process. / Penris, Wouter; Verspoor, Marjolijn.
Future Research Directions for Applied Linguistics . ed. / Simone Pfenniger; Judit Navracsics. Bristol ; Tonawanda, NY ; North York, Ontario : Multilingual Matters Ltd, 2017. p. 215-242 (Second language acquisition; Vol. 109).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Academic

TY - CHAP

T1 - Academic writing development: a complex, dynamic process

AU - Penris, Wouter

AU - Verspoor, Marjolijn

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - Traditionally we look at learning outcomes by examining single outcomes. A new and future direction is to look at the actual process of development. Imagine an advanced, 17-year-old student of English (L2) who has just finished secondary school in the Netherlands and wants to become an English teacher. He first completes a teacher training programme, and later at age 30, he obtains a university master’s degree in the Netherlands. After high school he is quite advanced already (estimated low B2 level), and when he finishes his MA thesis, he is able to write an academic research paper with the proper academic register (estimated C2 level). The purpose of the present chapter is to gain insight into the linguistic developmental process of his academic writing from a dynamic perspective. Over the course of 13 years (with a gap of five years), he writes many texts, 49 of which are selected to be examined in detail. The analyses show that his writing development is a long, complex, dynamic process, in which different sub-components of the language change in interaction with each other. During his teacher training programme the language develops substantially differently from his development during his university programme, where more of an academic register is expected. As the language develops, longer noun phrases occur, and more academic words appear, as reflected in a longer average word length. The linguistic system becomes more accurate as the process of acquisition continues, at one point quite abruptly, but even at the end of the participant’s studies, the writing still contains some errors. This study not only gives insight into the differences between characteristics of advanced formal writings and academic writing, but also has implications for the assessment and measurement of linguistic development. It turns out that not a single dependent variable develops linearly, and they all may level off during development. However, at the end, we will suggest that the finite verb token ratio is the best overall complexity and sophistication developmental measure, as it correlates highly with all other variables.

AB - Traditionally we look at learning outcomes by examining single outcomes. A new and future direction is to look at the actual process of development. Imagine an advanced, 17-year-old student of English (L2) who has just finished secondary school in the Netherlands and wants to become an English teacher. He first completes a teacher training programme, and later at age 30, he obtains a university master’s degree in the Netherlands. After high school he is quite advanced already (estimated low B2 level), and when he finishes his MA thesis, he is able to write an academic research paper with the proper academic register (estimated C2 level). The purpose of the present chapter is to gain insight into the linguistic developmental process of his academic writing from a dynamic perspective. Over the course of 13 years (with a gap of five years), he writes many texts, 49 of which are selected to be examined in detail. The analyses show that his writing development is a long, complex, dynamic process, in which different sub-components of the language change in interaction with each other. During his teacher training programme the language develops substantially differently from his development during his university programme, where more of an academic register is expected. As the language develops, longer noun phrases occur, and more academic words appear, as reflected in a longer average word length. The linguistic system becomes more accurate as the process of acquisition continues, at one point quite abruptly, but even at the end of the participant’s studies, the writing still contains some errors. This study not only gives insight into the differences between characteristics of advanced formal writings and academic writing, but also has implications for the assessment and measurement of linguistic development. It turns out that not a single dependent variable develops linearly, and they all may level off during development. However, at the end, we will suggest that the finite verb token ratio is the best overall complexity and sophistication developmental measure, as it correlates highly with all other variables.

M3 - Chapter

SN - 9781783097128

T3 - Second language acquisition

SP - 215

EP - 242

BT - Future Research Directions for Applied Linguistics

A2 - Pfenniger, Simone

A2 - Navracsics, Judit

PB - Multilingual Matters Ltd

CY - Bristol ; Tonawanda, NY ; North York, Ontario

ER -