1

University of the West Indies Open Campus: St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Assignment 1 – Writing Portfolio

Fransisca Alexander – Holder: 320007305

LANG6099 Advanced Academic English Language Skills

Mrs. Chevanese Brown

April 22nd, 2023

 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Critique ……………………………………………………………………………………. 3

Research Essay ………………………………………………………………………………7

Reflection …………………………………………………………………………………... 15
 3

Article Critique

College campuses are ideal places for learning and interacting with a wide range of

cultures and nationalities. However, being an international student, and having English as a

second -language poses a tremendous challenge in many areas including the writing of

assignments (Nadal-Vicens & Beresin, 2021). In the article “Writing Gravity: International

Female Students’ Academic Writing Experiences”, Abir A. Eldaba and Janet K. Isbell (2021)

examined the academic writing experiences of three international female graduate students at

a southern U.S. university. The purpose of the research was to understand the participants’

view of themselves as cross-cultural writers, their experiences with academic writing, and the

coping strategies that they employed for their writing tasks. Although the article revealed the

need for universities to restructure their support system for international students in the area

of writing, limitations exist in the areas of the abstract, sample size, methodology, and title of

the article.

From the research (Eldaba and Isbell, 2021), international students enrolled at

colleges and universities in the U.S. face the problem of not only speaking but writing

English at a proficient level. The university at which the study was conducted provides a

wide range of services and programs to aid and support international students. However,

students at the graduate level still lack the necessary writing skills that are required in

academia. The three female graduate students were carefully chosen due to their prior

enrollment in the ESL classes and the fact that their gender corresponds with that of the

researchers. Data was collected via interviews, analysis of participants’ graded assignments,

and their instructors’ feedback on their papers. The results showed that all participants felt

that they were unprepared for graduate writing tasks although they passed the ESL class.

They also concluded that their writing tasks were “hard” and hence, doubted their ability to

express themselves fully in English. To cope with these challenges, English writing models
 4

were sorted, peers were recruited to review their writing pieces and feedback from their

instructors was thoroughly followed. In conjunction with these strategies, participants also

sought to avoid plagiarism and to revert to the use of their first language when writing their

pieces.

The researchers studied an important and critical issue and one that was not new to

the literature. The study of international students’ inability to write proficiently in English

must be thoroughly considered by the relevant education stakeholders. However, Eldaba and

Isbell’s (2021) abstract was inadequately constructed. An abstract is a summary of the

research process. In this study, the abstract did not include the methodology and it give no

clear, definitive results of the findings. Furthermore, the sample size was insufficient and did

not represent the reality of international female graduate students’ enrollment. In the area of

methodology, all three participants were female, two of whom share the same nationality and

were enrolled at the same ESL-affiliated school prior to graduate studies. These realities

could reveal some biases and hence, affect the result of the study.

Additionally, the researchers indicated that the study was not to be generalized but

viewed as interpretive and context-specific” (p.1888). While I agree with this due to the sample

size, it gives occasion for a misleading title. In its syntactical structure, it is understood that

the study referred to all international female graduate students. However, the study focused

on only three students.

The Literature Review was quite resourceful and provided much evidence and support

for the current issues affecting the participants as international students. These were present

in the areas of writing challenges and coping skills that were employed by the participants.

Unfortunately, many of the experts were found to be more than ten years from the article’s

date of publication. This implies that new data/research could have been found that could

have proven the situation futile. Moreover, the role of the authors could have also impacted
 5

the outcome of the findings. The first author had similar experiences as an international

student while the second, due to her associations has cultivated feelings of empathy toward

international students. Although nothing is inherently wrong with the authors’ position, these

already calculated feelings and experiences can ‘force’ the findings in a particular direction.

The authors should have been completely divorced from this subject. This would avoid the

potential for biases on their part.

On the other hand, the researchers were forthcoming in their suggestions for further

research. They claimed that the study “could include male participants and observation of

student interactions with professors or tutors” (p.1888). The inclusion of males will open the

way for a generalized approach rather than a gender-based (female) approach.

Overall the study found that new ways must be sought after by stakeholders of

universities to find solutions to the challenges international students face regarding their

education. Writing centers that are established to assist international students must be

academically staffed with lecturers who are cognizant of the writing tasks of international

students. Finally, there must be a dialogue between university administrators and

international students on the way forward regarding proper support in their academic writing

journey.
 6

References

Eldaba, A. A., & Isbell, J. K. (2021). Writing gravity: International female graduate students’

academic writing experiences. Journal of International Students, 8(4), 1879–1890.

https://doi.org/10.29121/web/v18i2/31

Nadal-Vicens, M., & Beresin, G. (2021, January 27). International College Students:

Challenges and Solutions. MGH Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds.

https://www.mghclaycenter.org/parenting-concerns/young-adults/international-

college-students/
 7

Effectiveness of WhatsApp on Students’ Writing

Writing is one of the most essential communication skills that can significantly impact

a person’s life. Magrath (2003) (as cited in Alsaleem, 2014) states that “writing today is not a

frill for the few, but an essential skill for the many” (p. 33). For a student, the ability to

respond appropriately and effortlessly to examinations, job applications, and business-related

emails is critical. Writing, as a complex activity, requires students to perform several tasks

simultaneously – write, think, and compose while utilizing correct grammar and spelling

(Alsaleem, 2014). Thus, students must learn how to convey their ideas and information

learned clearly and concisely. Failure to possess this skill can hinder academic achievements

at all levels and result in poor career choices.

In this age of rapid and advanced technology, social media has become one of the

major tools for social interaction. This has led to a change in the way people disseminate and

acquire information and simply share knowledge (Pebriantini et al. 2022). The introduction of

cellular phones and more specifically, smartphones, has created a new means of electronic

communication that has become an integral and significant part of students’ lives. From the

numerous social media platforms that exist, WhatsApp has become very prominent among

teenagers.

Fattah (2015) defines WhatsApp Messenger as “a cross-platform instant messaging

application for smartphones” (p. 119). As a tool of social media, it has been deemed the most

popular instant messaging app. The company boasts of having two billion users with an

estimate of over ten billion messages that are sent and received daily (Team, 2022). This

platform can send and receive messages, images, videos, and audio.

This new mode of communication and expression has raised concern among

educators, parents, and the public regarding the effects on students’ use of language in

speaking and foremost in writing (Cremades et al., 2019, as cited in Ullah et al.,). The
 8

prevalence of WhatsApp usage in some schools has become a gateway for change in learners’

language learning which can culminate in linguistic variety and difference (MILOUD, 2019

as cited in (Ullah et al., 2022). Therefore, students and educators must seek ways to utilize

these tools to enhance teaching and learning. Hence, the purpose of this essay is to highlight

the positive impacts of WhatsApp on students’ writing at the tertiary level.

According to research (Thurlow, 2006, as cited in Verheijen & Spooren, 2021), most

people render social media harmful to youths’ literacy skills. Although there is a wide range

of evidence to confirm this belief (Cindel & Sundar, 2012; Rosen et al, 2012, as cited in

Verheijen & Spooren, 2021), other researchers opine (Crystal, 2008; Wood, Klemp & Pester,

2013, as cited in Verheijen & Spooren, 2021) that social media can be advantageous to the

youth. They propose that this can be had through the youths’ use of creative language; greater

exposure and more engagement in writing which leads to greater awareness of

metalinguistics.

Writing, as a language skill, focuses on how the writer can best express his/her idea(s)

in text form. To become efficient writers, many teachers have employed various methods and

strategies in their classrooms to help students to develop skills in writing. Unfortunately,

many have failed and others have become fearful at the thought of writing. Today, WhatsApp

offers many avenues for learning that can be employed by educators at all levels of one’s

academic journey.

One of the positive effects of WhatsApp is its ability to change students’ perception of

writing as boring and laborious. WhatsApp creates fun and enjoyable ways to write (Syarif &

Zaim, 2021). This view of students’ perception stems from the types of messages that the app

offers. Students can send a text, a video, a voice note, or an image. Syarif and Zaim opine

that these prospects allow students to interact with their peers. Consequently, they learn in an

environment where they feel less threatened. As a result, students can produce work outside
 9

of the traditional classroom which adds a new dimension to learning. It also provides

additional writing practice. This high level of writing enthusiasm helps them to become

proficient writers. As a consequence, more care is given to the final product (Rowen, 2005, as

cited in Alsaleem, 2014).

Fattah’s (2015) study emphasizes the need for motivation and the presence of working

within one’s comfort zone. Students are more inclined to work when they feel comfortable

with a tool with which they are familiar. For this reason, he proposes an activity called

‘circular writing’. He recommends this to children who consider writing to be boring and

difficult. Circular writing involves the creation of a story by several students. It begins with a

text message from Student A, who will forward it to Student B, and the cycle continues until

each student makes a written submission. Simply put, every student contributes to the

finished product. The teacher simply monitors and records the story as it develops. Feedback

is given after the story is completed. He also suggests that newspaper reports, instructions,

and warnings be done using this activity. This concept of motivation was further emphasized

by Awada (2016) (as cited in Pebriantini et al, 2022). His study revealed that there was an

increase in motivation to learn among students by using WhatsApp when compared with the

regular, traditional mode of instruction.

Additionally, WhatsApp can also be used to teach aspects of the writing process. In

their study (Syarif & Zaim, 2021), students were engaged in brainstorming (prewriting),

drafting, and publishing via WhatsApp. In their prewriting activity, the teacher shared a video

about an incident. Students were then asked to comment and express their feelings about

what they saw. In using WhatsApp, they brainstormed possible reactions to questions asked

about the video by the teacher. Students were given a hortatory template where they worked

in groups to do their drafts at school. At this stage, students worked on each other’s drafts.
 10

Finally, each student submitted his/her work and the teacher provided feedback to each

student using the voice note feature on WhatsApp.

A key step in the writing process is editing. Muthmainnah and Azmina’s study on the

efficacy of WhatsApp group in the development of writing, describe the activities of this step.

In their five writing activities for their WhatsApp Group writing frame, students were

involved in checking and making corrections to sentences written before. Oba et al. (2017)

(as cited in Muthmainnah & Azmina, 2020) argue that the editing model is useful for

analyzing intellectual writing and that “the editing process will raise students’ error

awareness made at their proficiency level” (p. 17). In their study (Muthmainnah & Azmina,

2020), editing was carried out by editing several compound sentences given by the lecturer.

When confronted with the reason for editing, students will learn to recognize the error in

writing and as a result, increase their level of proficiency.

As a mobile learning tool, WhatsApp aids in the formation of paragraph writing.

Alouch et al. (2021) highlight WhatsApp’s help to second-language learners. Their research

among ESL tertiary students revealed that their writing of emails, paragraphs, and essays was

developed and greatly improved through the use of WhatsApp as a writing tool. Furthermore,

research done by Ma’ruf et al. (2019) (as cited in Pebriantini, 2022) confirms that WhatsApp

results in numerous benefits when used in Paragraph Writing classes. The researchers found

that the students improved grammatically, their vocabulary progressed and they had many

opportunities to engage in peer review.

With its main mode of abbreviations and short handwriting to communicate,

educators can use WhatsApp language as an opportunity to teach the distinction between

formal and informal language and to discuss the appropriateness of language use (Alsaleem

2014). Within academia, there exist varying views about WhatsApp and its impact on

learners. Some (Brown-Owens et al., 2003, as cited in Alsaleem, 2014) believe that its use
 11

has confused the conventions of writing. Others such as Helderman (2003) (as cited in

Alsaleem, 2014), opine that this creates an opportunity for students to learn how and when to

use the different types of writing as well as the different types of languages.

Verheijen and Spooren, (2021) propose a solution to this problem. They suggest that

the “confusion” can be dealt with by teaching students how to code-switch between registers.

They also recommend that teachers view WhatsApp language as a recognized, official

language. Therefore, students are viewed as bilingual, switching and moving between two

languages. Again, like the previous researcher (Helderman, 2003) students must become

cognizant of the appropriateness of language use.

WhatsApp as a writing tool provides multiple opportunities for students to engage in

self-reflection, assessment, and evaluation regarding their writing. Research from Syarif &

Zaim (2021) showed that students become knowledgeable of their errors and mistakes as well

as that of their peers while texting. They believe that “through WhatsApp chatting, students

can analyze their writing and increase their new words that are used by their other friends in

their texts” (p. 84). As they type their messages, misspelled words are highlighted so students

can edit these errors before sending the messages. Additionally, their vocabulary increases

due to words used by their peers. These words are then used in their own writing to enhance

their work. Lenhart (2007) (as cited in Alsaleem, 2014), reiterates the previous idea in his

report ‘The Internet and Teens’. He states “that teenagers appreciate the ability to revise and

edit more easily on a computer and a smartphone than with paper and pencil” (p. 37). This

process of editing, revising, and by extension, proofreading provides practice for students in

grammatical and syntactical structural patterns (Syarif & Zaim, 2021).

Finally, as an electronic tool, WhatsApp enables students to engage in dialogue

journaling. Alsaleem’s (2014) research examined the impact of WhatsApp in English

dialogue journals among EFL undergraduate Saudi students with the sole purpose of
 12

improving students’ writing. His study proved that WhatsApp electronic journaling aids

students in the development of two specific writing skills: vocabulary word choice and voice.

Yancey (2009) (as cited in Alsaleem, 2014) states that the modern era will be characterized

by writing that is not taught in a classroom via the use of formal instruction. This new type of

writing which he calls ‘co-apprenticeship, will be written by students and evaluated by their

peers rather than their instructors. This he conceptualizes as the essence of WhatsApp

electronic journaling.

This essay highlights the use of smart mobile phones and applications on these

phones such as WhatsApp and its positive effect on writing skills development. This is not

only significant but critical because it informs teachers about the use of this mobile learning

tool and how it can be used inside and outside the classroom. The world continues to advance

daily in the area of technology and with it is a corresponding usage and interaction among

young people. The content of this essay should result in changes in educational policies.

These changes are paramount and must help university instructors to develop ways to

increase the writing competencies of their students. Even more, university instructors need to

know if specific writing skills can be enhanced by using WhatsApp features for

undergraduate and graduate students. The essay showed that the use of WhatsApp can help

students to believe in their abilities and have confidence as writers. It develops writing skills

and increases students' motivation. With the presence of its technical features, WhatsApp can

be used to engage students in some aspects of the writing process. Its ability to provide

support in paragraph writing is another major factor in its success as a writing tool.

WhatsApp also gives opportunities for students to perform individual self-assessment tasks

regarding their writing as well as that of their peers. Finally, it is found that journaling has a

positive effect on the development of particular writing skills, via the use of WhatsApp.
 13

References

Alouch, M., Ganapathy, M., & Lin, D. T. A. (2021). Using WhatsApp to promote ESL

students’ writing. AJELP: Asian Journal of English Language and Pedagogy, 9(2),

54–65. https://doi.org/10.37134/ajelp.vol9.2.5.2021

Alsaleem, B. I. A. (2014). The effect of “WhatsApp” electronic dialogue journaling on

improving writing vocabulary word choice and voice of EFL undergraduate Saudi

students. Arab English World Journal, 4(3), 213–225.

Fattah, S. F. E. S. A. (2015). The effectiveness of using WhatsApp messenger as one of the

mobile learning techniques to develop students’ writing skills. Journal of Education

and Practice, 6(32), 115–127. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1083503

Muthmainnah, N., & Azmina, B. (2020). EFL-Writing Activities Using WhatsApp Group:

Students’ Perceptions during Study from Home. LET: Linguistics, Literature and

English Teaching Journal, 10(2), 1. https://doi.org/10.18592/let.v10i2.4122

Pebriantini, R., Winny, A. H., & Riznanda, A. (2022). Is WhatsApp a beneficial tool in

learning writing? 1, 120–127.

Syarif, M., & Zaim, M. (2021). The use of WhatsApp messaging as mobile learning in

developing writing skills (pp. 83–87). Atlantis Press. http://www.atlantis-press.com

Team, Q. (2022, March 3). WhatsApp: Kids spend an average of 44 minutes sending

messages every day. Qustodio. https://www.qustodio.com/en/press-releases/kids-

whatsapp-usage-statistics/

Ullah, T. I., Baber, A. R., Naz, F., Farooqui, M. R., & Maqsood, N. B. (2022). Negative

impacts of social media and WhatsApp texting on students’ academic writing skills: A

comparative research. Webology, 19(1).

Verheijen, L., & Spooren, W. (2021). The Impact of WhatsApp on Dutch youths’ school

writing and spelling. Journal of Writing Research, 13(1), 300–335.

 14

https://doi.org/10.17239/jowr-2021.13.01.05
 15

Reflection

The process of writing, though long and sometimes tedious, is very rewarding. When

I began this written assignment, I did not consider the writing process. Having taught the

writing process for many years, I simply thought that this writing task would be easy; my

thoughts would flow naturally and I would complete the assignment in the shortest possible

time. Oh, I was very wrong.

As I reflected upon who I am as a writer and my writing personality, I knew that I had

to manage myself and that meant safeguarding my leisure time. As an extrovert and talker, I

spend much of my time conversing with others so I knew had to reduce this time. I carefully

mapped out the days and times for gathering relevant material and for actual writing. This

was done very early since I had chosen a topic that I thought was relevant and one that was of

great interest to me. Although I was disappointed that I was not able to write about it, I am

now very grateful for the insight that I gained from my lecturer who aided me in the selection

of another topic.

In the pre-planning stage, I looked for scholarly and peer-reviewed research and case

studies on the issue. I found an abundance (or so I thought) but after careful reading, many

had to be discarded. They ‘danced’ around the issue but were deemed worthless because they

did not focus directly on the issue of writing. I read and scanned many articles and

publications before I was able to compile a list that provided me with information that was

suitable and relevant to my topic.

Having passed that stage, I began my prewriting. To be quite honest, this stage proved

to be the most taxing, tedious, long, and meticulous stage of all the stages. I was frustrated

many times; I changed my topic twice and I had to discard two articles. It was here that I
 16

learned and recognized for myself the value and or importance of a plan. I quickly made a

plan and decided that I was going to write exactly as planned.

During my writing, I became more frustrated. Why? I found myself going back and

forth between the prewriting stage and the drafting stage. Again, I made several adjustments

to the topic of the essay. The more I read the articles/publications the more I learned. As I

learned, I adjusted my topic to reflect what I was learning. This taught me two lessons: 1.

writers must be flexible and 2. be very meticulous when gathering material. These two

worked for me because I was solely in control of the topic, however, if I was given a topic, I

would not have been able to adjust/tweak it. I trembled at the thought but I was very grateful

that I was able to manipulate the topic. It was at this stage that I became one with my essay

and learned that a book should never be judged by its cover. Before I began the essay itself, I

had conjured several thoughts about the topic and as a result, several assumptions were made

regarding the use of WhatsApp. The information that I gathered reprimanded me and proved

all of my presuppositions as folly. I learned so many things about the effectiveness of

WhatsApp as a writing tool that I have made a conscious decision to use it in my classroom. I

want to prove to myself the efficacy of such an app.

I must admit that during my writing, I edited and proofread. Instead of writing as the

thoughts flowed, I typed, revised, edited, and proofread. This was also done each time I

added something new to the paper. I worked to ensure that my thesis was clearly defined and

reflected the topic so when I changed the topic, I changed the thesis. In my revision, I sort to

ensure that my topic sentences were clearly stated and that transitional words where

necessary were placed appropriately. I reviewed the five C’s in unit one of module one and

worked assiduously to ensure that the essay reflected the principles given. Overall, this

experience has helped me to reflect personally on the need to do thorough research when
 17

gathering information, to be flexible as a writer, and to become a learner as one engages in

the process of writing.