WeCWI: Integrating Language Acquisition and Composition Studies towards Literacy Development

WeCWI is an e-framework grounded on the theoretical-and-pedagogical principles of language acquisition, composition studies, cognitive theories, and e-learning to promote literacy, language, cognitive, and psychological developments. This study aimed to tackle the writing complexity and deficiency of literacy skills among the second language (L2) learners by reviewing the literature on the integration of language acquisition and composition studies to become a hybrid framework. Three fundamental language acquisition theories such as acquisition-learning hypothesis, input hypothesis, and reading hypothesis were adopted in WeCWI. To develop a tool of web-based instruction (WBI) using WeCWI, instructors are encouraged to publish greater functions and more up-to-date reading materials by utilising the web widgets and hypertext, which offer the direct access to specific online reading materials to the learners. This will also promote reading on voluntary basis in informal setting or free reading, which is the major source of literacy competence in various aspects including vocabulary, spelling, grammar, and writing (Krashen, 1992). Besides, formal reading can also be made available on WBI through posting the targeted reading materials related to the course’s learning outcomes.

WeCWI Integrated Formula: Empowering Teachers through Adaptive Learning Technology

Web-based Cognitive Writing Instruction (WeCWI) is a theoretical-and-pedagogical multidisciplinary hybrid e-framework formulated to empower teachers through the adaptive learning technology particularly the internet. WeCWI Integrated Formula is the first framework synthesising the principles of language acquisition, cognitive theories, composition studies, and e-learning to construct a hybrid digital framework for developing and designing a web-based instruction (WBI) based on learners’ information processing preferences. The four main theoretical rationales—language acquisition, composition studies, cognitive theories, and e-learning—are seamlessly integrated as the core of WeCWI, which can be summarised into a formula as: (Language Acquisition + Composition Studies + Cognitive Theories) e-Learning = WeCWI. This integrated formula of WeCWI is represented by a Venn diagram. To promote adaptive learning, teachers are encouraged to develop their web-based instructional tools using the web 2.0 platform such as blog based on their students’ preferred interface designs that correspond to different perceptual learning styles.

From SIL to WeCWI: Overcoming L2 Learners’ Barriers to Writing through Web-Based Instruction

Rooted from the performance analysis based on the results of an English course offered by Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in two consecutive semesters, nine L2 writing challenges were identified. These barriers to L2 writing were further analysed and elucidated in a form of chain diagram namely “SIL”, which means system (S), instructor (I), and learner (L). SIL proposes a sequence of deductive remedial actions for writing predicaments. Its learner domain was further scrutinised to examine the writing difficulties faced by UiTM undergraduates as the L2 learners. Based on the qualitative systematic review of the past studies on UiTM students’ writing problems supported by the instructors and learners’ writing needs, seven perspectives of poor writing skills were determined: writing complexity, literacy, proficiency, critical thinking, information literacy, interlanguage, and writing anxiety. Owing to the global impact of the internet, the positive outcomes of web-based writing instructions, as well as the high demand for developing a supplementary web-based instructional tool, an e-framework namely WeCWI was formulated grounded on the theoretical-and-pedagogical principles, which comes with four significances that promote in literacy, language, cognitive, and psychological developments.

The Challenges of L2 Writing for Tertiary Students: A Review on Learner, Instructor, and System Perspectives

Within the last few years, there has been rising concern in Malaysian society at the dismal ability in mastery of English among university students. The students with higher academic qualifications but committed numerous mistakes in written English will hardly be employed by the prospective employers. In most of the universities, language instructors face a lot of difficulties when essay writing is concerned. Many students still commit the grammatical errors that consume a great deal of instructors’ time and effort to correct their written tasks. To identify the challenges of second language (L2) writing particularly among tertiary students in Malaysia, one of the Malaysian universities with highest population was chosen. Based on the review of past studies, nine L2 writing challenges have been identified which can be represented by a chain reaction diagram called “SIL”: system (S), instructor (I), and learner (L). Lecture time, institutional e-learning system, and ICT research fall under the system perspective.