Lisans Öğrencilerinin Akademik Dil Olarak İngilizcede Yazar Tutukluğu: Nedenler, Başa Çıkma Stratejileri, İhtiyaçlar

Abstract

Bu çalışma, yüksek öğretim bağlamında yazar tutukluğuna ışık tutmayı amaçlamaktadır ve 644 son sınıf İngiliz dili ve edebiyatı öğrencisinin İngilizce akademik metinler üretirken yaşadıkları yazar tutukluğuyla ilgili görüşlerinden yararlanmaktadır. Katılımcılardan veri toplamak için karma yöntemli bir anket tasarımı kullanılmıştır. Bulgular, yazar tutukluğunda hem iç hem de dış nedenlerin etkili olduğunu, öğrenciler tartışmacı-eleştirel ve açıklayıcı akademik metinler üretirken dış nedenlerin kısmen daha etkili olduğunu, yazma sürecinin ana taslağını oluşturma aşamasında ise yine dış nedenlerin etkili olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Buna ek olarak, bulgular öğrencilerin yazar tutukluğuyla başa çıkmak için farklı kombinasyonlarda yazmaya devam etme ve yazmaktan kaçınma stratejilerini izlediklerini ve taslak oluşturma, planlama, akademik dil kullanımı, tutarlılık ve cümleler arası geçişler konusunda bilgi ve deneyimlerini genişletmeye ihtiyaç duyduklarını ortaya koymuştur. Son olarak da bulgular, yazar tutukluğunu aşmak için net talimatlara, örnek metinleri incelemeye ve öğretmenlerden gelen geri bildirimlere duyulan ihtiyacı göstermektedir. Bu bulguların ışığında, çeşitli pedagojik çıkarımlar önerilmektedir.

Keywords

• Yazar tutukluğunun nedenleri
• başa çıkma stratejileri
• akademik dil olarak İngilizce
• İngiliz dili ve edebiyatı bölümleri
• öğrenci ihtiyaçları

Undergraduate Students’ Writer’s Block in English as an Academic Language: Causes, Coping Strategies Needs

Abstract

This study aims to explore writer’s block in the tertiary education context and draws from 644 senior English language and literature students’ self-reports on producing academic texts in English. A mixed-methods survey design was used to collect data from the participants. Findings showed that both internal and external causes of writer’s block were at work, yet external causes were moderately more influential, while students produced argumentative-critical and expository essays and were influential in the drafting stage of the writing process. Findings also revealed that students pursued continue-to-write and avoid-writing strategies in different combinations to cope with writer’s block and needed to expand their knowledge and experience in drafting, planning, using academic language, coherence, and smooth transitions between sentences and paragraphs. Lastly, findings highlighted the need for clear instructions, studying sample texts, and feedback from teachers to overcome writer’s block. In light of these findings, several pedagogical implications were suggested.

Keywords

• Causes of writer’s block
• coping strategies
• English as an academic language
• English language and literature departments
• students’ needs

References

1. Adams-Tukiendorf, M. (2008). Overcoming writer’s block in an MA seminar. Zeitschrift-Schreiben, 8, 1–10.
2. Ahmed, S. J., & Güss, C. D. (2022). An analysis of writer’s block: Causes and solutions. Creativity Research Journal, 34(3), 339–354. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2022.2031436
3. Almacıoğlu, G., & Okan, Z. (2018). Genre-based approach to writing instruction for students at an English Language and literature department. Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 4(1), 71–100. https://doi.org/10.32601/ejal.460635
4. Altınmakas, D., & Bayyurt, Y. (2019). An exploratory study on factors influencing undergraduate students’ academic writing practices in Turkey. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 37, 88–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2018.11.006
5. Arıkan, A. (2006). The value of reflection in writing courses in ELT preservice teacher education programs. Asian EFL Journal, 16, 1–16.
6. Baştuğ, M., Ertem, I. S., & Keskin, H. K. (2017). A phenomenological research study on writer’s block: causes, processes, and results. Education + Training, 59(6), 605–618. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-11-2016-0169
7. Bayraktar Balkir, N. (2016). Effects of synectics model on learners’ writing skills in tertiary level English class. (Publication No. 443535). [PhD Dissertation, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University-Çanakkale]. Council of Higher Education.
8. Boice, R. (1985). Cognitive components of blocking. Written Communication, 2(1), 91–104. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741088385002001006

9. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2019). Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise & Health, 11(4), 589–597. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1628806
10. Breeze, R. (2012). Rethinking academic writing pedagogy for the European university. Rodopi.
11. Cai, L. J. (2017). Students’ perceptions of academic writing: A needs analysis of EAP in China. In K. Kimura., & J. Middlecamp (Eds.), Asian-focused ELT research and practice: Voices from the far edge (pp. 127–151). IDP Education.
12. Castillo, M. (2014). Writer’s block. American Journal of Neuroradiology, 35(6), 1043–1044. https://doi.org/10.3174/ajnr.A3729
13. Çelik, S. (2020). Building critical academic writing skills: The impact of instructor feedback on Turkish ELT graduate students. TESL-EJ, 24(3), 1–18.
14. Ceylan, N. O. (2019). Student perceptions of difficulties in second language writing. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 15(1), 151–157. https://doi.org/10.17263/jlls.547683
15. Charles, M. (2013). English for academic purposes. In B. Paltridge, & S. Starfield (Eds.), The handbook of English for specific purposes (pp. 136–153). Wiley-Blackwell.
16. Cheong, C. M., Luo, N., Zhu, X., Lu, Q., & Wei, W. (2023). Self-assessment complements peer assessment for undergraduate students in an academic writing task. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 48(1), 135–148. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2022.2069225
17. Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research methods in education (8th ed.). Routledge.
18. Dela Rosa, J. P., & Genuino, C. F. (2018). Correlating writer’s block and ESL learners’ writing quality. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 7(3), 604–612. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v7i3.9810
19. Dolgunsöz, E., Yıldırım, G., & Yıldırım, S. (2018). The effect of virtual reality on EFL writing performance. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 14(1), 278–292.
20. Fatimah, N. (2018). Students’ needs for academic writing at the English education department. English Language Teaching Educational Journal, 1(3), 161–175.
21. Feng, H., Sun, Y., & Zou, Y. (2019). English writing assignments and student’s self-perceived writing needs: A survey of undergraduates at a Chinese University. TESOL Quarterly, 53(3), 857–874. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.511
22. Fernsten, L. A., & Reda, M. (2011) Helping students meet the challenges of academic writing. Teaching in Higher Education, 16(2), 171–182. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2010.507306
23. Fitzmaurice, M., & O'Farrell, C. (2010). Developing your academic writing skills: A handbook. Trinity Collage Dublin Graham.
24. Flaherty, A. W. (2015). The midnight disease: The drive to write, writer’s block, and the creative brain. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
25. Grabe, W. (2001). Notes toward a theory of second language writing. In T. Silva, & P. K. Matsuda (Eds.), On second language writing (pp. 39–57). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
26. Hamp-Lyons, L. (2001). English for academic purposes. In R. Carter, & D. Nunan (Eds.), The Cambridge guide to teaching English to speakers of other languages (pp. 126–130). Cambridge University Press.
27. Hirvela, A. (2011). Writing to learn in content areas: Research insights. In R. M. Manchon (Ed.), Learning-to-write and writing-to-learn in an additional language (pp. 37–59). John Benjamins Publishing.
28. Huerta, M., Goodson, P., Beigi, M., & Chlup, D. (2017). Graduate students as academic writers: Writing anxiety, self-efficacy and emotional intelligence. Higher Education Research & Development, 36(4), 716–729. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2016.1238881
29. Huston, P. (1998). Resolving writer’s block. Canadian Family Physician, 44, 92–97.
30. Hyland, K. (2002). Teaching and researching writing. Harlow, England: Longman.
31. Hyland, K. (2013). Writing in the university: Education, knowledge and reputation. Language Teaching, 46(1), 53–70. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444811000036
32. Imirie, O. N. (2022). Wrestling with writer’s block: Pedagogical interventions that work and why. [Master’s Thesis, Salisbury University]. Salisbury. http://hdl.handle.net/11603/24780
33. Jagaiah, T., Howard, D., & Olinghouse, N. (2019). Writer’s checklist: A procedural support for struggling writers. The Reading Teacher, 73(1), 103–110. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1802
34. Jordan, R. R. (1997). English for academic purposes: A guide and resource book for teachers. Cambridge University Press.
35. Kırkgöz, Y. (2009). Students’ and lecturers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of foreign language instruction in an English-medium university in Turkey. Teaching in Higher Education, 14(1), 81–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562510802602640
36. Lee, S-Y. (2002). The influence of cognitive/affective factors on L1/L2 literacy transfers. Studies in English Language and Literature, 10, 17–31.
37. Lee, S-Y., Krashen, S. (2003). Writer’s block in a Chinese sample. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 97(2),537–542. https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.2003.97.2.5
38. Lester, J. N., Cho, Y., & Lochmiller, C. R. (2020). Learning to do qualitative data analysis: A starting point. Human Resource Development Review, 19(1) 94–106. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484320903890
39. Link, M. W. (2008). Mixed-mode. In P. J. Lavrakas (Ed.), Encyclopedia of survey research methods (pp. 472–475). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
40. Loh, C. E. (2018). Change and continuity in the Singapore literature-in- English curriculum. Changing English, 25(1), 85–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/1358684X.2017.1388157
41. Michael, H. (2016). How writers write: Exploring the unconscious fantasies of writers. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 33(1), 21–34. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038957
42. Moore, M. (2018). Articulate walls: Writer’s block and the academic creative. New Writing, 15(3), 348–359. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790726.2017.1384025
43. Moore, S. (2003). Writers’ retreats for academics: Exploring and increasing the motivation to write. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 27(3), 333–342. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0309877032000098734
44. Murray, R., & Moore, S. (2003). The handbook of academic writing: A fresh approach. McGraw Hill.
45. Prihandoko, L. A. (2021). Students’ writing self-efficacy, writers’ block, and academic writing performance: An empirical study in eastern Indonesian students. Al-Ishlah: Jurnal Pendidikan 13(3), 2029–2037. https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v13i3.1156
46. Rose, M. (1984). Writer’s block: The cognitive dimension. Southern Illinois University Press.
47. Salem, A. A. M. (2018). Engaging ESP university students in flipped classrooms for developing functional writing skills, HOTs, and eliminating writer’s block English Language Teaching, 11(12), 177–198. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v11n12p177
48. Schultz, J. M. (1991). Writing mode in the articulation of language and literature classes: Theory and practice. The Modern Language Journal, 75(4), 411–417. https://doi.org/10.2307/329489
49. Seow, A. (2002). The writing process and process writing. In J. C. Richards, & W. A. Renandya (Eds.), Methodology in language teaching: An anthology of current practice (pp. 315–320). Cambridge University Press.
50. Smeets, S. (2008). Writer’s block as an instrument for remaining in paradise: How to beat writer’s block: A multidisciplinary approach. Available at: https://zeitschrift-schreiben.ch/globalassets/zeitschrift-schreiben.eu/2008/smeets_writers_block.pdf (accessed July, 2021).
51. Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2013). Using multivariate statistics. Pearson Education.
52. Tan, C. N., & Siegel, T. (2018). Surveys. In B. B. Frey (Ed.), The Sage encyclopedia of educational research, measurement, and evaluation researchers (pp. 1642–1645). Sage
53. Thurman, C. (2007). The department of literature and the department of English: Transforming aspects of ‘English studies’ in South Africa. Social Dynamics, 33(1), 155–179. https://doi.org/10.1080/02533950708628747
54. Toprak, Z., & Yücel, V. (2020) A peculiar practice of academic writing: Epidemic writing in the Turkish graduate education. Cogent Education, 7(1), 1774098. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2020.1774098
55. Trotman, W. (2010). Teacher oral feedback on student writing: An action research approach towards teacher-student conferences on EFL academic essay writing in a higher education context in Turkey. (Publication No. 10074625) [PhD Dissertation, University of Warwick-Warwick]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.
56. Üstündağ Güvenç, Ö., Sağlam, B., Çakırlar, Ö., & Uzundemir, Ö. (2022). Changes in the teaching of literature: A study of practices in the English language and literature department at Çankaya University during the COVID-19 pandemic. Changing English, 29(1), 53–65. https://doi.org/10.1080/1358684X.2021.2015571
57. Zorbaz, K. Z. (2015) The effects of various variables on university students’ writer’s block levels. The Anthropologist, 21(1-2), 311–322. https://doi.org/10.1080/09720073.2015.11891820