Variations in Composing Behaviours of Academic ESL Writers in Test and Non-test Situations

Abstract

While composing process research has revealed great variation among writers and among types of writers, research has largely ignored fluctuation in writing behaviours of a single writer. This study contrasted both texts and behaviours of six ESL writers as they wrote a practice essay test with their texts and behaviours in an actual English composition proficiency examination. Fluctuations were observed in the complexity of the texts generated, in the allocation of time to various activities, in the writers' pausing behaviours, and in the type of alterations they made while inscribing. In addition, the six writers displayed six unique profiles. The findings suggest that assessment practices need to distinguish writing problems from language problems and that instructional practices need to attend to composing behaviours, accommodating students who are apprehensive about writing or anxious about tests. The findings reiterate the long-standing suspicion about the validity of assessing writing skill through a single text.