Abstract
An extensive body of literature has been generated on the written argumentation produced by EFL students; however, research studies have not merged analytical perspectives from rhetorical, informal reasoning, and pragma-dialectic perspectives to analyze students’ argumentative writing. Furthermore, the relationship between individual differences (ID) variables and argumentation has received limited attention. In this study, we aimed to investigate high-achieving students’ ID variables profile (Dörnyei, The psychology of the language learner: Individual differences in second language acquisition. Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, 2005; Dörnyei, The psychology of second language acquisition. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2009; Schmitt, An introduction to applied linguistics. Arnold Publishers, London, 2002) and written argumentation skills. The study involved the top 30% of 140 first-year English language majors from Budapest. A standardized questionnaire was constructed to collect data on university students’ motivated learning behavior, language-learning selves, anxiety, and self-efficacy as well as on their learning styles and self-regulation. Timed argumentative essays written by students were used to analyze written argumentation skills. The analytical tools employed in the analysis of argumentation skills were the taxonomy of argumentative theses (Tankó and Tamási, A comprehensive taxonomy of argumentative thesis statements: A preliminary pilot study. Working papers in language pedagogy, 2, 1–17. Available online at: http://langped.elte.hu/WoPaLParticles/W2TankoTamasi.pdf, 2008), the justificatory argument model (Toulmin, The uses of argument. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2003; Toulmin et al., An introduction to reasoning, 2nd ed. Collier Macmillan, New York, 1984), and the typology of complex argumentation (Van Eemeren et al., Argumentation analysis, evaluation, presentation. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, 2002). The ID profile of high achievers revealed that they are highly motivated learners with a strong ideal L2 self. Although this marked ID profile is reflected in their written argumentation skills, they also have weaknesses that need to be addressed in academic skills courses in order to further improve the quality of their argumentation. (This research was supported by the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA K83243).)
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Bandura, A. (1993). Perceived self-efficacy in cognitive development and functioning. Educational Psychologist, 28(1), 117–148.
Bandura, A. (2006). Guide to the construction of self-efficacy scales. In F. Pajares & T. Urdan (Eds.), Self-efficacy beliefs of adolescents (Vol. 5, pp. 307–337). Greenwich: Information Age Publishing.
Bridwell, L. S. (1980). Revising strategies in twelfth grade students’ transactional writing. Research in the Teaching of English, 14(3), 197–222.
Brózik-Piniel, K. (unpublished). Kérdőív a négy alapkészséggel kapcsolatos szorongás mérésére.
Brózik-Piniel, K., & Csizér, K. (2013). L2 motivation, anxiety and self-efficacy: The interrelationship of individual variables in the secondary school context. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 3(4), 523–546.
Carrell, P. L., & Connor, U. (1991). Reading and writing descriptive and persuasive texts. Modern Language Journal, 75(3), 314–324.
Cheng, Y.-S., Horwitz, E. K., & Schallert, D. L. (1999). Language anxiety: Differentiating writing and speaking components. Language Learning, 49(3), 417–446.
Connor, U. (1987). Argumentative patterns in student essays: Cross-cultural differences. In U. Connor & R. B. Kaplan (Eds.), Writing across languages: Analysis of L2 text (pp. 57–72). Reading: Addison-Wesley.
Connor, U. (1993). Linguistic/rhetorical measure for evaluating ESL writing. In L. Hamp-Lyons (Ed.), Assessing second language writing in academic contexts (pp. 215–225). Norwood: Ablex.
Connor, U., & Lauer, J. (1988). Cross-cultural variation in persuasive student writing. In A. Purves (Ed.), Writing across languages and cultures: Issues in contrastive rhetoric (pp. 109–137). Newbury Park: Sage.
Connor, U., & Takala, S. (1987). Predictors of persuasive essay writing: Some pilot test results in the United States and England. In R. E. Degenhart (Ed.), Assessment of student writing in an international context (pp. 187–205). Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä Press.
Crammond, J. G. (1997). An analysis of argument structure in expert and student persuasive writing. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, McGill University, Montreal.
Crammond, J. G. (1998). The uses and complexity of argument structures in expert and student persuasive writing. Written Communication, 15(2), 230–269.
Csizér, K. (2012). A második nyelvi motivációs énrendszer, az önszabályozó tanulás és az énhatékonysági képzetek szerepe a nyelvtanulási motivációban: Egy kérdőíves vizsgálat angol szakos egyetemisták körében [The role of the L2 motivational self system, self-regulatory learning and self-efficacy beliefs in L2 learning motivation: The results of a questionnaire study among English majors]. Iskolakultúra, 22(11), 42–51.
Csizér, K., & Tankó, Gy. (2017). English majors’ self-regulatory control strategy use in academic writing and its relation to L2 motivation, Applied Linguistics, 38(3), 386–404.
Dörnyei, Z. (1994). Motivation and motivating in the foreign language classroom. Modern Language Journal, 78(3), 273–284.
Dörnyei, Z. (2005). The psychology of the language learner: Individual differences in second language acquisition. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Dörnyei, Z. (2009). The psychology of second language acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Dörnyei, Z., & Ushioda, E. (2009). Motivation, language identity and the L2 self. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Dörnyei, Z., & Ushioda, E. (2011). Teaching and researching motivation (2nd ed.). Harlow: Longman.
Fahnestock, J., & Secor, M. (2000). Teaching argument: A theory of types. In E. P. J. Corbett, N. Myers, & G. Tate (Eds.), The writing teacher’s sourcebook (4th ed., pp. 222–230). New York: Oxford University Press.
Fahnestock, J., & Secor, M. (2004). A rhetoric of argument (3rd ed.). New York: McGaw.
Ferris, D. (1994). Rhetorical strategies in student persuasive writing: Differences between native and non-native English speakers. Research in the Teaching of English, 28(1), 45–65.
Forgas, J. P., Baumeister, R. F., & Dianne, M. T. (2009). Psychology of self-regulation. New York: Psychology Press.
Fulkerson, R. (1996). Teaching the argument in writing. Urbana: NCTE.
Gardner, R. C. (2010). Motivation and second language acquisition: The socio-educational model. New York: Peter Lang.
Halliday, M. A. K., & Hasan, R. (1976). Cohesion in English. London: Longman.
Henry, A., & Roseberry, R. L. (1999). Raising awareness of the generic structure and linguistic features of essay introductions. Language Awareness, 8(3&4), 190–200.
Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. Modern Language Journal, 70(1), 125–132.
Kormos, J., & Csizér, K. (2008). Age-related differences in the motivation of learning English as a foreign language: Attitudes, selves and motivated learning behaviour. Language Learning, 58(2), 327–355.
Kuhl, J. (1985). Volitional mediators of cognition-behavior consistency: Self-regulatory processes and action versus state orientation. In J. Kuhl & J. Beckmann (Eds.), Motivation, intention and volition (pp. 279–291). Berlin: Springer.
Lunsford, K. J. (2002). Contextualising Toulmin’s model in the writing classroom: A case study. Written Communication, 19(1), 109–174.
MacIntyre, P. D., & Gardner, R. C. (1994). The subtle effects of language anxiety on cognitive processing in the second language. Language Learning, 44(2), 283–305.
Pintrich, P. R., & De Groot, E. V. (1990). Motivation and self-regulated learning components of academic performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82(1), 33–40.
Porte, G. (1996). When writing fails: How academic context and past learning experiences shape revision. System, 24(1), 107–116.
Ryan, S. (2005). Motivational factors questionnaire. Nottingham: School of English Studies, University of Nottingham.
Schmitt, N. (2002). An introduction to applied linguistics. London: Arnold Publishers.
Schunk, D. H., & Zimmerman, B. J. (2008). Self-regulated learning: From teaching to self-reflective practice. New York: Guilford Press.
Simpson, J. M. (2000). Topical structure analysis of academic paragraphs in English and Spanish. Journal of Second Language Writing, 9(3), 293–309.
Tankó, Gy. (2005). Into Europe: The writing handbook. Budapest: Teleki László Foundation/British Council.
Tankó, Gy. (2012). Professional writing: The academic context (Rev. 2nd ed.). Budapest: Eötvös University Press.
Tankó, Gy. (2013, March). The quality of argumentation in EFL student writing. Paper presented at the AAAL 2013 conference, Dallas, United States of America.
Tankó, Gy., & Csizér, K. (2014). Investigating English majors’ individual differences through their argumentative essays. In V. Ruttkay & B. Gárdos (Eds.), HUSSE 11 proceedings of the 11th conference of the Hungarian society for the study of English (pp. 701–718). Budapest: L’Harmattan.
Tankó, Gy., & Tamási, G. J. (2008). A comprehensive taxonomy of argumentative thesis statements: A preliminary pilot study. Working Papers in Language Pedagogy, 2, 1−17. Available online at: http://langped.elte.hu/WoPaLParticles/W2TankoTamasi.pdf
Toulmin, S. E. (2003). The uses of argument. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Toulmin, S. E., Rieke, R. D., & Janik, A. (1984). An introduction to reasoning (2nd ed.). New York: Collier Macmillan.
Tseng, W.-T., Dörnyei, Z., & Schmitt, N. (2006). A new approach to assessing strategic learning: The case of self-regulation in vocabulary acquisition. Applied Linguistics, 27(1), 78–102.
Valentine, J. C., DuBois, D. L., & Cooper, H. (2004). The relation between self-beliefs and academic achievement: A meta-analytic review. Educational Psychologist, 39(1), 111–133.
Van Eemeren, F. H., Grootendorst, R., & Snoeck-Henkemans, A. F. (2002). Argumentation analysis, evaluation, presentation. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Varghese, S., & Abraham, S. A. (1998). Undergraduates arguing a case. Journal of Second Language Writing, 7(3), 287–306.
Weigle, S. (2002). Assessing writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Yeh, S. S. (1998). Validation of a scheme for assessing argumentative writing of middle school students. Assessing Writing, 5(1), 123–150.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Tankó, G., Csizér, K. (2018). Individual Differences and Micro-argumentative Writing Skills in EFL: An Exploratory Study at a Hungarian University. In: Chitez, M., Doroholschi, C., Kruse, O., Salski, Ł., Tucan, D. (eds) University Writing in Central and Eastern Europe: Tradition, Transition, and Innovation. Multilingual Education, vol 29. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95198-0_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95198-0_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-95197-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-95198-0
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)