Using citations effectively and incorporating secondary sources in academic writing add credibility to the author and help avoid plagiarism. Selecting and integrating academic material in one’s argument requires careful analysis and evaluation of texts, analytical thinking and critical reading skills, as incorrect practices often lead to violation of academic integrity or false interpretation of the original texts. Students are aware of the importance of citing sources correctly, yet its complexities present numerous challenges. The study investigates first year undergraduate students’ citation practices in an Academic Writing course at an American university in the UAE. Surveys were conducted with 72 students of various nationalities and academic majors taking the course to identify areas where they struggle with citing sources. Findings also reveal that through their experiences they not only appreciate the importance of academic integrity and research but also critical reading analysis and the construction of cogent arguments. However, in order to master the skills of using citations correctly, students require teachers' constant support and reinforcement.

This study explored the felt sense, unspeakable senses, of EFL writers through their experience of writing in English using the following research questions: What felt sense do EFL writers express? What does writing in English mean for these writers? This study adopted the TAE (Thinking at the edge) approach to examine the emotions related to writing in English for three Japanese EFL learners. Data from the participants’ ten TAE worksheets following the seven phases of the TAE process (Tokumaru, 2011) and individual interviews were collected. The findings indicated that participants struggled to clarify their ideas due to the differences in expressions between Japanese and English. They also had difficulty organizing their thoughts into paragraphs, which negatively affected their confidence in using English. However, they revealed that their sustained efforts to write using L2 highlighted the importance of developing their writing proficiency and building their sense of achievement regarding writing in English. This presentation provides a discussion on teaching writing based on writers’ felt sense of English writing.

What importance might L1 peer feedback have for L2 learners? Olshtain (2001) has argued the importance of clear, organized feedback as crucial for the succeeding draft (quoted in Yuce and Atac, 2020). This leads to a discussion on determining the appropriate stage of communication in L1 or L2 to promote a learner’s development. Other researchers (see Hyland & Hyland (2006); Franklin (2010)) suggest that peer editing in L1 avoids possible misunderstandings while developing crucial social skills. Should such skills be a goal in peer editing? The presenter will share classroom action research and invites participants to share their own insights.

Classroom writing shouldn’t be dreadful. Rather, this workshop introduces writing tasks that challenge, inspire and compel students. During the fall 2020 and 2021 semesters, the presenter utilized a 6-week writing project, transcending the standard opinion essay, with 300 university students. Through ‘Argument/Counterargument Analysis’ writing tasks, students develop essential persuasive writing skills while exploring the strategic art of concealment - an unconventional but fruitful learning opportunity. This workshop details the step-by-step processes students completed, including sentence development, small group writing roleplays and ultimately producing opposing paragraphs, where the final product is so convincing and tonally objective, the student’s true convictions about the writing prompt remain obscured. These procedures naturally cultivate critical thinking, and even empathy, as students evaluate and communicate a range of viewpoints on a given issue. After viewing student writing samples, and then exploring writing roleplay prompts in breakout groups, a wrap-up discussion will conclude the workshop.

Deficiency-oriented attitudes are still common occurrences despite emphasis on linguistic and cultural diversity. Promoting inclusivity in learning, Herrera (2016) proposes “biography-driven instruction” emphasizing the power of students’ assets. Though her work is intended for young learners’ biliteracy, I argue the tenets can be used as framework for more equitable adult ESL instruction to build off of learners’ “funds of knowledge” (Moll et al, 1992). In this theoretical paper, I detail an approach I call “autobiography driven instruction” where L2 writing instruction can foster inclusivity through life writing by acknowledging diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds as assets, drawing from rich lived experiences and tapping into multi-competencies. In doing so, I draw from life writing scholarship, give practical examples in using a wide range of life writing genres, and emphasize how it can help often-underrepresented students like L2 learners “position themselves at the center of scholarly discourse rather than at the edges” (Viray, 2018).

Some think synchronous online teaching, originally a stopgap, may potentially replace offline classes, so comparative research is needed. This study investigates the interaction patterns, feedback targets, and student preferences in synchronous online (Zoom) or offline (F2F) peer review sessions. Two South Korean university EFL writing classes had three essay assignments, each with a real-time peer review session. The first (training) and third peer review sessions were conducted completely online using Zoom and the university’s LMS. The second was conducted face-to-face in a classroom. The tasks were identical in procedure, but not essay topic. The study found: (a) differences in interaction patterns between Zoom and the classroom; (b) little difference in feedback target (surface features, discourse, content, planning, or affect); and (c) cases in which students who preferred online peer review performed better offline. It also found that teacher feedback was more relevant to more students in the F2F situation.