This study adopts a mixed-methods design and uses keystroke logging, stimulated recalls, and a questionnaire to investigate L2 writing behaviors, cognitive processes and perceptions about different writing tasks. The findings showed that the L2 learners’ writing behaviors and task difficulty were affected by differences in time constraints, genre, and proficiency.
Length of writing has been assessed to identify the effects of task and genre on second language (L2) writing. Moving beyond a singular focus on writing outcomes (i.e., the length of writing), this study investigates L2 learners’ writing fluency-related behaviors, the cognitive processes behind them, and their perception of difficulty in writing tasks by manipulating genres and time constraints. Drawing on Kellogg’s model of writing (1996), this study adopts a mixed-methods design and uses (1) keystroke logging to capture writing behaviors, such as fluency, pausing, and revision, and (2) stimulated recalls to reveal cognitive processes used by L2 learners (3) open-ended questionnaire to find L2 learners’ perception of difficulty in genres and time constraints (e.g., Révész et al., 2017; Van Waes & Leijten, 2015). Participants included 126 English L2 learners studying at a university, with high-intermediate or advanced proficiency according to standardized tests and a cloze test. Their writing behaviors were recorded by Inputlog 7.0, a keystroke logging program. The participants were assigned randomly to the longer (60 minutes) or shorter timed group (30 minutes). Furthermore, each participant was randomly assigned to either the narrative or the argumentative writing task on the first day, and the other task on the second day. After completing the tasks, they were asked to fill out questionnaire regarding task difficulty. Sixteen participants were randomly selected for stimulated recall sessions, and they were required to recall their writing processes as prompted by the screen recordings. Repeated measures MANOVAs revealed that the L2 learners’ fluency-related behaviors and perception of task difficulty were affected by differences in time constraints, genre, and proficiency. The stimulated recall data showed that L2 learners’ writing processes, such as planning and translation, differed across time constraints, genre, and proficiency. Taken together, the findings regarding theoretical, methodological, and pedagogical implications will be discussed.
