Reading Strategies and L2 Proficiency on the Development of L2 Learners’ Summary Writing

Despite an increasing interest in reading-to-write tasks as an educational practice, little attention has been given to the relationship between the development of L2 learners’ summary writing and L2 reading strategies. Therefore, this study investigates whether L2 learners’ summary writing develops through practice over a semester. It further examines the relationships between L2 reading strategies, L2 proficiency, and the development of learners’ summarizing skills. A total of 29 college students participated in a quasi-experimental study over a four-month period. All participants received instruction on reading strategies, and wrote ten summaries. At the end of the semester, participants completed a survey on their L2 reading strategy use. Three of their ten summary writings (the first, fifth, and tenth) were evaluated to assess their development. The results showed significant improvement in students’ summary writing over the semester of practice, but showed no effect of L2 reading strategies on the development of summary writing. The results also indicated that general L2 proficiency positively contributed to the development of summary writing. These findings provide pedagogical implications regarding the practice of summary writing in instructional settings of reading and writing.