The Impact of Study-abroad Experience on Korean University Students’ English Writing Strategies

The Impact of Study-abroad Experience on Korean University Students’ English Writing Strategies

Drawing on Engeström’s Activity Theory, this study explores the impact of study-abroad experience on Korean university students’ English writing strategies. Ten Korean university students learning English as a second language (L2) participated in the present study. They each wrote five English essays and one personal narrative. Their thoughts, experiences, and L2 writing strategies were collected by a variety of channels such as questionnaires, interviews, process logs, stimulated recalls, and personal narratives. The results indicated that study-abroad experience affects the L2 writing strategies of Korean university students in various ways: Internet-mediated strategy, native language (L1)-mediated strategy, and second language (L2)-mediated strategy. Thinking in English and English immersion programs are discussed and suggested as effective methods that could help Korean university students improve their L2 writing skills.