The Effects of In-class Writing Opportunities on EFL University Students’ Writing Proficiency

This study investigated the effects of providing regular, structured in-class writing opportunities on EFL university students’ writing performance. Eighty-three students enrolled in general English courses at a metropolitan university participated in a pre–post writing design study by completing writing tasks administered at the beginning and end of a 13-week writing course. Learners’ writing samples were analyzed using corpus tools (AntConc 4.2) and statistical software (SPSS 29.0) within the CAF framework, focusing on fluency, accuracy, complexity, and cohesion. The results revealed significant improvements across all dimensions, with fluency and cohesion demonstrating the largest gains, while complexity showed moderate progress. These findings suggest that sustained, time-bound writing practice can effectively enhance learners’ linguistic and discourse-level proficiency. The study underscores the pedagogical value of integrating consistent in-class writing sessions into EFL curricula to foster learners’ ability to organize ideas, construct meaning, and express themselves coherently through independent writing practice.