The Effects of Model Text on EFL Learners' Subsequent Writing Performance and Target Structure Uptake: Evidence from a Multi-Stage Writing Task

This study investigates how model text feedback affects Korean EFL learners' subsequent writing and their uptake of targeted grammatical structures, extending Kim and Park's (2025) research on noticing patterns in second language (L2) writing. To examine both general learning transfer and specific grammatical acquisition, this study focused on two complex conditional structures that pose persistent challenges for Korean EFL learners. Forty-four intermediate-level nursing students completed a three-stage writing task targeting these previously taught structures: second conditional and should have/would have constructions. While the treatment group (n=22) received a native-speaker model text during revision, the control group (n=21) revised independently. The results reveal substantial learning effects. Problematic features noticed (PFNs) declined 61% in the treatment group (220 to 86 instances) versus 52% in the control group (210 to 100), though fundamental noticing patterns remained stable. The treatment group retained more features from revision (36 features versus 11), and their target structure accuracy improved dramatically: second conditional rose from 40.91% to 78.79% (p=.002) and should have/would have from 27.27% to 62.50% (p=.003), accompanied by increased attempt frequency. Control group improvements were modest and statistically non-significant. Qualitative analysis uncovered an intriguing tension: some participants felt creatively constrained despite objective improvements. The persistence of similar noticing patterns (lexical 36%, grammatical 27%, ideas/expression 27%) across stages, despite model exposure, suggests that while performance improves, fundamental cognitive processes during composition remain stable. These findings demonstrate that model texts powerfully enhance target structure acquisition and feature retention, functioning as effective tools for grammatical development without disrupting learners' autonomous problem-identification. The study illuminates how model texts facilitate learning transfer from revision to independent writing, confirming their value extends beyond immediate revision to sustainable development.