Two Saudi Students Before and After ESL Instruction - Assignment Example

The study was conducted within a fifteen-week duration in order to record the progress, if any, in the writing process of the subjects after they have assimilated into American society. They were also allowed to respond to the writing topics for one hour to achieve the best results possible. A separate one-on-one interview of the respondents was also conducted. Providing the subjects with a time limit was considered to ensure that they may still have enough time for the simulated recall in an interview and to encourage them to return for the next writing stage.

During the writing process, the subjects' behaviors are also observed in order to verify the frequency, length, and location of certain behaviors. Since the paper did not identify accurately the setting in which the study was conducted, it is assumed that it was conducted in a room where the student feels comfortable while writing. The primary dependent variable identified in the study is the linguistic knowledge that the students use in the study regarding the English language. This includes the changes in the rhetorical structure of the essay samples that are collected from the subjects.

Since their written samples will depend on what they have learned after they have assimilated themselves in the American culture. On the other hand, the secondary variables involved in the study were time and familiarity with the topic given. The duration of the study or the time interval in which the subjects were studied may affect the results such that they may be either pressured given such limitation to time. Familiarity with the subject matter also depends on the students since, even if the topics were only given to them during the time of the study, they may already have a stored knowledge about the topic, thus allowing them to be more rhetorical in composing the essay even in the English language.

Since the study involves only a very small quantity, that is two students, it is not enough to support the majority and be used to generalize or represent the population. A follow-up study may be made for this research such that the respondents or the subjects of the study may be able to represent the population of the second language learners or the ESL students, particularly the Arab students. The relatively small number of identified subjects for the study makes it unable to contribute to building a theory.

Alhosani, N. (1998). Utilizing the Writing Process Approach with English as a Second Language Writers: A Case Study of Five Fifth Grade ESL Arab. The dissertation study conducted by Alhosani This qualitative case study sought to gain a deeper understanding of the role the writing process approach played in developing the writing ability of five fifth grade Saudi Arabian students when writing in English as a second language. The study extended for five months in a Midwest elementary school serving a large ESL population.

Participants of this study included four ESL teachers and five Saudi ESL students.