Exploring the Impacts of First and Second Language Pre-writing Discussions on Second Language Writing Performance

Abstract

In second language (L2) writing classrooms, collaborative pre-writing (CPW) discussions have emerged as a promising strategy to enhance learners’ writing performance. While previous research has shown that CPW can improve the content quality of individual writing, an important question remains: when learners share a common first language (L1), should they collaborate using L1 or L2 to maximize writing benefits? This study investigates the impact of interaction language (L1 vs. L2) during CPW on the complexity, accuracy and fluency (CAF) of L2 learners’ written texts. Forty university students were assigned into two groups: one conducted pre-writing discussions in L1, the other in L2, before composing individual argumentative essays. The groups then switched the discussion language for a second writing task. All essays were assessed for CAF. Results revealed that L1-based collaboration significantly improved syntactic complexity, while no significant differences were found in accuracy or fluency. The findings contribute to a better understanding of how interaction language in CPW influences writing outcomes, with implications for both theory and classroom practice.