Exploring the role of reformulations and a model text in EFL students’ writing performance

This study examined the effectiveness of reformulation and model text in a three-stage writing task (composing—comparison—revising) in an EFL writing class in a Beijing university. The study documented 10 university students’ writing performance from the composing (Stage 1) and comparing (Stage 2, where students compare their own text to a reformulated version of it and a model text) to the improvement of the written product in the posttest (Stage 3). The findings suggest that the students made more effort in finding the proper language to express their ideas at Stage 1 and were able to notice most differences between their original text and the reformulated one at Stage 2. The students also showed their appreciation of having access to a native model text for a broad range of language input. Unlike most previous studies that examined the role of reformulations, pair discussions, or model texts independently, the present study integrated pair discussions, reformulations and a model text at the comparison stage, which allowed the participants to notice their improper language uses, be exposed to richer language input, and appropriate the noticed native-like language use, resulting in better performance in their revised writings at the posttest.