A Comparison of Test-taker Performance on Independent and Integrated L2 Writing Tasks - academic study results

Q: What is the main purpose of this study?

To investigate the relationship between test-takers’ scores on independent and integrated L2 writing tasks and determine whether a performance difference exists.

Q: How do the independent and integrated writing tasks differ?

The independent task asks learners to write an essay on a general topic, while the integrated task requires responding to prompts based on reading and listening materials.

Q: What do the statistical tests show about the two task types?

The Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicates a statistically significant difference between the tasks (p < .05), and Spearman’s rho shows a significant positive correlation between performances (r = .81, p < .01).

Q: What are the implications of the findings?

The results support both the presence of a performance difference and a strong positive relationship, informing more effective writing assessment development and teaching strategies.

Oct 2, 2026

Uploaded by Sarah

This quantitative, descriptive study examines how test-takers perform on independent versus integrated L2 writing tasks in a foundation university context in Turkey. Data come from 49 anonymised test scores collected from independent and integrated writing conditions. The independent task requires an essay on a general topic, while the integrated task asks learners to respond to prompts based on reading and listening materials. Wilcoxon testing finds a statistically significant performance difference (p < .05), with integrated scores higher on average, and Spearman rho shows a significant positive correlation (r = .81, p < .01), suggesting both differences and a strong relationship between task types for assessment and teaching.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Independent vs integrated L2 writing tasks

Rationale for comparing performance

Methods and data

Participants and tasks

Statistical analyses

Results

Performance differences

Correlations between task performance

Implications

Assessment design and teaching strategies

A Comparison of Test-taker Performance on Independent and Integrated L2 Writing Tasks Özlem Pervan a 1 aMaltepe University, Istanbul, Turkey Abstract This quantitative, descriptive study investigates the relationship between scores of test-takers on independent and integrated L2 (second language) writing tasks within the context of a foundation university in Turkey. Data were collected from 49 anonymised test scores conducted from independent and integrated L2 writing tasks. The independent task required writing an essay on a general topic, while the integrated task involved responding to prompts based on reading and listening materials. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare performance scores, revealing a statistically significant difference between the two tasks (p < .05) . Specifically, the mean score for the integrated writing task (M = 70.92, SD = 28. 32) was higher than that for the independent task (M = 66.02, SD = 23.96) . Additionally, the Spearman rho test indicated a significant positive correlation between performances on the two tasks (r = . 81, p < .01) . These findings suggest that while there is a significant difference in performance levels, there is also a strong positive relationship between the two types of tasks. The results have implications for understanding how different L2 writing tasks affect testtaker performance. Moreover, the results could inform the development of more effective writing assessmentsand teaching strategies. Keywords: L2 writing tasks; independent writing task; integrated writing task; performance comparison, assessment © 2016 IJCI & the Authors. Published by International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction (IJCI) . This is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY-NC-ND)([http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)) . 1. Introduction In academic settings, there are two main types of tasks used for L2 writing assessment. One of them is independent L2 writing tasks which require test-takers to compose an essay on a given topic in pre-determined time periods. As cited in Guo, Crossley, & McNamara (2013), many authors such as Camp (1993), Cumming, Kanter, Powers, Santos, & Taylor (2000), and Weigle (2002) claim that independent L2 writing assessment may underrepresent and therefore somehow conceal the test-takers’ actual writing proficiency. This underrepresentation may occur due to the risk of decontextualising the writing activity. As cited in Plakans (2008) these 1 Corresponding author: Özlem Pervan. ORCID ID.: [https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6142-0805](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6142-0805) E-mail address: [ozlempervan@gmail.com](ozlempervan@gmail.com) independent writing tasks have also been criticised on issues regarding the testrater and rating, authenticity of these tasks, and construct validity by Cumming (1997), Lumley (2005) and Weigle (2002) . An alternative to independent L2 writing tasks, is using integrated L2 writing tasks which require test-takers to read and/or listen to source texts before [writing an essay. As Jamieson et. al](writing an essay. As Jamieson et. al). (2008) suggest, integrated tasks requires the test-taker to use two or more skills, whereas independent tasks are assumed to take speaking or writing as a separate skill. As Jamieson [et. al](et. al). (2008) suggest, integrated tasks requires the test-taker to use two or more skills, whereas independent tasks are assumed to take speaking or writing as a separate skill. Instructors in academic settings either prefer to use one of these task types (independent or integrated tasks) for writing assessment, or they use both for different purposes. Questioning whether a relationship exists between the performances of test-takers on these two different types of L2 writing tasks is important to make sure that neither of these tasks underrepresent

FAQs

What is the main purpose of this study?

To investigate the relationship between test-takers’ scores on independent and integrated L2 writing tasks and determine whether a performance difference exists.

How do the independent and integrated writing tasks differ?

The independent task asks learners to write an essay on a general topic, while the integrated task requires responding to prompts based on reading and listening materials.

What do the statistical tests show about the two task types?

The Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicates a statistically significant difference between the tasks (p < .05), and Spearman’s rho shows a significant positive correlation between performances (r = .81, p < .01).

What are the implications of the findings?

The results support both the presence of a performance difference and a strong positive relationship, informing more effective writing assessment development and teaching strategies.

Oct 2, 2026

Uploaded by Sarah