The Use of Different Strategies by Writers in Integrated Writing Assessment - Conference Proceedings

Oct 1, 2026

Recent years have seen growing adoption of integrated writing tasks (IWT) in second-language writing assessment because these tasks reflect real academic practices, requiring learners to comprehend and integrate source-based ideas into their compositions. At the same time, research highlights persistent difficulties, especially for inexperienced writers, including plagiarism risk, weak source-idea use, and disappointing test outcomes. This literature review summarizes IWT definitions, test construct, benefits and challenges, then synthesizes reported strategy use and concludes with findings and recommendations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Definitions of IWT

Test Construct

Benefits of IWT

The Use of Different Strategies by Writers in Integrated Writing Assessment Han Le, Macquarie University, Australia The Asian Conference on Education 2021 Official Conference Proceedings Abstract In recent years, there has been an accelerating trend towards using integrated writing tasks (IWT) in second language (L2) writing assessment settings, which can be attributed to their ability to “mirror”(Payant et al., 2019, p. 87) actual academic practices that require students’comprehension and integration of source-based ideas into the production of written compositions. Nevertheless, Uludag et al. (2019) are of the opinion that these tasks present writers, especially those who are inexperienced, with certain problems associated with plagiarism and poor use of source ideas that result in disappointing test scores. In this sense, it is of practical significance to gain deeper insights into the nature ofIWT and various strategies employed by proficient writers to assist not only novice writers in improving their writing performance and academic achievement but also inexperienced teachers in coming up with more effective instructional methods. This literature review is conducted to provide a short overview on IWT regarding definitions, test construct, benefits and challenges. Then, it continues to throw light on strategy use reported in previous research. The literature review ends with some conclusions and recommendations. Keywords: Integrated Writing Tasks (IWT), Strategy Use, Second Language (L2), Source Text Use, Multiple-text Comprehension, Challenges iafor The International Academic Forum [www.iafor.org](www.iafor.org) Introduction Over the last decades, the integration of academic writing with other language skills such as reading and listening has continually attracted great attention of both test developers and teachers due to providing a more comprehensive picture of test takers’writing competence involving authenticity arguments (Plakans & Gebril, 2017) . Nonetheless, IWT poses certain linguistic and cognitive challenges to writers, especially novice ones. More specifically, they have been experiencing difficulties related to inappropriate use of source ideas, simple paraphrases, verbatim copying, anxiety, or time management, which leads to unfavorable test results (Uludag et al., 2019). Therefore, this literature review is conducted to explore the nature ofIWT, strategies and factors contributing to better writing performance with a view to helping inexperienced writers increase their band scores or become more successful in their academic lives. Relevant articles have been found in the databases of Linguistics and Language Behaviour Abstracts and Educational Resources Information Centre. The search key words include‘integrated writing tasks or assessment’and ‘strategy use in IWT’. Furthermore, the criteria for selecting the articles are the recentness (from 2000 onwards) and the context (standardized tests or academic purposes) . Definitions ofIWT The use of IWT has gained in popularity and been the focus of attention among researchers, test developers, and teachers (Kyle, 2020) . Therefore, there have been many viewpoints on examining the notion of IWT. Ascencion Delaney (2008, p. 140) who takes an interest in integrated reading-writing tasks suggests that they are “instructional tasks” that are characteristic of the combination of reading and writing for different pedagogical reasons. In a similar vein, Plakans (2009) offers a broader definition by describing IWT as tasks that require other skills such as reading and listening to produce language in written forms. Unlike the aforementioned researchers, Cumming et al. (2005) discuss the concept in more detail and state they are tasks in which test takers have to use source ideas properly and meaningfully to generate coherent pieces of writing. More recently, Knoch and Sitajalabhorn (2013, p. 306) provided a more comprehensive explanation that d

FAQs

Why are integrated writing tasks (IWT) increasingly used in second-language assessment?

IWT are used because they mirror authentic academic writing practices that require students to comprehend and integrate source-based ideas into written production.

What problems do inexperienced writers face in IWT?

They often struggle with inappropriate use of source ideas, simple paraphrases, verbatim copying, anxiety, or time management, which can lead to unfavorable test results.

What does the literature review cover regarding IWT?

It provides an overview of IWT definitions, test construct, benefits and challenges, and then highlights strategy use reported in prior research, ending with conclusions and recommendations.

Oct 1, 2026

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