Factors affecting the academic writing proficiency of IELTS reviewers

Abstract

This aimed to identify and analyze the factors influencing the academic writing proficiency of IELTS reviewers. Specifically, the study aimed to answer the following questions: 1.) What is the level of academic writing proficiency of the IELTS reviewers along the following: a.) Task Achievement/ Task Response; b.) Coherence and Cohesion; c.) Lexical Resource; and d.) Grammatical Range and Accuracy? 2.) What is the relationship between the following variables and the level of the academic writing proficiency of the IELTS reviewers: a.) Writing Habits b.) Reading Habits c.) First Language d.) Number of Language Spoken. Hypothesis: The relationship between the variables and the respondents’ academic writing proficiency is moderate. 3.) Which among the chosen factors have significant predictive values with regard to IELTS Reviewers’ level of academic writing proficiency along the following: a.) Task Achievement/ Task Response; b.) Coherence and Cohesion c.) Lexical Resource; and d.) Grammatical Range and Accuracy? 4.) What action plan shall be proposed to improve the academic writing proficiency of IELTS reviewers and to improve the instruction of IELTS instructors? This research employed the Descriptive-Correlational method to determine any possible relation of the variables the researcher chose (writing habits, reading habits, first language, and number of language spoken) to the respondents’ IELTS academic writing proficiency. Apart from determining any (significant) relation between the variables, multiple regression analysis was employed to determine the predictive value of the variables. In light of the findings of the study, the following are the conclusions: 1.) The IELTS reviewers were able to write generally effectively in English despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies, and misunderstandings. a.) The IELTS reviewers were able to write generally effectively along Task Achievement/ Task Response despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies, and misunderstandings. b.) The IELTS reviewers were generally able to write effectively along Coherence and Cohesion despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings. c.) The IELTS reviewers were generally able to write effectively along Lexical Resource despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings. 2.) Some of the variables had some influence on the IELTS reviewers’ academic writing proficiency but some do not. a.) The writing habits of the IELTS reviewers had average influence on their academic writing proficiency. b.) The reading habits of the IELTS reviewers had average influence on their academic writing proficiency. c.) The IELTS reviewers’ first language and their level of academic writing proficiency had negligible relationship. d.) The IELTS reviewers’ number of languages spoken and their level of academic writing proficiency had negligible relationship. 3.) Among the four factors, only the IELTS Reviewers’ writing and reading habits had significant predictive values regarding their academic writings proficiency. This means that the IELTS Reviewers’ writing and reading habits could foretell their success in the IELTS Academic Writing Examination. a.) The IELTS Reviewers’ writing and reading habits could foretell how high their score is in Task Achievement/Task Response. b.) The IELTS Reviewers’ writing and reading habits could foretell how high their score is in Coherence and Cohesion. c.) The IELTS Reviewers’ writing and reading habits could foretell how high their score is in Lexical Resource. d.) The IELTS Reviewers’ writing and reading habits could foretell how high their score is in Grammatical Range and Accuracy. 4.) An action plan incorporating writing and reading could help improve the level of writing proficiency of IELTS Reviewers.