DEVELOPING NARRATIVE WRITING THROUGH SUSTAINED INSTRUCTION: A LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF GRADE 4-6 EFL STUDENTS’ TEXTS

Sitti Maryam

doi:10.20527/jetall.v9i1.25569

DEVELOPING NARRATIVE WRITING THROUGH SUSTAINED INSTRUCTION: A LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF GRADE 4-6 EFL STUDENTS’ TEXTS

Sitti Maryam

Abstract

Narrative writing is a key genre in upper primary English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education, as it supports learners’ development of extended text construction, genre awareness, and linguistic control. However, many EFL primary students experience difficulties in organizing ideas, sustaining coherence, and using appropriate language features in narrative essays, particularly in exam-oriented contexts. This qualitative classroom-based study investigates the narrative structure and linguistic features of students’ narrative writing produced during a semester-long writing project in an Indonesian primary EFL setting. The study analyzes narrative texts written by Grade 4, Grade 5, and Grade 6 students at Lentera Primary School Makassar, where English is used as the medium of instruction.

Adopting a qualitative linguistic approach, the study examines narrative stages (orientation, complication, and resolution), grammatical patterns, vocabulary use, and cohesive devices across grade levels. The findings reveal a clear developmental progression in students’ narrative writing. Grade 4 students predominantly produced linear, event-based texts with limited elaboration and simple sentence structures. Grade 5 students demonstrated improved paragraphing, clearer narrative progression, and greater control of tense and causal relationships. Grade 6 students exhibited the highest level of narrative and linguistic control, including more consistent paragraph organization, increased lexical variety, and the use of complex sentences and reflective resolutions.

The findings also indicate that sustained, explicit writing instruction through a semester-long writing project supported students’ ability to respond effectively to essay-based assessment tasks. This study contributes to EFL writing research by providing qualitative linguistic insights into narrative writing development across upper primary grade levels and highlighting the pedagogical value of sustained, genre-based writing instruction in primary EFL classrooms.

Keywords

Narrative writing; EFL primary students; genre-based approach; linguistic features; writing development

Full Text:

PDF

References

Aziz, A. A., & Yamat, H. (2021). ESL primary pupils’ challenges in narrative writing. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(7), 1401–1412. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v11-i7/10564

Barkaoui, K., & Hadidi, A. (2020). Assessing Change in English Second Language Writing Performance. Routledge.

Bitchener, J., & Storch, N. (2021). Written corrective feedback for L2 development. Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.21832/BITCH5174

Crossley, S. A., Kyle, K., & McNamara, D. S. (2016). The development and use of cohesive devices in L2 writing and their relation to writing quality. Journal of Second Language Writing, 32(1–16). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2016.01.003

Derewianka, B., & Jones, P. (2016). Teaching language in context (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.

Emilia, E., & Hamied, F. A. (2015). Systemic functional linguistic genre pedagogy (SFL GP) in a tertiary EFL writing context in Indonesia. TEFLIN Journal, 26(2), 155–182. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.15639/teflinjournal.v26i2/155-182

Graham, S. (2019). Changing how writing is taught. Review of Research in Education, 43(1), 277–303. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X18821125

Graham, S., Harris, K. R., & Chambers, A. B. (2018). Evidence-based practice and writing instruction: A review of reviews. In Handbook of Writing Research (2nd ed.) (pp. 211–226). Guilford Press.

Humphrey, S., Droga, L., & Feez, S. (2020). Grammar and meaning (2nd ed.). PETAA.

Hyland, K. (2007). Genre and second language writing. University of Michigan Press.

Kim, M., & Crossley, S. A. (2022). Modeling second language writing quality: A structural equation modeling approach. Journal of Second Language Writing, 47(100712). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2020.100712

Lee, I. (2020). Feedback as dialogue in L2 writing classrooms. TESOL Quarterly, 54(2), 506–513. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.531

Manchón, R. M. (2018). The role of attention to form in L2 writing. Journal of Second Language Writing, 4(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2018.07.001

Martin, J. R., & Rose, D. (2020). Genre relations: Mapping culture. Equinox Publishing.

Myhill, D., & Newman, R. (2016). Metatalk: Developing metalinguistic understanding through talk about writing. Linguistics and Education, 35, 77–91. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2016.07.002

Nagao, A. (2019). The effects of genre-based instruction on EFL learners’ writing development. Journal of Asia TEFL, 16(1), 84–98. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.18823/asiatefl.2019.16.1.6.84

Nagao, A. (2022). Genre-based writing instruction and development of narrative writing in EFL contexts. System, 104(102672). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2021.102672

Nurhayati, D. A. W. (2019). Students’ difficulties in writing English narrative texts. Dinamika Ilmu, 19(2), 311–326. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.21093/di.v19i2.1718

Rose, D., & Martin, J. R. (2012). Learning to write, reading to learn: Genre, knowledge and pedagogy in the Sydney School. Equinox Publishing.

Teng, M. F. (2020). Effects of self-regulated strategy development on EFL learners’ narrative writing performance. Language Teaching Research, 24(2), 1–25. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168818783112

Troyan, F. J., Shin, S., & Heineke, A. J. (2021). Genre-based writing instruction in elementary multilingual classrooms. Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 20(2), 73–87. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/15348458.2020.1726757

Webb, S., & Nation, I. S. P. (2017). How vocabulary is learned. Oxford University Press.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20527/jetall.v9i1.25569