Transfer of knowledge across genres and media: Investigating L2 learners’ multiple composing practices

Drawing upon adaptive transfer as a conceptual framework, this study aims to investigate adolescent second language (L2) learners' transfer of knowledge across different genres (narratives and arguments) and media (print-based writing and digital multimodal composition). Data were gathered from class observations, interviews, and student artifacts. The collected data were analyzed based on inductive and deductive approaches as well as adaptive transfer. This study demonstrated that adolescent L2 learners applied the prior knowledge learned in narrative writing to argumentative writing, both within and beyond the current program. Another finding in this study is that the participants' knowledge acquired from digital multimodal composition influenced their print-based writing, and vice versa. The current study's demonstration of the transfer across genres and media confirms the existence of adaptive transfer which supports the reshaping of prior knowledge from familiar to unfamiliar contexts. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research and pedagogical implications for L2 teaching and learning. • Adolescent L2 learners apply prior knowledge and experiences in their writing. • The study demonstrates that knowledge transfers across genres and media. • Adaptive transfer occurs by reshaping prior knowledge in unfamiliar contexts. • Narrative genre knowledge can influence argumentative writing. • Digital multimodal composition knowledge can influence print-based writing.