Narrow-Reading Supported Writing Instruction on Chinese EFL Learners’ Writing Quality and Self-Efficacy

This study investigates the effects of narrow reading as writing sources on Chinese English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ writing quality in classroom settings. It also explores the potential correlations between writing self-efficacy and the narrow-reading supported writing instruction. To this end, a classroom-based study was conducted with 91 senior high school students from two parallel classes in China to assess their English writing quality based on a pretest-posttest design. One class, serving as the experimental group, received narrow reading as writing resources in their writing instruction. In contrast, the other class, serving as the control group, maintained their previous traditional writing practices, which did not emphasize the connection between reading and writing. A questionnaire and an interview were employed to assess students’ writing self-efficacy after the instructional intervention. The results showed that (1) narrow reading could be used as an effective writing resource to improve students’ writing quality, particularly in terms of content richness, structure clarity, and language diversity; and (2) the narrow-reading supported writing instruction enhanced students’ writing self-efficacy in the dimensions of ideation, organization, grammar/spelling, tasks, and self-regulation. Students reported increased confidence in generating writing ideas, organizing content, and using appropriate language. The pedagogical recommendations for classroom-based writing instruction are provided.