Assessing the relationship between self-regulated strategies in digital writing and L2 grit for EFL learners

School of Humanities & Foreign Languages, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, China

^* Corresponding author: yinqingli@zjsru.edu.cn

Abstract

The development of digital tools has been reshaping students’ writing experiences in their second language (L2). However, writing can be a challenging task for English as foreign language (EFL) learners and more study needs to investigate how this highly effort-demanding experience is related to their grit. This study investigates the relationship between self-regulated strategies in digital writing and L2 grit for EFL learners. A total of 128 undergraduate students from China participated in this study. Drawing on the self-regulated learning theory with data from Writing Strategies for Self-Regulated Learning Questionnaires, stimulated recall methods, and semi-structured interviews (n=8), this study revealed that one aspect of grit, perseverance of effort, was a positive predicator for self-regulated writing strategies. Moreover, students perceived this relation while also noted other influencers (e.g., demands for high scores). Pedagogical implications regarding L2 writing in this digital age will be discussed.