Speaker
Abstract section 5: References
Kiss, T., & Mizusawa, K. (2018). Revisiting the Pedagogy of Multiliteracies: Writing Instruction in a Multicultural Context. Changing English, 25(1), 59-68. https://doi.org/10.1080/1358684X.2017.1403283
McKnight, L. (2021). Since feeling is first: the art of teaching to write paragraphs. English in Education, 55(1), 37-52. https://doi.org/10.1080/04250494.2020.1768069
Wiley, M. (2000). The Popularity of Formulaic Writing (And Why We Need to Resist). The English Journal, 90(1), 61-67. https://doi.org/10.58680/ej2000660
Abstract section 2: Contribution/research questions
- How does TEEL frame shape pre-intermediate teenage learner’s voice, as realised in the autobiographical, authorial, and discoursal selves in their academic writing?
- How do these learners perceive the influence of TEEL in voice expression in their writing?
Abstract section 3: Content/method
This qualitative study involved four pre-intermediate teenage EFL learners in an IELTS academic class. Data were collected through pre- and post-intervention paragraph writing tasks and semi-structured interviews after each phase. During the intervention, participants received five TEEL-focused lessons and completed one paragraph writing task after each lesson. Data were analysed through within-case and cross-case thematic analysis, triangulating textual discourse analysis of organisation, stance, cohesion, and persona with learners' accounts of their writing decisions and constraints.
Abstract section 4: Outcomes/results
Findings showed that TEEL made learners’ voice more academic and strengthened their control over stance and organisation. However, these effects were uneven across learners, with some gaining clarity at the cost of sounding more formulaic. Although learners viewed TEEL as a safe scaffold for managing writing demands and meeting academic expectations, they also felt that it could make their expression less authentic. These findings imply that pedagogical frameworks such as TEEL not only facilitate text organisation but also shape how learners express voice in an institutionally accepted way. Therefore, such frameworks should be taught flexibly to avoid overly formulaic writing.
Abstract section 1: Relevance
In paragraph writing instruction, the TEEL frame (topic sentence, explanation, evidence, link) is frequently introduced because it can make writing more manageable and straightforward (McKnight, 2021; Wiley, 2000). Nevertheless, such formulas may constrain student voice (Kiss & Mizusawa, 2018). Despite TEEL’s prevalence, there is limited research on how this frame shapes learners’ voice in academic writing, particularly among pre-intermediate teenage learners who have limited linguistic resources and only early-stage exposure to academic argumentation. To fill this gap, this qualitative study investigates how TEEL shapes the voice of pre-intermediate teenage EFL learners in academic writing.
| Title | TEEL and Voice in EFL Academic Writing |
|---|---|
| Teaching Context | Junior/senior high-school |