Writing Expertise and Second‐Language Proficiency*

Abstract

The second‐language writing performance of 23 young adults on three composition tasks was assessed in relation to their writing expertise and second‐language proficiency. Both factors accounted for large proportions of variance in the qualities of written texts and problem‐solving behaviors in the second language. But the factors exerted independent effects, suggesting they are psychologically distinct. Writing expertise proved to relate to: qualities of discourse organization and content in the compositions produced; attention to complex aspects of writing during decision making; problem‐solving behaviors involving heuristic searches; and well‐differentiated control strategies. Second‐language proficiency proved to be an additive factor, enhancing the overall quality of writing produced, and interacting with the attention that participants devoted to aspects of their writing. But second‐language proficiency did not visibly affect the processes of composing. In all analyses, more cognitively demanding argument and summary tasks produced significantly different behaviors from a less cognitively demanding letter task.