Recent research from Japan indicates that English learners could enhance their writing abilities by prioritizing effective argumentation over mastering intricate grammar and vocabulary. The study, led by Sachiko Yasuda, a linguistics professor at Kobe University, marks a pioneering contribution in the journal Assessing Writing.
In 2023, Yasuda conducted an experiment involving 102 students from a public secondary school in Japan. The students were tasked with writing an argumentative essay in English on a given topic. Subsequently, their essays were evaluated by two writing experts who were unaware of the study's objective.
Yasuda categorized the results into three groups: high-scoring essays, medium-scoring essays, and low-scoring essays. She then analyzed these categories to investigate how the writers' ability to present complex arguments correlated with the linguistic complexity of their texts.
The results showed that essays containing more compound nouns with 'semantic density' rather than complex grammar using conjunctions such as “if,” “when” and “because,” tended to score high. “More complexity due to longer units and more clauses does not necessarily mean ‘better’ (writing),” Yasuda said. “Expert writers can express complex ideas more simply than novices”.
According to Yasuda, this finding challenges traditional beliefs in English as a foreign language instruction, which typically values longer units or clauses as indicators of advanced writing. She noted that the second, grammatically simpler sentence conveys the idea more effectively and with greater "semantic density." These findings highlight a persistent trend: despite many years of studying English in school (often ten or more), Japanese individuals consistently rank lower in English proficiency compared to peers in other non-native English-speaking countries.
Yasuda said the way English writing is taught in Japan is partly to blame, adding that there’s room for improvement in education. “Empirical studies conducted in Japan to date have shown that writing tends to be the most neglected of the four skills in English classes at junior high and high schools”, she said.
Yasuda pointed out that despite the recent introduction of a new subject called "logic and expression" in the education ministry's updated curriculum guidelines, many teachers continue to prioritize grammar acquisition in their teaching. She suggested that in secondary education, teachers should assign writing topics that encourage students to express their opinions. Yasuda emphasized the importance of teachers initially fostering fluency by encouraging students to write extensively without excessive concern over making mistakes.
