B۲ English Learners’ Academic Writing Assessment: The Effect of Translanguaging-Mediated Pre-Writing

English-medium university preparatory programs commonly enforce English-only assessment policies, yet learners may struggle to develop and organize ideas when they must also plan only in English. This concern is particularly relevant in EFL settings such as Türkiye, where multilingual learners in private university preparatory programs are typically required to plan and write exclusively in English. This study examined whether permitting B۲-level learners to use their full linguistic repertoire during pre-writing improved Task Response (TR) and Coherence and Cohesion (CC) scores. Using a quasi-experimental design with embedded treatment-fidelity checks, ۵۱ learners (۲۵ experimental, ۲۶ control; M age = ۱۸.۸, SD = ۰.۹۸; ۲۹ females, ۲۲ males) from four intact classes participated. Each of two teachers taught one experimental and one control class. Across eight sessions, both groups completed the same five-stage pre-writing activities. The experimental group could use any language during brainstorming, categorizing, position-taking, exemplification, and outline planning; the control group completed the same stages in English only. Two researchers observed all sessions using a structured checklist as a treatment-fidelity check confirming that the two conditions were implemented as planned, rather than as a primary data source for the study. In the ninth session, all learners wrote the same English-only discussion essay under timed conditions. Essays were anonymously scored by two assessment specialists using the institution's B۲ rubric adapted from IELTS Task ۲ descriptors, with a third rater resolving major discrepancies. Independent-samples t-tests showed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in TR and CC. Classroom observations also suggested richer and more varied planning in the experimental classes. These findings suggest that translanguaging-mediated pre-writing may help B۲ learners develop and organize ideas without changing the English-only requirement for the final assessed text.

کلیدواژه ها:

Academic Writing Assessment ، B۲ English Learners ، CEFR Mediation ، Pre-Writing Instruction ، Translanguaging