Exploring Self-Regulated Writing Strategies of Business-Major Students with Activity Theory

Employability-oriented and good command of English writing skills are often important indicators of successful graduates in the era of interdependence and global development. For graduates, the ability to produce a curriculum vitae (CV) in English language can be the gateway to employment for many business-major students. However, as the process of such writing often takes place outside formal learning environments, few attempts to examine the phenomenon have been recorded. In this study, in-depth interviews with four participants who were seniors of a university in Vietnam about their CV writing processes were carried out. The data revealed broad patterns in learner behaviours, and the conflicting and facilitating factors while students engaged themselves with various digital artefacts and online communities in writing their CVs. Through the lens of technological approach of activity theory, this paper analysed various factors that affected their self-regulated writing processes. A transformation from language learners to language users can be observed as students apply self-regulated strategies on their writing processes.