EFL Online Writing Instruction and the Construction of Learner Writer Identity: A Pandemic Study in Vietnam

Despite the enormous growth in studies on learner identity in the past decades, scant research has explicitly explored the construction of learner writer identity in EFL classrooms with attention to teachers’ instruction, particularly in the Vietnamese context. Learner writers do not construct their identities in a vacuum but within social contexts, especially under the influence of their teachers and peers. However, the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic compels a transition from face-to-face classes to online classes, which obstructs the interaction between teachers and students to some extent. In this context, this study investigates the construction of writer identities of EFL students in a double-degree programme at a Vietnamese university and the possible impacts of online instructions during the pandemic on the construction of their writer identities. 13 students and two teachers participated in this semester-long study. Martin’s (2000) appraisal framework and Ivanič (Writing and identity: The discoursal construction of identity in academic writing. John Benjamins Publishing Company, 1998) writer identity theory are integrated to analyse the learner writer identity construction. The analysis was based on the students’ written texts, and the teachers’ and students’ semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that the selves inscribed in the written texts were less conditioned by online instructions while more possible identities were limited since the interactions and learning experiences were reduced by the lockdown. The results further indicated the teachers’ lack of ability to combine technology with their teaching reported in previous research. A higher level of technological knowledge of teachers is suggested to address the issues in online writing classes.