Developing Argumentative Writing Proficiency in Chinese EFL Classrooms: A Genre-Based Group Writing Approach

This study examines the impact of integrating the genre-based approach with group writing on Chinese EFL university students’ argumentative writing proficiency. A quasi-experimental design was employed, involving 60 second-year non-English major university students. The experimental group received genre-based group writing instruction, while the control group followed traditional writing instruction. Pre-test and post-test essays were analyzed using Systemic Functional Linguistics scoring criteria, focusing on ideational, interpersonal, and textual meta-functions. Quantitative data analysis included a paired sample t-test to compare the overall writing proficiency of both groups and a Wilcoxon signed-rank test to assess the experimental group’s improvement across the three meta-functions. The results indicated that while both groups showed progress, the experimental group demonstrated significantly greater improvement, particularly in ideational and textual meta-functions. These findings suggest that genre-based group writing is an effective pedagogical approach for enhancing argumentative writing proficiency in EFL contexts.