Division Or Integration of Labor: Exploring Course Experiences of Four L2 Students in Separated and Integrated Undergraduate Composition Courses

This study explores the narrated experiences of four L2 students in undergraduate required composition courses, ENG 101 and ENG 202. This study has two primary purposes: First, it enriches and deepens our understanding of the participants’ narratives. Second, it uses the participants’ narratives to develop pedagogical implications for writing program administrators in regard to FYC two major structures, integration and separation. The study took place at a northeastern public university in the USA and used a narrative research methodology in which the four participants were interviewed and asked to share study materials and artifacts. The findings of the study were presented in the form of five salient themes that speak to the participants’ narrated experiences in those courses, ENG 101 and ENG 202. These themes are: 1) factors influencing the participants’ section selection, 2) L1 classmates as a source and a burden, 3) the impact of section type on engagement, 4) the participants’ perception of the curriculum impacts their performance, and 5) the participants’ identity negotiation. The study concludes that writing programs should not impose any structure on L2 students but should allow both structures and empower students’ agency to choose.