Model Text Input as a Pedagogical Scaffold for L2 Academic Writing Development

This study examined the pedagogical role of model text input in a university L2 writing course, with a particular focus on its influence on learners’ writing fluency, idea development, and use of textual features. Specifically, it explored how prior exposure to a model passage influenced the writing performance of learners, how linguistic and rhetorical features were selectively appropriated in student essays, and how learners perceived the usefulness of model texts during the writing process. The study involved 132 undergraduate students enrolled in an academic L2 writing course at D University in Korea. Quantitative analysis of writing outcomes was complemented by qualitative analysis of textual features and learner perceptions. The findings indicate that exposure to model texts was associated with increased fluency and idea development that is more elaborated in learners’ writing. Analysis of student essays revealed systematic and selective uptake of linguistic and rhetorical features, including organizational patterns, cohesive devices, and lexical expressions. Additionally, learners reported that model texts supported idea generation, facilitated the structuring of arguments, and reduced the cognitive demands associated with L2 writing. These findings position model text input as a multi-functional pedagogical resource that supports cognitive processing, rhetorical awareness, and discourse-level development in L2 writing. Overall, the study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of how model texts function not merely as exemplars, but as cognitive and rhetorical supports that enable more effective writing performance.