The Use of English Grammar and the Confidence Level of the Student when Writing in Spanish

Abstract

As students learn how to write better and to use a variety of styles and essay formats in Spanish, interference (such as a desire to apply grammatical concepts from the native language) can occur. This can be frustrating for the student and affect the self-efficacy of writing in the target language. The more confidence students have in writing in their first language, the greater the self-efficacy will be when they write in their second language. The goals of this study were to determine if a review of English language grammar concepts would help students who are native speakers of English learning Spanish make fewer errors when writing  in Spanish; this study also explores if this type of instruction would improve students’ self-efficacy in their second-language writing skills.