EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF SFL-BASED ACTIVITIES ON ESL LEARNERS’ WRITING COMPETENCE

Abstract

Writing competence is a fundamental component of second language proficiency, yet many ESL learners struggle to produce coherent, organized, and meaningful texts due to traditional grammar-focused instruction that overlooks the relationship between language, context, and purpose. Although Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) provides a meaning-centered framework for writing instruction, its classroom application remains underexplored in Pakistani secondary-level contexts, particularly in female government schools. This study investigates the impact of SFL-based writing activities on ESL learners’ overall writing competence, identifies specific aspects of writing that show improvement, and examines learners’ attitudes and perceptions toward this approach. Adopting a mixed-methods design, the research was conducted in government schools in Attock city with 120 female students from grades 9 and 10, using pre- and post-instruction writing samples and a closed-ended Yes/No questionnaire administered after a 14-day SFL-based instructional intervention. Qualitative analysis revealed a clear progression from basic and fragmented writing to structured, coherent, and meaningful paragraphs, with noticeable improvements in meaning-making, audience awareness, and textual coherence, while quantitative findings indicated strong positive responses regarding writing competence, confidence, and course recommendation, though grammatical accuracy remained a challenge. Overall, the study demonstrates that SFL-based writing activities effectively enhance ESL learners’ writing competence and motivation and offers valuable implications for ESL pedagogy, curriculum design, and context-sensitive writing instruction.