From Threat to Challenge: A Stress and Coping Perspective on EFL Graduate Students’ Academic Writing Process

doi:10.18627/jslg.42.1.202605.69

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2026 Vol.42, Issue 1 Preview Page Next Page

Research Article

From Threat to Challenge: A Stress and Coping Perspective on EFL Graduate Students’ Academic Writing Process: Lee, Younghwa^1*; ¹Sun Moon University

31 May 2026. pp. 69-83

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Abstract

This study aims to explore EFL graduate students’ academic writing experiences and their developmental process at a university. Grounded in the transactional theory of stress and coping, an analysis of qualitative reflections from 17 participants revealed a three-phase process of stress adaptation: appraisal, coping, and reappraisal. Initially, students appraised high-stakes writing tasks as a ‘threat’ due to the gap between rigorous academic demands and their limited linguistic resources (Phase 1). However, this anxiety was effectively reduced through the mobilization of dual coping strategies (Phase 2). They utilized AI tools as problem-focused resources to overcome linguistic barriers, while simultaneously seeking teacher feedback as an emotion-focused resource for validation. This synergistic support facilitated a cognitive reappraisal, transforming the initial threat into a manageable ‘challenge’ and fostering students’ identities as independent scholars (Phase 3). The findings suggest a pedagogical paradigm shift toward a hybrid instructional model, where AI-driven efficiency and human-driven empathy coexist to cultivate confident, autonomous writers in the digital era.

Keywords

academic writing

stress and coping

three-phase process

hybrid instructional model

References

Aitchison, C. and Lee, A. 2006. Research Writing: Problems and Pedagogies. Teaching in Higher Education 11.3, 265-279. 10.1080/13562510600680574
Bereiter, C. and Scardamalia, M. 1987. An Attainable Version of High Literacy: Approaches to Teaching Higher-order Skills in Reading and Writing. Curriculum Inquiry 17.1, 9-30. 10.1080/03626784.1987.11075275
Bitchener, J. and Ferris, D. R. 2012. Written Corrective Feedback in Second Language Acquisition and Writing. London: Routledge. 10.4324/9780203832400
Braun, V. and Clarke, V. 2013. Successful Qualitative Research: A Practical Guide for Beginners. London: SAGE Publications.
Carless, D. and Boud, D. 2018. The Development of Student Feedback Literacy: Enabling Uptake of Feedback. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 43.8, 1315-1325. 10.1080/02602938.2018.1463354
Casanave, C. P. 2014. Uses of Narrative in L2 Writing Research. In Second Language Writing Research. London: Routledge, 17-32.
Cheng, Y. S. 2004. A Measure of Second Language Writing Anxiety: Scale Development and Preliminary Validation. Journal of Second Language Writing 13.4, 313-335. 10.1016/j.jslw.2004.07.001
Choi, J. 2013. Does Peer Feedback Affect L2 Writers’ L2 Learning, Composition Skills, Metacognitive Knowledge, and L2 Writing Anxiety? English Education 68.3, 187-213. 10.15858/engtea.68.3.201309.187
Ellis, R. and Yuan, F. 2004. The Effects of Planning on Fluency, Complexity, and Accuracy in Second Language Narrative Writing. Studies in Second Language Acquisition 26.1, 59-84. 10.1017/S0272263104261034
Faigley, L. and Witte, S. 1981. Analyzing Revision. College Composition and Communication 32.4, 400-414. 10.58680/ccc198115887
Ferris, D. R. 2003. Response to Student Writing: Implications for Second Language Students. London: Routledge. 10.4324/9781410607201
Ferris, D. R. 2011. Treatment of Error in Second Language Student Writing. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press. 10.3998/mpub.2173290
Ferris, D. R. and Hedgcock, J. S. 2023. Teaching L2 Composition: Purpose, Process, and Practice. London: Routledge. 10.4324/9781003004943
Flower, L. and Hayes, J. R. 1981. A Cognitive Process Theory of Writing. College Composition and Communication 32.4, 365-387. 10.58680/ccc198115885-
Folkman, S. 2008. The Case for Positive Emotions in the Stress Process. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping 21.1, 3-14. 10.1080/10615800701740457
Hansen, J. G. and Liu, J. 2005. Guiding Principles for Effective Peer Response. ELT Journal 59.1, 31-38. 10.1093/elt/cci004
Hattie, J. and Timperley, H. 2007. The Power of Feedback. Review of Educational Research 77.1, 81-112. 10.3102/003465430298487
Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., and Cope, J. 1986. Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety. The Modern Language Journal 70.2, 125-132. 10.1111/j.1540-4781.1986.tb05256.x
Hyland, K. 2004. Genre and Second Language Writing. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press. 10.3998/mpub.23927
Hyland, K. 2016. Teaching and Researching Writing. London: Routledge. 10.4324/9781315717203
Hyland, K. and Hyland, F. 2006. Feedback on Second Language Students’ Writing. Language Teaching 39.2, 83-101. 10.1017/S0261444806003399
Jeon, Y. 2018. The Effect of Learner-Centered EFL Writing Instruction on Korean University Students’ Writing Anxiety and Perception. TESOL International Journal 13.3, 100-112.
Kellogg, R. T. 2004. Working Memory Components in Written Sentence Generation. The American Journal of Psychology 117.3, 341-361. 10.2307/4149005
Kotamjani, S. S., Samad, A. A., and Fahimirad, M. 2018. International Postgraduate Students’ Perception of Challenges in Academic Writing in Malaysian Public Universities. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature 7.7, 191-195. 10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.7n.7p.191
Kroll, B. 2003. Exploring the Dynamics of Second Language Writing (ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9781139524810
Lazarus, R. S. 2000. Toward Better Research on Stress and Coping. American Psychologist 55.6, 665-673. 10.1037/0003-066X.55.6.665
Lazarus, R. S. and Folkman, S. 1984. Stress, Appraisal, and Coping. New York, NY: Springer.
Leki, I. 1995. Coping Strategies of ESL Students in Writing Tasks Across the Curriculum. TESOL Quarterly 29.2, 235-260. 10.2307/3587624
Lundstrom, K. and Baker, W. 2009. To Give is Better Than to Receive: The Benefits of Peer Review to the Reviewer’s Own Writing. Journal of Second Language Writing 18.1, 30-43. 10.1016/j.jslw.2008.06.002
Min, H. T. 2005. Training Students to Become Successful Peer Reviewers. System 33.2, 293-308. 10.1016/j.system.2004.11.003
Nicol, D. J. and Macfarlane-Dick, D. 2006. Formative Assessment and Self-Regulated Learning: A Model and Seven Principles of Good Feedback Practice. Studies in Higher Education 31.2, 199-218. 10.1080/03075070600572090
Roca de Larios, J., Manchón, R. M., Murphy, L., and Marín, J. 2008. The Foreign Language Writer’s Strategic Behaviour in the Allocation of Time to Writing Processes. Journal of Second Language Writing 17.1, 30-47. 10.1016/j.jslw.2007.08.005
Sasaki, M. 2000. Toward an Empirical Model of EFL Writing Processes: An Exploratory Study. Journal of Second Language Writing 9.3, 259-291. 10.1016/S1060-3743(00)00028-X
Sasaki, M. 2004. A Multiple-Data Analysis of the 3.5-Year Development of EFL Student Writers. Language Learning 54.3, 525-582. 10.1111/j.0023-8333.2004.00264.x
Silva, T. 1993. Toward an Understanding of the Distinct Nature of L2 Writing: The ESL Research and Its Implications. TESOL Quarterly 27.4, 657-677. 10.2307/3587400
Sommers, N. 1980. Revision Strategies of Student Writers and Experienced Adult Writers. College Composition and Communication 31.4, 378-388. 10.58680/ccc198015930
Swales, J. M. 1990. Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Settings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Tardy, C. M. and Matsuda, P. K. 2009. The Construction of Author Voice by Editorial Board Members. Written Communication 26.1, 32-52. 10.1177/0741088308327269
Wallace, D. L., Hayes, J. R., Hatch, J. A., Miller, W., Moser, G., and Silk, C. M. 1996. Better Revision in Eight Minutes? Prompting First-year College Writers to Revise Globally. Journal of Educational Psychology 88.4, 682-695. 10.1037/0022-0663.88.4.682
Winstone, N. E., Nash, R. A., Parker, M., and Rowntree, J. 2017. Supporting Learners’ Agentic Engagement With Feedback: A Systematic Review and a Taxonomy of Recipience Processes. Educational Psychologist 52.1, 17-37. 10.1080/00461520.2016.1207538
Zamel, V. 1982. Writing: The Process of Discovering Meaning. TESOL Quarterly 16.2, 195-209. 10.2307/3586792
Zimmerman, B. J. 2000. Attaining Self-Regulation: A Social Cognitive Perspective. In Handbook of Self-Regulation. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 13-39. 10.1016/B978-012109890-2/50031-7

Information

Publisher :The Modern Linguistic Society of Korea
Publisher(Ko) :한국현대언어학회
Journal Title :The Journal of Studies in Language
Journal Title(Ko) :언어연구
Volume : 42
No :1
Pages :69-83
DOI :https://doi.org/10.18627/jslg.42.1.202605.69

[1] Aitchison, C. and Lee, A. 2006. Research Writing: Problems and Pedagogies. Teaching in Higher Education 11.3, 265-279. 10.1080/13562510600680574

[2] Bereiter, C. and Scardamalia, M. 1987. An Attainable Version of High Literacy: Approaches to Teaching Higher-order Skills in Reading and Writing. Curriculum Inquiry 17.1, 9-30. 10.1080/03626784.1987.11075275

[3] Bitchener, J. and Ferris, D. R. 2012. Written Corrective Feedback in Second Language Acquisition and Writing. London: Routledge. 10.4324/9780203832400

[4] Braun, V. and Clarke, V. 2013. Successful Qualitative Research: A Practical Guide for Beginners. London: SAGE Publications.

[5] Carless, D. and Boud, D. 2018. The Development of Student Feedback Literacy: Enabling Uptake of Feedback. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 43.8, 1315-1325. 10.1080/02602938.2018.1463354

[6] Casanave, C. P. 2014. Uses of Narrative in L2 Writing Research. In Second Language Writing Research. London: Routledge, 17-32.

[7] Cheng, Y. S. 2004. A Measure of Second Language Writing Anxiety: Scale Development and Preliminary Validation. Journal of Second Language Writing 13.4, 313-335. 10.1016/j.jslw.2004.07.001

[8] Choi, J. 2013. Does Peer Feedback Affect L2 Writers’ L2 Learning, Composition Skills, Metacognitive Knowledge, and L2 Writing Anxiety? English Education 68.3, 187-213. 10.15858/engtea.68.3.201309.187

[9] Ellis, R. and Yuan, F. 2004. The Effects of Planning on Fluency, Complexity, and Accuracy in Second Language Narrative Writing. Studies in Second Language Acquisition 26.1, 59-84. 10.1017/S0272263104261034

[10] Faigley, L. and Witte, S. 1981. Analyzing Revision. College Composition and Communication 32.4, 400-414. 10.58680/ccc198115887

[11] Ferris, D. R. 2003. Response to Student Writing: Implications for Second Language Students. London: Routledge. 10.4324/9781410607201

[12] Ferris, D. R. 2011. Treatment of Error in Second Language Student Writing. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press. 10.3998/mpub.2173290

[13] Ferris, D. R. and Hedgcock, J. S. 2023. Teaching L2 Composition: Purpose, Process, and Practice. London: Routledge. 10.4324/9781003004943

[14] Flower, L. and Hayes, J. R. 1981. A Cognitive Process Theory of Writing. College Composition and Communication 32.4, 365-387. 10.58680/ccc198115885-

[15] Folkman, S. 2008. The Case for Positive Emotions in the Stress Process. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping 21.1, 3-14. 10.1080/10615800701740457

[16] Hansen, J. G. and Liu, J. 2005. Guiding Principles for Effective Peer Response. ELT Journal 59.1, 31-38. 10.1093/elt/cci004

[17] Hattie, J. and Timperley, H. 2007. The Power of Feedback. Review of Educational Research 77.1, 81-112. 10.3102/003465430298487

[18] Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., and Cope, J. 1986. Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety. The Modern Language Journal 70.2, 125-132. 10.1111/j.1540-4781.1986.tb05256.x

[19] Hyland, K. 2004. Genre and Second Language Writing. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press. 10.3998/mpub.23927

[20] Hyland, K. 2016. Teaching and Researching Writing. London: Routledge. 10.4324/9781315717203

[21] Hyland, K. and Hyland, F. 2006. Feedback on Second Language Students’ Writing. Language Teaching 39.2, 83-101. 10.1017/S0261444806003399

[22] Jeon, Y. 2018. The Effect of Learner-Centered EFL Writing Instruction on Korean University Students’ Writing Anxiety and Perception. TESOL International Journal 13.3, 100-112.

[23] Kellogg, R. T. 2004. Working Memory Components in Written Sentence Generation. The American Journal of Psychology 117.3, 341-361. 10.2307/4149005

[24] Kotamjani, S. S., Samad, A. A., and Fahimirad, M. 2018. International Postgraduate Students’ Perception of Challenges in Academic Writing in Malaysian Public Universities. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature 7.7, 191-195. 10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.7n.7p.191

[25] Kroll, B. 2003. Exploring the Dynamics of Second Language Writing (ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9781139524810

[26] Lazarus, R. S. 2000. Toward Better Research on Stress and Coping. American Psychologist 55.6, 665-673. 10.1037/0003-066X.55.6.665

[27] Lazarus, R. S. and Folkman, S. 1984. Stress, Appraisal, and Coping. New York, NY: Springer.

[28] Leki, I. 1995. Coping Strategies of ESL Students in Writing Tasks Across the Curriculum. TESOL Quarterly 29.2, 235-260. 10.2307/3587624

[29] Lundstrom, K. and Baker, W. 2009. To Give is Better Than to Receive: The Benefits of Peer Review to the Reviewer’s Own Writing. Journal of Second Language Writing 18.1, 30-43. 10.1016/j.jslw.2008.06.002

[30] Min, H. T. 2005. Training Students to Become Successful Peer Reviewers. System 33.2, 293-308. 10.1016/j.system.2004.11.003

[31] Nicol, D. J. and Macfarlane-Dick, D. 2006. Formative Assessment and Self-Regulated Learning: A Model and Seven Principles of Good Feedback Practice. Studies in Higher Education 31.2, 199-218. 10.1080/03075070600572090

[32] Roca de Larios, J., Manchón, R. M., Murphy, L., and Marín, J. 2008. The Foreign Language Writer’s Strategic Behaviour in the Allocation of Time to Writing Processes. Journal of Second Language Writing 17.1, 30-47. 10.1016/j.jslw.2007.08.005

[33] Sasaki, M. 2000. Toward an Empirical Model of EFL Writing Processes: An Exploratory Study. Journal of Second Language Writing 9.3, 259-291. 10.1016/S1060-3743(00)00028-X

[34] Sasaki, M. 2004. A Multiple-Data Analysis of the 3.5-Year Development of EFL Student Writers. Language Learning 54.3, 525-582. 10.1111/j.0023-8333.2004.00264.x

[35] Silva, T. 1993. Toward an Understanding of the Distinct Nature of L2 Writing: The ESL Research and Its Implications. TESOL Quarterly 27.4, 657-677. 10.2307/3587400

[36] Sommers, N. 1980. Revision Strategies of Student Writers and Experienced Adult Writers. College Composition and Communication 31.4, 378-388. 10.58680/ccc198015930

[37] Swales, J. M. 1990. Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Settings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[38] Tardy, C. M. and Matsuda, P. K. 2009. The Construction of Author Voice by Editorial Board Members. Written Communication 26.1, 32-52. 10.1177/0741088308327269

[39] Wallace, D. L., Hayes, J. R., Hatch, J. A., Miller, W., Moser, G., and Silk, C. M. 1996. Better Revision in Eight Minutes? Prompting First-year College Writers to Revise Globally. Journal of Educational Psychology 88.4, 682-695. 10.1037/0022-0663.88.4.682

[40] Winstone, N. E., Nash, R. A., Parker, M., and Rowntree, J. 2017. Supporting Learners’ Agentic Engagement With Feedback: A Systematic Review and a Taxonomy of Recipience Processes. Educational Psychologist 52.1, 17-37. 10.1080/00461520.2016.1207538

[41] Zamel, V. 1982. Writing: The Process of Discovering Meaning. TESOL Quarterly 16.2, 195-209. 10.2307/3586792

[42] Zimmerman, B. J. 2000. Attaining Self-Regulation: A Social Cognitive Perspective. In Handbook of Self-Regulation. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 13-39. 10.1016/B978-012109890-2/50031-7

The Journal of Studies in Language ISSN:1225-4770(Print) 2671-6151(Online) 언어연구

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