The Implementation of the Genre-Based Approach in the Teaching of Writing to Engineering Students

Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the effectiveness of different methods used to develop the writing skills of language learners, including the genre-based framework. The present study aims at examining the writing achievement of Thai engineering students receiving writing instruction through the explicit genre-based approach, or GBA (SFL genre) and their attitudes toward this method of teaching. The participants were 28 fourth-year engineering students enrolled in a basic writing course. The results of a T-test revealed clear improvement in the students' writing ability after attending the lesson. Regarding the attitudes of the students, the findings were crosschecked for corroboration with the students' responses to the questionnaire, student log, and interview questions. It was found that the students had a satisfactory attitude toward the teaching method. Based on the study findings, it is recommended that language teachers incorporate the knowledge of genre, genre analysis, key grammatical and rhetorical features of a particular genre in their teaching in order to enhance their students' writing proficiency and confidence.