What is Second Language Writers

In this quantitative inquiry, instead of gathering data to answer a research question, the author developed a research question based on the data she gathered. As the author explored the answers the Chinese international students in her first-year writing seminar course provided on a second language background skills assessment, she became curious about what their answers revealed about their identities. Data collected consisted of 165 English skills assessments completed by her second language writing students over four semesters, from Fall 2018 to Spring 2020. The skills assessed were speaking, listening, reading, writing, and grammar. Partial results indicated that the students assessed their speaking, listening, reading, and grammar skills as average; they assessed their writing skills as poor. The author explored the possible reasons behind the students' self-assessments and how the students' identities were expressed through their answers.