Impact of Digital Technology on the Academic Writing Skills of Undergraduate ESL Learners in a Pakistani University Context

Abstract

This study aims at investigating the impact of digital technology on the Academic Writing of undergraduate English as a Second Language (ESL) learners at Sukkur IBA University, Pakistan. It employs Van Dijk, 2005’s Resources and Appropriation Theory (RAT) that investigates access to digital tools, their appropriation (integration and use) during the writing process and the resulting outcomes on Academic Writing of undergraduate ESL learners in Sukkur IBA University. This study was conducted through a quantitative approach. The data was collected through a survey from 109 undergraduate ESL learners through a convenient sampling. The findings of the study reveal that ESL learners had appropriate access to digital tools and they used and integrated them on regular basis for planning, drafting, revising and improving their writing. It indicates that digital tools assisted them in improving and enhancing their accuracy, coherence, vocabulary, motivation and confidence during the Academic writing. The findings also indicate that the access to digital tools is important, but the effective appropriation and strategic usage are the primary components of improved writing outcomes. On the whole, this study suggests that proper digital literacy training and well-organized teaching strategies are vital for the appropriate use of digital tools in ESL classrooms in general and Sukkur IBA University, Pakistan in particular.