The Effect of Production-Oriented Approach on Chinese University Students’ Foreign Language Writing Anxiety and English Writing Performance: Evidence From a Longitudinal Study

Many researchers have acknowledged the benefits of the production-oriented approach (POA) in teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing. However, the impacts of POA on students’ foreign language writing anxiety and English writing performance were still under-researched. Therefore, this longitudinal quasi-experimental study investigated the effect of POA on foreign language writing anxiety and English writing performance among 128 Chinese EFL university students. The experimental group was instructed through POA for 15 weeks, while the traditional product-oriented approach was used to teach the control group. Results revealed significant enhancement in the experimental group’s English writing performance after a 15-week intervention in the post-test, and the effect was retained in the delayed post-test. Significant decreases in foreign language writing anxiety were found in the experimental group after the intervention in the post-test, and the effect was retained in the delayed post-test. In contrast, no significant changes were found in the control group’s foreign language writing anxiety and English writing performance in the post-test and delayed post-test.