The Effects of the Genre-Based Approach on Engineering Students’

Abstract

The present study aims at investigating the use of the genre-based approach (GBA) and its effects on the writing achievement and attitudes of Thai engineering students. The sample consisted of 40 fourth-year engineering students that were enrolled in an English for engineers course. The study subjects were divided into three groups (high, medium, and low) based on their pre-test scores. Three lessons directly related to writing content concerning engineering work (request e-mails, enquiry e-mails, and reports) were provided in 12 sessions. The post-test, attitude questionnaire, and interview were administered at the end of the experiment. The results of a one-way ANOVA analysis revealed that the writing ability of students in all three groups improved after the experiment with statistical significance. Regarding their attitudes, the findings showed that the students were satisfied with the teaching method, activities, and exercises. More importantly, they felt more confident in writing.