Science journal paper writing in an EFL context: The case of Korea

Publishing research papers in English journals is now a requirement for many scientists in developing countries. Writing journal papers in English, the lingua franca of the scientific world, however, often places an additional burden on non-native speaking scientists in EFL settings due to their lack of English proficiency. With these concerns in mind, this paper investigates science journal paper writing in an EFL context, Korea. Two types of questionnaires were administered, one to graduate students and the other to the faculty members of a science and engineering graduate school in Korea. In addition, students and faculty members were interviewed. The results of the questionnaires and interviews showed that the linguistic elements of journal papers were the most problematic areas, while the meta-linguistic features of papers such as the overall structure and paragraph development were perceived to be the most important features of journal papers. The results also revealed that the graduate students and professors were at a disadvantage when writing and publishing papers in English. Suggestions for further research and pedagogical implications are provided.