Language attitudes and third language writing in a multilingual educational context Irene Guzmán Alcón iguzman@uji.es Universitat Jaume I, Spain ABSTRACT The study explores the impact of language attitudes on third language (English) writing. A total of 40 participants (20 from the B2 level and another 20 from the C2 level) from an Official Language School in the Valencian Community took part in the study. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire adapted from Lasagabaster and Huguet (2007), together with and a written composition evaluated using Jacobs et al.’s (1981) taxonomy. Findings from the study show that students’ attitudes towards languages are in line with the sociolinguistic status of each language in the Valencian Community. In addition, the present study shows that those students that use both official languages (Spanish and Catalan) at home got better results in the evaluation of their English writings. Our findings indicate the impact of multilingualism on students’ L3 writing and suggest the advantages of multilingualism in language learning. Keywords: Language attitudes; Third language; Writing; Multilingualism. Guzmán-Alcón, I. (2022). Language attitudes and third language writing in a multilingual educational context. Language Value, 15(1), 30-51 Universitat Jaume I ePress: Castelló, Spain. http://www.languagevalue.uji.es. July 2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.6035/languagev.6217 ISSN 1989-7103 Language Value July 2022, Vol 15, Num. 1 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es ISSN 1989-7103 Language Value, ISSN 1989-7103 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.6035/languagev.6217 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es I. INTRODUCTION Within the legislation released in 1995, called the Resolution of the European Council, acquiring foreign languages was paramount among the citizens to achieve a successful career in the new European Union. As a result, the European education systems felt the need to respond to those demands and give importance not only to cultural awareness, but also to fostering Multilingualism in the school context. As a result, nowadays we frequently have multilingual classrooms where learners acquire communicative competence in different languages, one of them being English, and multiliteracy is one of the main targets in education (Breuer et al., 2021). Furthermore, as mentioned by Cenoz (2009), it is acknowledged that the sociolinguistic environment of the school plays a role in fostering multilingualism and that learning English as an additional language cannot be separated, among other factors, from the use of other languages or attitudes towards languages (Cenoz & Gorter, 2015). However, despite the interest in developing students’ multilingualism and multiliteracy, little research has analysed the different factors that influence students’ writing competence in English as a third language. Most of the research on writing in an additional language has focused on the influence of L1 on second language writing and few studies have focused on third language learners. An issue that the present study aims to cover. Previous research on third language writers have examined the writing skills of bilingual and monolingual learners (Cenoz & Valencia, 1994; Sanz, 2008) reporting the positive effect of bilingualism on L3 writing. Additionally, the positive effect of bilingualism was supported by other studies that have explored students’ mother tongue and its influence on their writing performance. For instance, Sagasta (2003) analysed the acquisition of L3 writing competence taking into account the variable of language used at home. A total of 155 participants participated in the study. Participants were recruited from a secondary school in the Basque Country. Although the language of instruction for all participants was Basque, half of them used Basque at home while the other half used Irene Guzmán Alcón Language Value 15(1) 30-51 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es 31 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es Spanish. To analyze learners’ writings, Sagasta (2003), asked the participants to write a letter to a host family in England. To analyse students’ writings, the taxonomy created by Jacobs et al. (1981) was used. Sagasta (2003) revealed that those students who used Basque at home outperformed their peers in writing in Basque. Nevertheless, results concerning students who use Spanish at home revealed that there were no differences among the students who spoke Basque at home and those who spoke Spanish at home (see also Cenoz et al., 2013). Therefore, Sagasta (2003) noted that students transferred the writing skills acquired through instruction in the minority language when writing in the dominant language. In fact, those students who scored high in Basque and Spanish scored higher in English. Additionally, those learners who use Basque at home also performed better in English. Findings from this study confirm the influence of the level of language competence across languages. Findings reported in Sagasta (2003) were supported in another study by Cenoz et al., (2013) that analysed the assessment of writing skills in the educational context of the Basque country. A multilingual context, similar to the one of the present study, and in which Spanish, English and Basque are used as languages of instruction. A total of 70 participants in the 3rd year of secondary education, recruited from three different schools, took part in the study. Data were collected by means of two types of instruments. On the one hand, a background information questionnaire to gather information about age, gender, school, and different aspects of language use. One the other hand, each student wrote three compositions, one in each of the languages of instruction (Basque, Spanish and English) that were assessed, following Jacobs et al’s. (1981) taxonomy, for content, organization, vocabulary, language use, and mechanics. Findings from the study reported that the students who use Basque with their parents obtained significantly higher scores in Basque and English than those that use Spanish with their parents. Moreover, other studies have examined the prestige of the languages (majority, minority and additional languages) as well as the relationship between language attitudes and Language attitudes and third language writing in a multilingual educational context Language Value 15(1) 30-51 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es 32 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es written performance. On the one hand, Lasagabaster & Safont-Jordà (2008) explored the language attitudes of 416 university students in the Basque Autonomous Community and the Valencian Community. Findings confirmed that students’ attitudes towards the three languages in contact across both communities were positive and that the influence of the L1 virtually disappeared when a holistic approach was employed. On the other hand, in the context of the Valencian Community, Nightingale (2012) analysed, at the secondary level, how factors such as the sociocultural status, a stay abroad period and the ‘out-of-school’ incidental learning affect students’ attitudes towards languages. Findings from this study showed that although attitudes towards the three languages were positive, students showed more positive attitudes towards the English language when attitudes towards the two official languages of the Valencian Community (Catalan and Spanish) were positive. In the same line, Portolés (2014) examined the same issue at University level. Portolés (2014) focussed on students’ attitudes towards Catalan, Spanish and English in private and public universities in Castellón and Valencia. A total of 75 participants participated in the study. Data were analysed by means of a questionnaire adapted from Lasagabaster and Huguert (2007), and results from the study showed that the sociolinguistic context influenced attitudes towards the majority and foreign languages, but not towards the minority language. In the same context, Guzmán-Alcón (2019) analysed teachers’ attitudes towards the three official languages in the Valencian Community, taking into account the language school model as a variable. A total of 30 primary school teachers participated in the study. Findings from the study showed that, although teachers believed that multilingualism is encouraged in education, they mainly relied on one language: English in the English model, Catalan in the Catalan model, and Spanish in the Spanish-based language model. Finally, the language model seems to play a role in teachers’ attitudes towards languages, Irene Guzmán Alcón Language Value 15(1) 30-51 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es 33 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es and reveal the prestige of English as a lingua franca, the prestige of Spanish as a majority language, and the lack of prestige of Catalan as a minority language, especially for those who do not use Catalan in education. Similar results were obtained by Guzmán-Alcón & Portolés (2021), who investigated the influence of the language programs and in-service teachers’ L1 had on attitudes towards the three contact languages (Catalan, Spanish and English). A total of 21 in-service teachers participated in the study. Data were collected by means of a written questionnaire, based on Lasagabaster and Huguet (2007), and semi-structured oral interviews. Findings from the study confirmed the influence of the language programme on in-service teachers’ language attitudes as well as the paramount role of the L1 in the formation of language attitudes. Additionally, findings from the study pointed out that language attitudes and teaching practices do not always match since some monolingual perspectives in language teaching and learning. In addition, the relationship between language attitudes and writing performance has been addressed by Knudson (1995), Graham and Perin, (2007), Ansarmoghaddam and Bee (2014) and Baştuğ (2015). Knudson (1995) conducted a survey to analyse 68 learners’ attitudes towards writing. Findings from the study showed that learners who had a positive attitude towards writing were more likely to be better writers in the long run than those who held a more negative attitude. In the same line, Graham and Perin (2007) examined first and third-year primary students’ attitudes and their impact on their writing, reporting that the variable of age is crucial for writing achievement. They also found that the variable of gender was important, as females were found to have more positive attitudes towards writing than males. Similar results on the relationship between positive attitude and writing achievement are reported by Ansarmoghaddam and Bee (2014), who compared how learners felt about writing in their L1 versus English. Findings from the study showed that students who have a positive attitude towards English were more susceptible to use English when writing even outside the classroom. Similarly, Baştuğ (2015) investigated the writing skill and the affective factors of 57 participants, reporting that writing disposition and attitude significantly affected writing Language attitudes and third language writing in a multilingual educational context Language Value 15(1) 30-51 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es 34 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es achievement. From the studies reviewed above, we can claim that previous research has provided information on the effect of bilingualism on L1 and L2 students’ writing. Other studies have reported that when different languages coexist in the same region, different attitudes towards those languages are observed. Finally, some investigations have shown a positive relationship between language attitudes and writing performance. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study has analysed multilingual students’ attitudes towards languages and their relationship with performance in English writing. A gap that the present study aims to cover. Therefore, in line with Ibarraran et al., (2008) claiming that multilingualism goes along with positive attitudes, the present study aims to analyse multilingual students’ writing skill in English, taking into account language attitudes toward the three languages of education in the Valencian Community (Catalan, Spanish and English). Considering the aim of the current investigation, the research questions of the present study are presented below. 1. Research Question I (RQ I): Is there any relationship between language attitude towards English and student’s writing performance? 2. Research Question II (RQ II): Is there any relationship between students’ attitudes towards Catalan and Spanish and their English writing? And, how do attitudes towards languages that coexist in multilingual settings play a role? II. METHOD II.1. Setting and Participants The current study was carried out in one Official school of languages (henceforth: EOI) in the province of Castelló, that is located at the Valencian Community, a Multilingual Irene Guzmán Alcón Language Value 15(1) 30-51 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es 35 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es Community where Catalan and Spanish coexist, and English is learned as an additional language. The EOIs are specialised in language learning and teaching, and attendance is not compulsory. At the EOI of Castellón, ten languages can be learned: Spanish, Catalan, English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Arabic and Chinese. The great majority of students take English or Catalan. The sample consisted of a total of 40 participants, with a C2 level (n=20) and a B2 level (n= 20) of English. The age of participants ranged from 16 to 59 years old (n= 32.2), and the gender distribution was 67.5% female (n= 27) and 32.5 % male (n= 13). In terms of mother tongue 55% (n= 22) of the participants reported their L1 to be Spanish, 12.5% (n=5) reported to be Catalan, and 30% (n= 12) reported both, Spanish and Catalan, and 3% (n= 1) reported having another language as mother tongue. All participants had knowledge of at least three languages: the minority language, Catalan, which is the main language at school; Spanish, the dominant language in the surrounding sociolinguistic environment and in society at large, and English, which is learned as a foreign language. II.2. Data collection instruments and analysis In the present investigation, a mixed-method research approach was used. Thus, quantitative data were collected by means of a questionnaire based on Lasagabaster and Huguet (2007) that consisted of two parts. In the first part, general information regarding (i) age, (ii) sex, (iii) level of English (iv) mother tongue and (v) language spoken at home were gathered. Information on participants’ language attitudes towards Catalan, Spanish and English were collected by means of questions included in the second part of the questionnaire (see Appendix A). Participants were given 15 minutes to complete the questionnaire that was written in Spanish. Considering the data obtained in the questionnaire, a profile for each of the participants (age, gender, L1, language attitudes towards English, Catalan and Spanish) was created. In addition, students’ L1 were categorised according to the language used at home (1 vlc, 2cs, 3 both, 4 other), and language attitudes were categorised on a scale from 1 to 5. In addition, each student was asked to write a composition (150-200 words) in English about “Advantages and Disadvantages of online shopping (see Appendix B) ”. We chose this task considering the criteria formulated by Jacobs et al. (1981) in their book on Language attitudes and third language writing in a multilingual educational context Language Value 15(1) 30-51 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es 36 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es “Testing ESL composition: a practical approach”, where the author suggested the composition to be realistic and the topic to be appropriate. Thus, a total of 40 essays were typed up exactly as they were written in electronic format (.txt). The written compositions were all scored using Jacobs et al.’s (1981) taxonomy, which included a five-component scale; content (how well they understood and developed the topic; 30 points), organisation (how organised, fluent and cohesive the text is; 20 points), vocabulary (how sophisticated, effective and appropriate the vocabulary is; 20 points) language use (how well complex constructions and grammar are used; 25 points) and mechanics (how effectively punctuation and spelling are used; 5 points). They added up to a total of 100 points. The compositions were rated by the principal researcher and two English teachers from the educational centre where the study was conducted. Following Cohen’s (1960) procedure, raters coded independently students’ writing according to the dimensions of Jacob et al. (1981), but before coding students’ writings, raters went through two training sessions in order to become familiar with the rating scale and to provide them with specific instructions on how the compositions should be assessed. Coding resulted in the following agreements: 88% for content, 87% for organisation, 91% for vocabulary, 85% for language use and 89% for mechanics. Finally, The Pearson moment correlation test was used to measure the strength of the linear relationship between students’ attitudes towards Spanish and Catalan and students’ scores in L3 (English) writing. This statistical test has a value between -1 to 1, with a value of -1 meaning a total negative linear correlation, 0 being no correlation, and + 1 meaning a total positive correlation. Furthermore, qualitative data were collected by means of an open question where participants had to express their feelings, with a minimum of 20 words, after finishing their composition in English. In addition, individual semi-structured interviews were held in Spanish. Each interview consisted of five questions (see Appendix C) and provided additional information to the ones provided in the questionnaire. Interviewees were coded as Sx (S1, S2, S3….) including the 40 participants of the study, and the qualitative Irene Guzmán Alcón Language Value 15(1) 30-51 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es 37 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es data from the interviews were used for further interpretation of the quantitative results. III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION As previously mentioned, the main goal of this study is to explore students’ attitudes towards languages and their relationship on students’ English writing. In response to RQI, first, we examined students’ written performance. Table 1 provides an overview of the mean scores in each of the five components suggested by Jacob’s et al. (1981) to evaluate writing. Written Dimensions Group Mean SD Content (30 points) 76 5.48 Organization (20 points) 74.9 3.97 Vocabulary (20 points) 76.5 3.93 Language use (25 points) 72.2 5.23 Mechanics (5 points) 70 1.26 As illustrated in Table 1 all dimensions are above 50%. On the one hand, students perform better in vocabulary (M= 76.5), followed by organisation (M= 74.9) and content (M= 76). On the other hand, participants show less accuracy on language use (M= 72.2) and mechanics (M= 70). To answer RQ1, which aimed to analyse the relationship between students’ attitude towards the English language and their written production, a Pearson’s correlation statistical analysis was conducted. Figure 1 shows the relationship between attitudes towards English and students’ written performance. In addition, the Pearson correlation test indicated that the correlation between the two variables is statistically significant (r = .756, p < 0.05). Language attitudes and third language writing in a multilingual educational context Language Value 15(1) 30-51 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es 38 Table 1. Mean scores in each of the components of the compositions. http://www.languagevalue.uji.es Findings related to RQ1 are in line with those reported by Knudspn (1995), Ansarmoghan and Bee (2014) and Bastug (2015), and confirm that a positive attitude towards the target language, in this case English, correlates with better performance in writing. In fact, regardless of the proficiency level, students’ attitudes seem to correlate with accuracy in writing. Both groups of students with a C2 and B2 level of English, in this study, show a positive correlation, (r = .803, p < 0.05) and (r= .469, p > 0.05) respectively between attitude towards English and writing production, although the correlation with the group of students with a B2 is not statistically significant. These correlations can also be observed in Figures 2 and 3. Irene Guzmán Alcón Language Value 15(1) 30-51 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es 39 Figure 1. Scatter plot of language attitude towards English and student’s written performance. Figure 2. Scatter plot of language attitude towards English and written performance of Students with C in English. http://www.languagevalue.uji.es Our qualitative data obtained during the semi-structured interviews support our quantitative results. In general, participants reported feeling comfortable when writing in English. None of the students reported a negative attitude towards English, regardless of the level of proficiency, or even mother tongue. This can be observed in the following examples in response to the question “Do you like writing in English?” S33: “I like writing in English. I feel that I am learning and improving little by little, and that every time I write and I make a mistake I correct it for the next time”. S2: “I like writing in English because I prove to myself that I can do it and since it is not the language I use the most, I am happy to see that I am learning”. S3: “I feel happy when I write in English because I realise that I am able to express myself in a foreign language”. Thus, summarising results related to RQ I, our findings seem to support previous research indicating the positive direction of the correlation between positive attitude towards English and scores in English writing performance. Additionally, as the present study was carried in a multilingual context, RQ II addressed Language attitudes and third language writing in a multilingual educational context Language Value 15(1) 30-51 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es 40 Figure 3. Scatter plot of language attitude towards English and written performance of Studens with B2 in English. http://www.languagevalue.uji.es the role of students’ attitudes towards the two official languages of the Valencian Community on English as a third language. In order to respond to RQ II, which aimed to examine whether students’ attitudes towards Spanish and Catalan were associated with scores in students’ L3 (English) writing, we conducted Pearson’s correlation statistical tests. Findings from the analysis indicated that, although there were positive correlations between attitudes towards Spanish, Catalan and English and students’ writings in English, there is only the correlation between positive attitude towards English and participants’ English writing that is statistically significant (p < 0.05) (See Table 2). Ac_SP Ac_Eng Ac_Cat Wr_Sco Ac_Sp 1.00 0.34 0.06 0.32 Ac_Eng 0.34 1.00 0.31 0.76 Ac_Cat 0.06 0.31 1.00 0.47 Wr_Sco 0.32 0.75 0.47 1.00 In addition, Figure 4 represents an overview of the percentages of students’ attitudes towards the two official languages (Spanish and Catalan), and English as a third language, plus a global attitude towards languages. As illustrated in Figure 4, participants have a holistic positive attitude towards the three languages (76%). However, participants do not have the same attitude towards the three of them. The most favourable attitude is towards Spanish (95%) followed by English (74%) and the least favourable attitude is Irene Guzmán Alcón Language Value 15(1) 30-51 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es 41 Table 2. Persons Correlation Matrix for attitudes towards Spanish, English and Catalan and written score. Figure 4. Percentage of participants’ attitudes towards languages. http://www.languagevalue.uji.es Language attitudes and third language writing in a multilingual educational context towards Catalan (60%). More detailed information on students’ attitude towards the three languages, (Spanish, English and Catalan) is provided in Figure 5, taking into account the information provided in the questionnaire. Regarding the Spanish language, all responses are above 90%, which shows that participants’ attitudes towards Spanish are very positive. If we look at the results related to each of the questions of the questionnaire, it is worth paying attention to question 6 (participants were asked whether if they had children they would like them to speak Spanish), and question 7 (participants were asked about the value of learning the Spanish language). In the case of question 6, 98% of participants responded affirmatively, while 99% of them also considered that it was important to learn Spanish. This can be explained due to the prestige of Spanish as a majority language in the Valencian Community (Portolés, 2014; Guzmán-Alcón, 2019). This finding is confirmed by looking at some of the comments participants made during the semi-structured interviews when participants were asked ”what language do you like the most, Catalan, Spanish or English? S21: “I prefer Spanish because it is my language and I think it is the most important language”. Language Value 15(1) 30-51 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es 42 Figure 5. Participants’ attitude towards the three languages (Catalan, Spanish and English) http://www.languagevalue.uji.es S2: “I believe that Spanish, because it is my language and is spoken all over the world, and it is useful for the society in which we live”. S37: “I prefer Spanish because I think English is given too much importance, but so is Spanish” S7: “Spanish is the one I am most comfortable speaking because I speak it all the time”. S5:”Spanish because I speak it all the time, at home, at work and with my friends”. S6: ”Spanish is a language that has to be taken into account, a lot of attention is given to English and we forget that Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world”. Regarding the English language, there are differences that are worth pointing out. For instance, question 6 and 7 are above 90%, while question 5 and 3 are around 50%. Answers to question 6 “if you had children would you like them to speak English?” and question 7 “do you think it is worth learning English?” seem to indicate the instrumental motivation for learning English, while question 3 “do you like reading in English” and question 5 “would you marry someone who only spoke English?” refer to issues linked to participants’ intrinsic motivation for learning English. This is confirmed by looking at some of the comments participants made during the semi-structured interviews where participants’ were asked “what language do you consider the most, important (Catalan, Spanish or English?)” S38: “English since I need it to travel for my job” S22:”English because when I go around the world I can talk to people”. S33: “I think English, since I’ve been asked to speak it so much at work since I started, so I’ve ended up liking it”. Irene Guzmán Alcón Language Value 15(1) 30-51 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es 43 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es S34:“Today, English is the language you need to find a job and it is the one we need the most”. S15: “English because it is very important for the future”. Although our findings indicate participants’ perception of the prestige of the English language, and the desire of participants to learn that language, it is worth pointing out that students’ attitudes towards the English language are not as positive as their attitude towards the Spanish language. These findings could be explained because participants may see the English language as a threat to the Spanish language (Lasagabaster, 2017). Some of the students’ comments during the semi-structured interviews also confirm this tentative hypothesis. Finally, with regards to the Catalan language, we can observe that students have a neutral attitude towards this language. Here it is worth looking at the answers to questions 1, 4, 6 and 7. Participants in answering question 1 (“I like listening to Catalan) and 4 (“Learning Catalan enriches my cultural background”) show a neutral attitude towards Catalan (50% and 58% respectively). This also occurs in question 6 (“If I had children, I would like them to speak Catalan”) and question 7 (“it is worth learning Catalan). The percentages of 56% and 62% found respectively in students’ responses to these two questions show that neither is there an intrinsic nor an extrinsic motivation for learning Catalan. This is confirmed by looking at some of the comments participants made during the semi- structured interviews in response to the question “what language do you consider the most, important (Catalan, Spanish or English?)” S13: “Of the three, the Catalan is the least important because I believe it is not worth much”. S22: “Catalan is the least important because I think it is of little use and I have not received a good education, I could not write very well or speak it”. Language attitudes and third language writing in a multilingual educational context Language Value 15(1) 30-51 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es 44 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es S31: “All of them are important and I like them, but I would say the Catalan is the least important, since it does not open many professional opportunities”. S14: “The one I like the most is Valencia, it’s the one I’m most comfortable with, but I think it’s the least important”. As it can be observed above, our quantitative data is supported by our qualitative data obtained in the semi-structured interviews. Our findings are in line with previous studies, confirming positive attitudes towards the three languages of the Valencian Community, but, in line with previous studies (Nightingale 2012; Portolés 2014), the sociolinguistic status of each language in the multilingual context of the Valencian Community suggests the need to protect Catalan as the minority language in the Valencian Community. In addition, in line with Portolés (2014), our study shows the prestige of English as a lingua franca, the prestige of Spanish as a majority language and the lack of prestige of Catalan as a minority language. Another issue observed in the semi structured interviews was that students’ mother tongue may play a role in L3 written performance. It seems that those students that are bilingual, that is to say those that use both official languages (Spanish and Catalan) at home, got better results in the evaluation of their English writings. For instance, in answering the question “How do you feel when you write in English?’’ S31 and S20 (bilingual spanish and Catalan) got the best scores in English witten performance and reported positive attitudes towards L3 (English) writing: S31: “I feel good writing in English because I see that I am able to express my ideas in a language that is not my own”. S20: “Happy because it is useful to improve our knowledge and to open our minds” respectively. Irene Guzmán Alcón Language Value 15(1) 30-51 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es 45 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es However, students whose mother tongue is only Spanish or Catalan did not show such a positive attitude towards English and their scores in English compositons were lower. S14: “No demasiado bien ya que prefiero escribir en mi lengua, escribir en inglés me cuesta y no lo tengo claro”. To sum up, findings related to RQ II corroborate previous studies that pointed out the impact of multilingualism on students’ language attitudes and L3 writing. In addition, and in line with Sagasta (2003) and Arozena (2017), further research is needed to explore in the Valencian Community whether bilingual learners in Catalan and Spanish outperform their monolingual peers when they write in English as a third language. This type of research may shed light on whether having more linguistic resources improves students’ writing skills, or how languages are interconnected at different levels (Cenoz & Gorter, 2015; Arozena, 2017). IV. CONCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS AND PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between students’ attitudes towards languages and third language (English) writing. Our results related to the relationship between language attitudes and students’ written performance support previous studies and suggest that a positive attitude towards the target language, in this case English, correlates with better performance in writing. Moreover, considering the two official languages of the Valencian Community, these do not seem to play a role in writing in English as an additional language. In addition, the present study shows differences in relation to the three languages of the Valencian community, supporting previous studies conducted by Nightingale (2012), Portolés (2014) and Guzmán-Alcón (2019). In particular, our findings indicate that, although language attitude does not necessarily correlate with L3 writing performance, participants acknowledge the prestige of English as a lingua franca, the prestige of Spanish as a majority language and the lack of prestige of Catalan as a minority language. Finally, a tentative hypothesis to be further explored is Language Value 15(1) 30-51 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es 46 Language attitudes and third language writing in a multilingual educational context http://www.languagevalue.uji.es suggested in relation to the relationship between being bilingual in Catalan and Spanish and students’ L3 writing. The present study also presents some limitations. First of all, the sample is too small to generalize the results. Secondly, no recording was possible during the interviews as students preferred not to be recorded during the interview. Thirdly, we only evaluated students’ writing in English and further studies are needed to evaluate students’ writing in the three languages of instruction, that is to say, Catalan, Spanish and English. In spite of these limitations, it is worth pointing out that our results suggest some pedagogical implications that may be interesting for language teachers. First, since a positive attitude towards language correlates with written performance, care should be taken to provide an environment that triggers a positive attitude towards English. Secondly, since it seems that having different languages in students’ repertoire improves students’ writing, a multilingual education approach should be encouraged. This could be achieved by encouraging language teachers to explore “focus on multilingualism” (Cenoz & Gorter, 2015) and avoid monolingual classroom practices. This could also be done by encouraging positive attitudes towards the different languages of the curriculum and by incorporating translanguaging as a tool for language learning. Finally, we encourage the implementation of multilingual pedagogies since they may change attitudes to languages and create some multilingual sensibilities and awareness of languages, whether they are local, national or international, and this, in turn, may facilitate the acquisition of other additional languages. V. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS As members of the LAELA (Lingüística Aplicada a l’Ensenyament de la Llengua Anglesa) research group at Universitat Jaume I (Castellón, Spain), we would like to acknowledge that this study is part of the research project PID2020-117959GB-I00 funded by MCIN/ AEI /10.13039/501100011033. Additional funding has been granted by Generalitat Valenciana (AICO/2021/310), the Universitat Jaume I (UJI-B2019-23) Irene Guzmán Alcón Language Value 15(1) 30-51 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es 47 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es Language Value 15(1) 30-51 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es 48 Language attitudes and third language writing in a multilingual educational context VI. REFERENCES Ansarmoghaddam, S., & Bee, H. T. (2014). Undergraduates’ Experiences and Attitudes of Writing in L1 and English. Journal of Language Studies, 14(01), 7–28. https://doi. org/10.17576/GEMA-2014-1401-02 Arocena, M. E (2017). Multilingual Education: Teacher’s Beliefs and Language use in the Classroom. University of the Basque Country Baştuğ, M. (2015). Effects of Primary School Fourth-Grade Students’ Attitude, Disposition and Writer’s Block on Writing Success. Egitim ve Bilim, 40(180), 77-88. https://doi. org/10.15390/EB.2015.4279 Breuer, E. O., Lindgren, E., Sṭavans, ʻAnat, & Steendam, E. van (Eds.). (2021). Multilingual literacy. Multilingual Matters. Cenoz, J. (2009). Towards Multilingual Education: Basque educational research from an International Perspective. Multilingual Matters. Cenoz, J., Arozena, E., & Gorter, D. (2013). Assessing multilingual students’ writing skills in Basque, Spanish and English. In V. Mueller (Ed.), Issues in the Assessment of Bilinguals (pp. 185–204). Multilingual Matters. Cenoz, J., & Görter, D. (2015). Towards a Holistic approach in the study of multilingual education. Modern Language Journal, 95(3), 339 - 343. DOI: 10.1111/j.1540- 4781.2011.01204.x Cenoz, J., & Valencia, J. F. (1994). Additive trilingualism: Evidence from the Basque Country. Applied Psycholinguistics, 15(2), 195–207. https://doi.org/10.1017/ S0142716400005324 Cohen, J. (1960). A coefficient of agreement for nominal scales. Educational and Psycho- logical Measurement, 20, 37-46. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316446002000104 Graham, S., & Perin, D. (2007). A meta-analysis of writing instruction for adolescent students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(3), 445–476. https://doi. org/10.1037/0022-0663.99.3.445 Guzmán-Alcón, I. (2019). Teachers’ language use and attitudes towards multilingual education in primary education. Lenguaje y Textos, (50), 107-111. https://doi. org/10.4995/lyt.2019.11475 Guzmán-Alcón, I; & Portolés, L .(2021). In-service teachers’ language attitudes in the Valencian educational system: the effect of the school language programme and the L1. Caplletra. Revista Internacional de Filologia, 71, 121-46, https://doi. org/10.7203/Caplletra.71.21034 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es Irene Guzmán Alcón Language Value 15(1) 30-51 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es 49 Ibarraran, A., Lasagabaster, D., & Sierra, J. M. (2008). Multilingualism and Language Attitudes: Local Versus Immigrant Students’ Perceptions. Language Awareness, 17(4), 326–341. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658410802147311 Jacobs, H., Zinkgraf, S., Wormuth, D., Hearfiel, V., & Hughey, J. (1981). Testing ESL Composition: A Practical Approach. Newbury House Lasagabaster, D., & Huguet, A. (2007). Multilingualism in European Bilingual Contexts. Multilingual Matters. Lasagabaster, D. & Safont-Jordà, P. (2008). Un análisis de las actitudes lingüísticas en dos comunidades bilingües. In C. M. Bretones et al (Eds.), Applied Linguistics Now: Understanding Language and Mind (pp. 183–196). Nightingale, R. (2012). Bridging the gap between the internal and the external. Lap Lambert Academic Publishing. Portolés, L. (2014). Analysing Prospective Teachers’ Attitudes towards Three Languages in Two Different Sociolinguistic and Educational Settings. In A. Otwinowska & G. De Angelis (Eds.), Teaching and Learning in Multilingual Contexts (pp. 50–74). Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781783091263-006 Sagasta Errasti, M. P. (2003). Acquiring writing skills in a third language: The positive effects of bilingualism. International Journal of Bilingualism, 7(1), 27–42. https:// doi.org/10.1177/13670069030070010301 Sanz, C. (2008). Predicting enhanced L3 learning in bilingual contexts: The role of biliteracy. In C. Perez-Vidal, C. Bel, A., &; M. J .Garau,. (Eds.) A portrait of the young in the new multilingual Spain (pp. 220-240). Multilingual Matters. Received: 25 October 2021 Accepted: 20 May 2022 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es Language Value 15(1) 30-51 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es 50 Language attitudes and third language writing in a multilingual educational context APPENDICES Appendix A Nos gustaría contar con tu ayuda para contestar estas preguntas. No es ninguna prueba y por lo tanto no hay respuestas ‘correctas’ o ‘incorrectas’, ni siquiera tienes que escribir tu nombre. Lo que nos interesa es tu verdadera opinión. Por favor, danos las respuestas de forma sincera, es la única manera de garantizar el éxito de la investigación. Muchas gracias por tu ayuda. Primera parte: información general 1) Edad: ____ 2) Sexo: Chico __ Chica __ 3)¿En qué curso de la EOI estás?___ 4) Lengua materna: Castellano __ Valenciano __ Ambas __ Otra (indica)_________ 5) ¿Cuántos años llevas estudiando inglés? ___ 6) ¿Estudias otro idioma aparte del Inglés?_______ ¿cuál?_____ 7) ¿En casa hablas en catalán/valenciano (sí / no), castellano (sí / no), inglés (sí / no)? Segunda parte: actitudes lingüísticas. Indica la importancia de saber cada lengua en: Por favor, contesta en una escala de uno a 5. Dónde 1 está totalmente en desacuerdo y 5 totalmente de acuerdo. SOBRE EL CATALÁN/ VALENCIANO Me gusta escuchar el catalán/valenciano hablado 1 2 3 4 5 Me gusta hablar en catalán /valenciano 1 2 3 4 5 El catalan/valenciano se tiene que impartir en todos los centros educativos de la CV 1 2 3 4 5 Me gusta hablar en catalán/ valenciano 1 2 3 4 5 Aprender catalán/valenciano enriquece mi bagaje cultural 1 2 3 4 5 No me importaría casarme con alguien que solo hablara catalán/valenciano 1 2 3 4 5 Si tuviera hijos/as me gustaría que aprendieran catalán/valenciano 1 2 3 4 5 Vale la pena aprender catalán/valenciano 1 2 3 4 5 SOBRE EL ESPAÑOL Me gusta escuchar el Español hablado 1 2 3 4 5 Me gusta hablar en español 1 2 3 4 5 El español se tiene que impartir en todos los centros educativos de la CV 1 2 3 4 5 Me gusta hablar en español 1 2 3 4 5 Aprender español enriquece mi bagaje cultural 1 2 3 4 5 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es Irene Guzmán Alcón Language Value 15(1) 30-51 http://www.languagevalue.uji.es 51 No me importaría casarme con alguien que solo hablara español 1 2 3 4 5 Si tuviera hijos/as me gustaría que aprendieran español 1 2 3 4 5 Vale la pena aprender español 1 2 3 4 5 SOBRE EL INGLÉS Me gusta escuchar el Inglés hablado 1 2 3 4 5 Me gusta hablar en inglés 1 2 3 4 5 El inglés se tiene que impartir en todos los centros educativos de la CV 1 2 3 4 5 Me gusta hablar en inglés 1 2 3 4 5 Aprender Inglés enriquece mi bagaje cultural 1 2 3 4 5 No me importaría casarme con alguien que solo hablara inglés 1 2 3 4 5 Si tuviera hijos/as me gustaría que aprendieran inglés 1 2 3 4 5 Vale la pena aprender inglés 1 2 3 4 5 Appendix B WRITTEN EXPRESSION What are the advantages and disadvantages of Online Shopping? (between 150- 200) Te gusta escribir en inglés: a ) Nada b) Muy poco c) Normal d) Bastante e) Mucho ¿Por qué? (Utilitza un mínimo de 20 palabras) Appendix C Q1:Do you like writing in English? Q2:What language do you like the most, Catalan, Spanish or English? Q3:How do you feel when you write in English? Q4:What language do you feel more comfortable with? Q5:Do you think that learning how to write in English is useful? Q6:what language do you consider the most, important (Catalan, Spanish or English?) http://www.languagevalue.uji.es