EXPLORING GRAMMAR, SELF-REGULATION, AND THE ROLE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IN GERMAN WRITING
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21009/ishel.v2i1.70000Keywords:
writing strategies, German as a foreign language, self-efficacy, translation technologyAbstract
Writing in German as a foreign language is often considered the most demanding productive skill for Indonesian learners, as it requires mastery of complex grammar, adequate vocabulary, and the ability to organize ideas coherently. This study aims to describe students' strategies, obstacles, and confidence levels in writing German texts, while also exploring the role of digital technology and lecturer guidance in this process. The study used a sequential mixed-methods approach, involving twenty-seven students who completed an online questionnaire containing ten open-ended questions and ten Likert-scale items. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The results showed that grammatical difficulties, particularly in determining articles and noun declensions, were the most dominant obstacle, followed by limited vocabulary and confusion about verb position in sentences. The majority of students relied on self-regulation strategies such as rereading texts and discussions with lecturers or peers, while almost all respondents utilized online translation tools and generative artificial intelligence to assist in their writing process. Writing confidence was moderate, with an average score of 2.70 on a scale of 4, lower than the average for vocabulary competence. These findings indicate the need for more systematic pedagogical interventions in grammar teaching, critical digital literacy towards artificial intelligence tools, and strengthening students' writing self-efficacy.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Aceng Rahmat, Anim Purwanto
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