Abstract

Story continuation writing tasks (CWT) have emerged as a prominent pedagogical and assessment innovation in English as a second and foreign language (ESL/EFL) contexts, particularly in China. Requiring learners to read an incomplete narrative and compose a coherent continuation, CWT integrates reading comprehension with written production, fostering a psycholinguistic process of alignment where learners reuse and adapt lexical, syntactic, and semantic structures from the input text. This distinctive mechanism positions CWT as a powerful tool for both learning-to-write and writing-to-learn. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, this systematic review synthesizes 32 peer-reviewed empirical studies (2012-2025) from databases including Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). The analysis traces the developmental trajectory of CWT research across cognitive, affective, technological, and literacy dimensions. Findings reveal its effectiveness in promoting linguistic development (e.g., vocabulary, syntactic complexity, accuracy, cohesion), enhancing affective factors (e.g., reducing anxiety, fostering flow), and facilitating alignment-driven learning. Key moderators such as task design (e.g., input modality, planning conditions, genre), technological integration (e.g., digital tools, AI feedback), and learner variables (e.g., proficiency, working memory) are identified. The discussion situates these findings within broader theoretical frameworks (Interactive Alignment Model, sociocultural theory) and highlights persistent tensions, such as the alignment-originality paradox in assessment. The review concludes by outlining future research directions, including the need for more longitudinal studies, cross-contextual replications, and ethical frameworks for AI integration, while offering evidence-based guidance for practitioners aiming to optimize CWT implementation in diverse ESL/EFL settings.

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