Second language writing

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Second language writing is the study of writing performed by non-native speakers/writers of a language as a second or foreign language.

In addition to disseminating research through the Journal of Second Language Writing, scholars in the field regularly participate in three academic conferences, the Symposium on Second Language Writing,[1] the TESOL convention,[2] and the Conference on College Composition and Communication.[3]

Symposium on Second Language Writing[]

The Symposium on Second Language Writing, which began in 1998 at Purdue University, is an international conference on second language writing. It was a biennial event through 2006, and annual after that. It has been hosted at Purdue University six times, but the 2007 symposium was held in Japan; the 2009 at Arizona State University, the 2010 in Murcia, Spain; the 2011 in Taipei, Taiwan; and the 2013 will be held at Shandong University, Jinan, China.[4]

At TESOL, Inc.[]

In June 2005, the TESOL Board added of a new interest section on writing. The Second Language Writing IS; it held its first meeting in Tampa in March 2006, covering topics ranging from "Broadening Perspectives in Second Language Writing" and "Alternative Placement Methods for Second Language Writers" to "Issues in Technologies for L2 Composition Classrooms" and "Crossing Bridges with Second Language Writing Partnerships."

As these suggest, the section provides a forum for researchers and educators at different grade levels and institutional settings to discuss second language writing. Specifically, the section's goals are:

  • to increase awareness of the significance of writing in teaching ESL/EFL,
  • to encourage and support the teaching of writing to ESOL students at all levels,
  • to provide a forum to discuss issues of writing assessment and the placement of second language writers, and
  • to disseminate and promote research on second language writing[5]

The section facilitates communication about writing across teaching levels and settings. Recent research on the scope of second language writing scholarship suggests that most of the field's nationally (within the U.S.) and internationally circulated scholarship is produced by scholars in post-secondary education at research intensive institutions. Other contexts for writing (Pre-K through 12, two-year colleges, community programs, international K-12 schools, etc.) often have much larger populations of ELL/EFL writers, but scholars, particularly teacher-researchers, in these settings do not often receive support for researching and writing.

Given this, the section provides scholars with the opportunity to initiate more research and scholarship in these underrepresented contexts by supporting new collaborations and partnerships across levels and by providing a forum for discussing shared experiences. The section, like its parent body, TESOL, is distinctive in including all the academic levels and areas.

Second Language Writing Transfer (L2) Theory[]

Some notable scholars in the field of Second Language (L2) writing transfer include Mark Andrew James and GitaDasBender. First, Depalma and Ringer (2011) define how L2 writing transfer was only defined as individuals reusing previous writing knowledge from one context to another in a second language context.[6] In particular, there are two examples outlined by James (2018b) of when L2 writing transfer may occur.[7] First, it possibly occurs when students are taught a certain organizational structure to follow in one ESL writing classroom and possibly utilize this structure in another one.[7] Second, it can "occur" when teachers teach L2 writers certain steps on writing and revising essays and L2 writers may incorporate these "steps" on future assignments.[7] However, DePalma and Ringer (2011) advocate for the concept of adaptive transfer where L2 writers might "consciously" readapt or reuse previous writing knowledge from one context to another giving L2 writers more "agency" over their writing.[6] It is important to note that Grujicic-Alatriste (2013) critiques their piece because she states that people have to possibly factor in the overall classroom experience to determine how much adaptive transfer has occurred.[8] James (2018b) notes that previous L2 experiences could affect L2 writing in newer situations as he highlights that helping students understand the similarities between writing contexts could help the transfer process.[7] However, he mentions that transfer does not always occur and instructors have to reflect on lessons that give L2 writers the motivation to engage in L2 writing transfer.[7] Thus, the goal of L2 writing education is to encourage positive transfer even though transfer between languages are often portrayed in a negative context and may discourage it (James, 2018a).[9]

James (2009) discusses how ESL writing classrooms in universities play a major role, consciously or unconsciously, in helping students learn things that they also use in other classes.[10] Cui (2019) argues that further studies need to be conducted on how "first-year L2 writers in US universities transfer writing knowledge".[11] DasBender (2016) discusses how these L2 first-year writers face a lot of "different expectations" that they are expected to meet because "different colleges and writing classrooms are going to handle the needs of these writers".[12] This is reinforced by James (2009) who states that there is a significant difference in the types of writing that are produced in ESL writing courses compared to other kinds of writing in other academic disciplines in US universities.[10]

Thus, Gita DasBender mentions that the previous experiences of three writers may impede their efforts to conform to first-year writing standards even those geared towards ESL writers.[12]For example, she notes that a good number of L2 writers have to deal with another language like English to communciate and are not as familiar with analysis.[12] Therefore, she indicates that teachers can review concepts that are difficult for L2 writers including organization, audience awareness, and genres in order to help them master and learn more about their writing.[12] Furthermore, she notes that teachers can give these writers reflection activities to help these students ponder what previous writing experiences they have through to help build metacognition because she is unsure if students would even attempt to do so without motivation from teachers.[12]

At CCCC[]

Second language writing scholars also participate in a Special Interest Group on the field at CCCC.[13] In addition, the organization has a Committee on Second Language Writing to bridge work between CCCC and TESOL to involve more scholars in the field's discussions.

Much recent attention focuses on the potential of computer-mediated communication (CMC) to foster desire and opportunity to write.

In addition, attention has been focused on the practical application of teaching Second Language writing not only in academia but in the field.

Perspectives and theories[]

Second language writing development has been investigated from many different perspectives. Manchón's edited book on L2 Writing Development: Multiple Perspectives provides an insight in which perspective second language writing development can be investigated. Her edited books includes studies on L2 writing development from dynamic systems theory, goal theory, genre-based systemic functional linguistics, and rhetorical genre theory.[14]

Second language writing development has been most extensively investigated by traditional cross-sectional methodologies such as pre-test post-test designs.

However, in the early 2000s a novel angle has emerged called dynamical systems theory approach on second language development. Studies adopting the DST perspective explore interactions between different constructs such as lexicon, syntax, and accuracy by using moving correlations. The degree of variability in the constructs is usually explored by min-max graphs, data resampling and Monte Carlo Analysis. Among the researchers who have adopted this new angle are Verspoor, de Bot, and Lowie. These researchers used a time-series data to investigate development in second language writing.[15]

Notable researchers[]

The following is a list of researchers who contributed to the field of second language writing research.

Computer programs[]

Second language writing research uses different computational tools to investigate development. For example:

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Grabe, William (2001). "Notes toward a theory of second language writing." In P.K. Matsuda & T Silva (eds.) On second language writing, 39-57.
  2. ^ Cumming, Alister (April 1987). "Decision making and text representation in ESL writing performance." Paper presented at the 21st Annual TESOL Convention, Miami.
  3. ^ Faber, Brenton (July 1996). "Rhetoric in Competition The Formation of Organizational Discourse in Conference on College Composition and Communication Abstracts". Written Communication. 13 (3): 355–384. doi:10.1177/0741088396013003003. S2CID 143994615.
  4. ^ Symposium on Second Language Writing. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2008, from http://sslw.asu.edu/
  5. ^ Second Language Writing Interest Section. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2008, from http://secondlanguagewriting.com/slwis/
  6. ^ a b DePalma, M. J., & Ringer, J. M. (2011). Toward a theory of adaptive transfer: Expanding disciplinary discussions of “ transfer” in second-language writing and composition studies. Journal of Second Language Writing, 20(2), 134–147.
  7. ^ a b c d e James, M. A. (2018b). Transfer. In J. I. Lionas (Ed.), The TESOL encyclopedia of English language teaching (pp. 1–5). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  8. ^ Grujicic-Alatriste, L. (2013). A response to DePalma and Ringer’s article “Toward a theory of adaptive transfer: Expanding disciplinary discussions of ‘transfer’ in second-language writing and composition studies.” Journal of Second Language Writing, 22, 460–464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2013.04.002
  9. ^ James, M. A. (2018a). Teaching for transfer of second language learning. Language Teaching, 51(3), 330–348. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444818000137
  10. ^ a b James, M. A. (2009). "Far" transfer of learning outcomes from an ESL writing course: Can the gap be bridged? Journal of Second Language Writing, 18(2), 69-84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2009.01.001
  11. ^ Cui, W. (2019). Teaching for transfer to first-year L2 writers. Journal of International Students, 9(4), 1115–1133. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v9i4.755
  12. ^ a b c d e DasBender, G. (2016). Liminal space as a generative site of struggle: Writing transfer and L2 students. In C. M. Anson & J. L. Moore (Eds.), Critical Transitions: Writing and the Question of Transfer (pp. 273–298). University Press of Colorado.
  13. ^ "Conference on College Composition and Communication". Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  14. ^ Manchón, Rosa (8 April 2019). Manchón, Rosa (ed.). L2 Writing Development: Multiple Perspectives. De Gruyter Mouton. doi:10.1515/9781934078303. ISBN 9781934078303 – via DeGruyter.
  15. ^ Lowie, W. M.; Bot, K. de; Verspoor, M. H. (2004). "Dynamic systems theory and variation: a case study in L2-writing". Words in Their Places. A Festschrift for J. Lachlan. Amsterdam: Free University Press: 407–421.

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