4 Models of writing and text production

Abstract

Four models have powerfully shaped -and continue to influence -writing research methodologies and therefore specific conceptualizations of writing as an object of inquiry: a text-oriented model, a didactic "process" model, a (socio)cognitive model, and a social practices model. These models build from research and analysis about writing -writing and written text production -carried out at different times or in different contexts in writing research. All existing models are in some ways limited, notably in the way in which they tend to: (1) work (explicitly or implicitly) with notions of "standard" varieties and monolingual frameworks, and (2) overwhelmingly emphasize the "verbal" dimension of writing to the exclusion of other modal aspects. Some current research seeks to work across models and to engage with these limitations. Four influential models of writingThe chapter aims to highlight influential models of writing and written text production in contemporary writing research and their potentials and shortcomings with respect to future transdisciplinary research in a global context. By "models" of writing and written text production we are referring in a broad sense to the different ways in which the activity of writing and activities around writing are construed. The chapter is organized around four models which have powerfully shaped -and continue to influence -writing research methodologies and therefore specific conceptualizations of writing as an object of inquiry: a text-oriented model, a didactic "process" model, a (socio)cognitive model, and a social practices model. We begin by outlining what we mean by "model" followed by an overview of each of these four highly influential models of writing, illustrating some of their most emblematic instantiations. These models build from research and analysis about writing -studies of writing and text. We recognize that the development and take-up of particular models (or elements of these) varies at different times historically and geographically, and we point to some examples of writing research explicitly seeking to work across the models. We conclude by considering some of the limitations across all existing models, notably the way in which they tend to: (1) work (explicitly or implicitly) with notions of "standard" varieties and monolingual frameworks, and (2) overwhelmingly emphasize the "verbal" dimension of writing to the exclusion of other modal aspects. We point to future directions by considering some ways in which current work is seeking to engage with these limitations.Brought to you by | provisional account Unauthenticated Download Date | 6/14/15 6:40 AM

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