Writing in a foreign language: teaching and learning

Abstract

This article is organised in five parts. The introduction defines the area covered and gives the rationale for a focus on FL writing research particularly in classroom contexts. The second section gives an overview of cognitive and social theoretical frameworks, noting that these have mainly been developed for L1 writing, and drawing attention to recent attempts to build models for FL writing. The third part covers research on process-based instruction, on teacher and peer feedback and on grammar correction. Part four deals with the growing use of computers in the teaching and learning of FL writing, looking particularly at work on word processing, software for teaching and research, at the relationships between network-based language teaching and process-oriented pedagogy and between writing and the development of oral communicative competence. The final part comments on research approaches, on FL writing and second language acquisition, and on post-process theory, concluding with a set of pedagogically-oriented research questions for the future.

Issues of cultural appropriateness and pedagogical efficacy: exploring peer review in a second language writing class

“…The last two decades have seen a growing body of literature on peer review (see Ferris 2003;Hyland and Hyland 2006a, b;O'Brien 2004). A number of researchers have suggested several potential beneficial effects of peer review on language learning and learner development in general.…”

“…In recent years, peer review as a pedagogical activity has received increasing attention from both L2 writing practitioners (e.g., Campbell 1998;Harmer 2004;Porto 2001) and researchers taking a social constructivist perspective on second language acquisition (see de Guerrero and Villamil 1994;O'Brien 2004;Swain et al 2002;de Guerrero 1996, 2006). In peer review, students engage in the collaborative activity of ''reading, critiquing and providing feedback on each other's writing, both to secure immediate textual improvement and to develop, over time, stronger writing competence via mutual scaffolding'' (Hu 2005a, pp.…”

The Role of Integrated Approach in Language Teaching

“…To improve the students translation skills thoughts and develop their own writing by using the five-step writing process model of Herwins". [6] 1. Prewriting Teachers will provide a writing task and help the learners to generate vocabulary and ideas with different warm up activity such as brainstorming, clustering, and discussion in the first stage of writing.…”

Vol. 2, No. 4, in December 2009

“…With regard to the overview of EFL writing research, little information can be acquired in the body of existing literature. It is important to be acquainted with the overview of L1 and L2 writing research because FL writing research has been heavily influenced by L1 and L2 writing research (O'Brien, 2004). Furthermore, English language writing instruction for native speakers has also influenced EFL writing instruction (You, 2006).…”