SECOND LANGUAGE WRITING Ilona Leki

Writing in L2… “Writing is text, is composing, is social construction” Cumming A new view and approach on how to study L2 writing It is not merely a handmaid version of the other skills

Clark and Ivanic (1997) Writing is considered by some as a privileged or particularly potent means for effective democratic change towards a more just sociopolitical order

What is good writing? What is good writing good for? What does it mean to be a good writer?

How can we teach good writing? Can good writing be taught, particularly by an L2 writing teacher?

L2 writing research and instruction Text- and classroom – based orientations Process based orientations Budding sense of disciplinarity Growing orientation to sociopolitical issues

Text – and classroom – based orientations The main concern: error in writing, contrastive rhetoric, response to writing, and assessment The interest in errors in writing and in how to correct them or reduce their number has fluctuated considerably

When correcting, as a teacher, do not substitute the students own “ideal” text INTERVENTION IN WRITING APPROPRIATING TEXT

Arbitrary topic Time limit Inability to prepare Testing Writing Who evaluates?

PROCESS BASED ORIENTATIONS Writing cognitive processes Writing processes of strong L2 writers Planning in L1 versus L2 Use of L1 in L2 writing Threshold levels of proficiency

FINDINGS… Proficient L2 writers focus on form and content A level of proficiency is needed in L2 Individual variation Shifting to L1 is a useful strategy Personal, social and educational contexts are entwined with the development of writers.

BUDDING SENSE OF DISCIPLINARITY L2 writing does not yet have agreed-upon models or theories; it borrows them from L1 English and has fragments of models surfacing.

An intellectual infusion is required… The intellectual infusion can be done through sociocognitive or sociocultural studies and second language acquisition (SLA).

GROWING ORIENTATION TO SOCIOPOLITICAL ISSUES The growing awareness of the nonneutral nature of education has directed the attention of L2 writing researchers to study matters in relation to cross-cultural issues and stereotyping

Some authors… Canagarajah. Spreads the notion of resisting hegemonic academic writing Pennycook. Plagiarism and its roots

Planes y Programas 3ero medio CMO Expresión escrita a. Elaboración de tablas, gráficos esquemas, etc., para demostrar comprensión lectora y auditiva. b. Redacción de párrafos de tres o cuatro oraciones, gramaticalmente correctos y comunicativamente apropiados, por ejemplo, solicitando o entregando información, expresando opiniones o puntos de vista en respuesta a textos escritos, orales y visuales.

Planes y Programas 4to medio CMO Expresión escrita a. Elaboración de resúmenes y notas para demostrar comprensión lectora y auditiva. b. Redacción de currículo vitae, cartas formales e informes, sintácticamente correctos y comunicativamente apropiados, usando estrategias de selección y organización de la información y del lenguaje, apoyándose en el uso de glosarios o diccionarios.

Conclusions… Focus on supporting other skills Focus on “correct” text  By Maria Paz Collao Gonzalez