K. James Hartshorn

Contextualizing corrective feedback in second language writing pedagogy

Although effective writing skills are vital to the success of university-level students, second language (L2) writers face unique challenges in developing these skills. This is particularly relevant to their ability to produce writing that is linguistically accurate. While many writing teachers feel a great commitment to these students, much of the research has either led to conflicting results or provided teachers with limited practical guidelines that can be utilized effectively in the classroom. This is especially true regarding written corrective feedback (WCF). Therefore, this article provides L2 writing teachers with a paradigm for understanding the WCF debate and interpreting the available research. We emphasize three contextual variables that must be considered if we are to understand the current research and maximize the utility of future research. These include the learner, the situation, and the instructional methodology. As an examination of how one of these contextual variables might affect L2 writing accuracy, this article presents an innovative instructional methodology specifically designed to improve L2 writing accuracy. We refer to the central component of this methodology as dynamic written corrective feedback. The article concludes with the preliminary results from an exploratory pilot study using this instructional methodology.

Linguistic Support for Non-Native English Speakers: Higher Education Practices in the United States

Abstract Higher education institutions in English-speaking nations host significant populations of non-native English speakers (NNES), both international and resident. English language proficiency is a critical factor to their success. This study reviews higher education practices in the United States related to this population. Findings indicate weaknesses in how institutions identify NNES, measure their English language skills, and track their success. These issues must be addressed to support the needs of this population, fully benefit from their contributions, and achieve educational parity