Melinda Reichelt

A Critical Review of Foreign Language Writing Research on Pedagogical Approaches

This article reviews 32 studies regarding writing in a foreign language (not English) in the United States. It focuses on research that investigates relationships between various pedagogical practices (e.g., explicit grammar instruction) or task types assigned (e.g., descriptive vs. narrative writing) and the texts produced by foreign language (FL) writers. Topics addressed include explicit grammar instruction, computer use, task type, strategy training, process instruction, and feedback. This article points to the lack of a unified sense of the purpose of FL writing within the field of FL and also points to design flaws in much of the existing research. Implications for pedagogy and research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toward a more comprehensive view of L2 writing: Foreign language writing in the U.S.

Abstract In order to be accurate and inclusive, a theory of second-language writing must take into account information about foreign language (FL) (i.e., non-English) writing. This article reviews over 200 published works concerning FL writing and research pedagogy in the United States and proposes directions for inquiry in FL writing, focusing especially on the need for discussion of the purpose of writing in the FL course. The article also outlines ways in which ESL writing specialists can benefit from becoming familiar with FL writing research and pedagogy.