Nicholas Andon

Embedding academic writing instruction into subject teaching:A case study

The benefits of embedding the teaching of writing into the curriculum have been advocated by educators and researchers. However, there is currently little evidence of embedded writing instruction in the UK’s higher education context. In this article, we present a case study in which we report the design, implementation and evaluation of an academic writing intervention with first-year undergraduate students in an applied linguistics programme. Our objectives were to try a combination of embedded instructional methods and provide an example that can be followed by lecturers across disciplines and institutions. Through the integration of in-class and online writing tasks and assessment feedback in a first-term module, we supported students’ writing development throughout the first term. We evaluated the effects of the intervention through the analysis of notes on classroom interaction, a student questionnaire and interviews, and a text analysis of students’ writing and the feedback comments over time. The evaluation findings provide insights into the feasibility and effectiveness of this approach. The embedded writing instruction was perceived as useful by both students and teachers. The assessment feedback, whilst being the most work-intensive method for the teachers, was valued most by the students and led to substantial improvements in the writing of some. These findings suggest that embedded writing instruction could be usefully applied in other higher education contexts.

Motivation, Authenticity and Challenge in German Textbooks for Key Stage 3

In England, the number of pupils studying modern foreign languages (MFL) beyond the compulsory period of three years at Key Stage 3 (KS3, age 11–14) has decreased dramatically since 2003. More than 50 per cent of pupils discontinue language study at the age of 14, which, it has frequently been argued, gives them a considerable disadvantage in terms of their intellectual development, their intercultural understanding, and their life and career opportunities (e.g. Nuffield Languages Inquiry, 2000: 6; Coleman, 2009). The current decline in MFL study also contributes to the social divide in educational provision in England, as the more prestigious and selective grammar schools and independent schools maintain relatively high levels of participation, while in less privileged schools far more pupils drop languages at the end of KS3. To provide equal opportunities to all pupils, it is crucial to identify ways in which pupils can be influenced to continue the study of MFL beyond the age of 14.