Tony Silva

Toward an Understanding of the Distinct Nature of L2 Writing: The ESL Research and Its Implications

Dealing effectively with L2 writers requires a clear understanding of the nature of L2 writing. In an attempt to develop such an understanding, 72 reports of empirical research comparing L1 and L2 writing were examined. The findings of this research indicate a number of salient differences between L1 and L2 writing with regard to both composing processes (and subprocesses: planning, transcribing, and reviewing) and features of written texts (fluency, accuracy, quality, and structure, i.e., discoursal, morphosyntactic, and lexicosemantic). Implications of the findings for L2 and L1 writing theory; future comparative writing research; and the practical concerns of assessment, placement, staffing, and instruction are discussed.

On the Ethical Treatment of ESL Writers.

E As ever-increasing numbers of nonnative speakers of English enroll in Ist-year writing classes in colleges and universities in North America, questions about how to deal with these students have become more frequent, important, and urgent. In an attempt to address some of these questions, researchers who focus on L2 writing have generated a fairly large body of scholarship and commentary on a great number of relevant theoretical and practical issues. However, I believe that one area that needs further exploration is the matter of the ethics (that is, a system or code of conduct) employed in the treatment of ESL writers. Therefore, I would like to present my thinking on this issue, which is based on the notion of respect, for it is my belief that an instructional program that does not respect its students is primed for failure and almost certain to engender resentment. In this article, I draw on my understanding of the existing L2 writing research as well as my own experience in teaching ESL writers and administering ESL writing programs. My aim is not to preach or to attempt to reveal any transcendent truths but to provoke thought and discussion.1 In my view, there are four basic ways in which ESL writers need to be respected: they need to be (a) understood, (b) placed in suitable learning contexts, (c) provided with appropriate instruction, and (d) evaluated fairly.

4. RESEARCH IN TEACHING WRITING

On the basis of our examination of L2 writing scholarship published between 2000 and the present, we describe and reflect on developments relating to the teaching of L2 writing. While our primary focus is applied research, we have also addressed basic research that has clear implications for pedagogy. The paper includes an overview of relevant basic research (i.e., research on the phenomenon of second language writing), a discussion of relevant applied research (i.e., research on second language writing instructional principles and practices), an examination of some general issues and concerns that have important implications for second language writing instruction, and an assessment of the current status of the field along with our thoughts on where it might go in the future.

Broadening the Perspective of Mainstream Composition Studies: Some Thoughts from the Disciplinary Margins

In this article we (a) argue that mainstream composition studies is at present too narrow in its scope and limited in its perspective and (b) offer some thoughts, from our unique interdisciplinary position, that we feel could help mainstream composition professionals improve this situation. In our article, we first provide evidence that we feel suggests an unfortunate pattern of neglect in mainstream composition studies of writing in English as a second language (ESL) and writing in languages other than English. We then introduce a number of concepts from second language studies (primarily from second language acquisition and second language writing instruction) that we believe could help mainstream composition studies address its limitations; develop a more global and inclusive understanding of writing; and thus avoid being seen as a monolinguistic, monocultural, and ethnocentric enterprise.

Second language writing research : perspectives on the process of knowledge construction

Contents: Preface. Part I: Research as Situated Knowledge Construction. T. Silva, On the Philosophical Bases of Inquiry in Second Language Writing: Metaphysics, Inquiry Paradigms, and the Intellectual Zeitgeist. C.P. Casanave, Uses of Narrative in L2 Writing Research. P.K. Matsuda, Historical Inquiry in Second Language Writing. Part II: Conceptualizing L2 Writing Research. D. Atkinson, Situated Qualitative Research and Second Language Writing. J. Flowerdew, A Multimethod Approach to Research Into Processes of Scholarly Writing for Publication. M. Sasaki, Hypothesis Generation and Hypothesis Testing: Two Complementary Studies of EFL Writing Processes. R. Weissberg, Talking About Writing: Cross-Modality Research and Second Language Speaking/Writing Connections. R. Haswell, Researching Teacher Evaluation of Second-Language Writing Via Prototype Theory. X. Li, Composing Culture in a Fragmented World: The Issue of Representation in Cross-Cultural Research. Part III: Collecting and Analyzing Data. S. Parks, Qualitative Research as Heuristic: Investigating Documentation Practices in a Medical Setting. L.L. Blanton, Mucking Around in the Lives of Others: Reflections on Qualitative Research. C. Brice, Coding Data in Qualitative Research on L2 Writing: Issues and Implications. K. Hyland, Digging Up Texts and Transcripts: Confessions of a Discourse Analyst. R.M. Manchon, L. Murphy, J.R. de Larios, Using Concurrent Protocols to Explore L2 Writing Processes: Methodological Issues in the Collection and Analysis of Data. S. Hudelson, Taking on English Writing in a Bilingual Program: Revisiting, Reexamining, Reconceptualizing the Data. Part IV: Coda. D. Ferris, Tricks of the Trade: The Nuts and Bolts of L2 Writing Research.

Selected bibliography of recent scholarship in second language writing

Abstract This bibliography cites and summarizes theoretically grounded reports of research and discussions of central issues in second and foreign language writing and writing instruction that have become available to its compilers during the period of December 1 through March 31, 1993. The categories used represent an attempt to aid readers, not to pigeonhole studies.

Second Language Writing in Elementary Classrooms: An Overview of Issues

Mainstream, general education teachers are now seeing high numbers of English language learners (ELLs) among their students. All teachers, not just specialist English as Second Language (ESL) or bilingual professionals, need to be able to work with ELLs (Lucas & Grinberg, 2008). The need to prepare teachers to work with this population of students is pressing across the U.S.A. These rapid changes put pressure on teacher education programs to prepare teachers to work with ELLs (Athanases & de Oliveira, 2011).

Second Language Writing

This article focuses on the rapidly growing field of second language writing. It (1) sketches the context for the field and define its basic terms; (2) provides brief historical accounts of the development of the field and its parent disciplines, applied linguistics and composition studies; (3) discusses the fields current status with regard to its philosophical, theoretical, and political foundations and its inquiry practices; (4) gives an account of practical matters such as assessment and instructional contexts and topics; (5) examines the fields trajectory in terms of (inter)disciplinarity, professionalism, and inclusivity; and (6) provides a reference list of resources for further inquiry.