- Email: [email protected]
Selected bibliography of recent scholarship in second language writing
Journal of Second Language Writing 13 (2004) 243–250
Selected bibliography of recent scholarship in second language writing Tony Silva*, Elizabeth Patton Department of English, Purdue University, 500 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2038, USA
This bibliography cites and summarizes essays and reports of research on second and foreign language writing and writing instruction that have become available to its compilers during the period from April 1 to June 30, 2004. Abu-Rabia, S. (2003). The influence of working memory on reading and creative writing processes in a second language. Educational Psychology, 23(2), 209–219. By testing both the processing and storage of functions of working memory (WM), the results of this study indicate significant relationships between the working memory measures and reading and writing in English as a second language. Although the conclusions are speculative, the author determines that there is evidence of working memory in L2 that would most certainly be activated under the same conditions as in L1. Bacha, N. (2002). Developing learners’ academic writing skills in higher education: A study for educational reform. Language and education, 16(3), 161–177. Drawing upon current L2 teaching/learning methodologies, this paper explores one EFL freshman composition class and the practical results for students whose first language is Arabic. Results stress the importance of learning both basic writing skills in English and in acquiring necessary academic researching skills as well. Bearse, C. (2003). Identity formation and collaborative inquiry in the zone of proximal development: Eighth-grade ESL students doing research. A teacher research study. Dissertation Abstracts International, 64(2), 372. * Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 765 494 3769; fax: +1 765 494 3780. E-mail address: [email protected] (T. Silva). 1060-3743/$ – see front matter doi:10.1016/j.jslw.2004.09.003
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T. Silva, E. Patton / Journal of Second Language Writing 13 (2004) 243–250
This investigation is an ethnographic examination of collaborative inquiry in a grade eight ESL writing classroom. The findings of this study are reflected in the three generative themes of learning English, becoming writers and researchers, and the manner in which students help each other. Beebout, L. (2003). On-the-job training for novice ESL writing tutors: A practicum model. College ESL, 10(1/2), 60–73. This article details the results (both positive and negative) of a practicum course designed to train upper-level undergraduates as ESL writing tutors. Positive outcomes include more ESL students being assisted without increases in staffing, one-on-one assistance for ESL students, and practical teaching experience for tutors. The author cites communication problems and discipline issues as some of practicum’s problems. Bruce, S., & Rafoth, B. (Eds.). (2004). ESL writers: A guide for writing center tutors. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook Publishers. Following a forward by Ilona Leki, 15 scholars share their insights on how writing centers might better address and serve the needs of L2 students. The book is divided into the following segments: ‘‘Cultural contexts,’’ ‘‘The ESL tutoring session,’’ and ‘‘A broader view.’’ The chapters include: ‘‘Insights into cultural divides’’ (Hayward); ‘‘Theoretical perspectives on learning a second language’’ (Tseng); ‘‘Getting started’’ (Bruce); ‘‘Reading an ESL writer’s text’’ (Matsuda and Cox); ‘‘Avoiding appropriation’’ (Severino); ‘‘ ‘Earth aches by midnight’: Helping ESL writers clarify their intended meaning’’ (Minett); ‘‘Looking at the whole text’’ (Staben and Nordhaus); ‘‘Editing line by line’’ (Linville); ‘‘Tutoring ESL papers online’’ (Rafoth); ‘‘Raising questions about plagiarism’’ (Bouman); ‘‘Is this my job?’’ (Gillespie); ‘‘Creative writing workshops for ESL writers’’ (Dvorak); ‘‘The role of writing in higher education abroad’’ (Bra¨ uer); ‘‘Trying to explain English’’ (Rafoth); and ‘‘ESL students share their writing center experiences’’ (Bruce). Cahill, D. (2003). The myth of the ‘‘turn’’ in contrastive rhetoric. Written Communication, 20(2), 170–194. The notion of ‘‘turn,’’ as described in the four-part Chinese qi cheng zhuan he and Japanese ki sho ten ketsu, is challenged in this article. Using Chinese and Japanese language scholarship, the author concludes that the ‘‘turn’’ is not a rhetorical move of ‘‘circularity’’ or ‘‘digression,’’ but rather it serves as the occasion to develop an essay further by alternative means. Carrio Paster, M. (2003). Contrastive analysis of scientific-technical discourse: Common writing errors and variations in the use of English as a non-native language. Dissertation Abstracts International, 64(12), 4440. Using the tools offered by contrastive linguistics to detect and classify the errors and variations observed in two different written categories, this study attempts to detect and classify errors made by non-native writers when producing scientific articles in English.
T. Silva, E. Patton / Journal of Second Language Writing 13 (2004) 243–250
245
Chao, Y. (2003). Contrastive rhetoric, lexico-grammatical knowledge, writing expertise, and metacognitive knowledge: An integrated account of the development of English writing by Taiwanese students (China). Dissertation Abstracts International, 65(2), 493. Five hundred and seventeen Taiwanese EFL students at four education levels were recruited in an attempt to describe and explain the multi-faceted nature of EFL writing. Findings from this study indicate that lexical and grammatical knowledge is a critical factor in explaining English writing. Chen, L., & Tokuda, N. (2003). A new template-template-enhanced ICALL system for a second language composition class. Calico, 20(3), 561–578. By exploiting a simple rule-based approach to the template construction used when automatically correcting free format English composition sentences, the authors have developed a new template-template scheme for evaluation purposes. Their approach, which allows the integration of complex template patterns into a simpler single template and generates specific grammatical patterns, opens the door for a new natural-language processing (NLP)-based dialogue system. Cheng, S. (2003). Home literacy practices: The emergent literacy experiences of five Chinese children in America. Dissertations Abstracts International, 64(4), 1170. Five Chinese ESL students between 3 and 6 years of age were the subjects of a four-month study addressing children’s literacy experience. Data included written products, field observations, interviews with parents, informal conversations with parents and children, and telephone conversations. Findings indicate regular exposure at home to literary activities helps to nurture early readers and writers. Cobb, T. (2003). Analyzing late interlanguage with learner corpora: Quebec replications of three European studies. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 59(3), 393–423. By analyzing a learner corpus compiled via electronic submissions of classroom writing, the author examines the characterizations of learner interlanguage in the later acquisition stages. The study seeks to determine what advanced learners know and do not know about their L2. In conclusion, the paper argues that a research agenda which includes a contrastive learner corpus can shed light on the nature of advanced interlanguage. Coffin, C. (2004). Arguing about how the world is or how the world should be: The role of argument in IELTS test. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 3(3), 229–246. The range of argument structures found in a short argument essay required of all non-native speakers of English taking the International English Language Testing Systems (IELTS) is studied in this paper. Results indicate that candidates in the sample produced more exposition arguments than predicted. Fageeh, A. (2003). Saudi college students’ beliefs regarding their English writing difficulties. Dissertation Abstracts International, 64(11), 4035.
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T. Silva, E. Patton / Journal of Second Language Writing 13 (2004) 243–250
This study explored the beliefs about writing difficulties of 37 male Saudi students at King Khalid University. Although participants believed in the importance of writing, they considered it one of the most difficult skills. Additionally, although their chances to utilize computers as a tool for learning English varied from limited to none, the students polled exhibited an enthusiasm for using technology in their writing. Falkenstein, A. (2003). Critical literacy in an EFL (English as a foreign language) context. Dissertation Abstracts International, 64(11), 3933. Set in a university EFL composition course in Taiwan, this study finds that the use of multiple sign systems generated metaphorical and analytical thinking and greater self disclosure in participants’ writings and that written texts tend not to reflect upon what was read, rather they retell the original text. Results indicate that foreign language learners are capable of taking a critical literacy approach to language learning. Ferris, D. (2004). The ‘‘Grammar Correction’’ debate in L2 writing: Where are we, and where do we go from here? (and what do we do in the meantime . . .?). Journal of Second Language Writing, 13(1), 49–62. Despite several decades of research activity in the area of the efficacy of teacher error/ grammar correction in second language writing classes, the author contends that we are at ‘‘square one’’ based upon the existing research, which she describes as ‘‘incomplete and inconsistent.’’ Goldstein, L. (2004). Questions and answers about teacher written commentary and student revision: Teachers and students working together. Journal of Second Language Writing, 13(1), 63–80. This paper addresses the role of the context within which commentary and revision take place, the process of communication between teachers and students, and the shape of teacher commentary with recommendations for what factors teachers might consider in determining what to comment on and in what fashion. Haneda, M. (2004). The joint construction of meaning in writing conferences. Applied Linguistics, 25(2), 178–219. In a Japanese-as-a-foreign language class, one-on-one teacher/student interaction is characterized, by this author, as having a back and forth movement between dialogic and monologic instructional sequences. Patterns of discourse varied according to such factors as students’ self-selected goals, the choice of discourse topic, and the underlying goals of the teachers. Hinkel, E. (2004). Teaching academic ESL writing: Practical techniques in vocabulary and grammar. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. This book provides ESL/EAP instructors with a basis for framing the differences between writing in a second language and the teaching of second language writing. It also provides a collection of techniques for teaching both the grammatical and lexical features of academic language to L2 students.
T. Silva, E. Patton / Journal of Second Language Writing 13 (2004) 243–250
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Hyland, F. (2003). Focusing on form: Student engagement with teacher feedback. System, 31(2), 217–230. Findings of this study suggest that contrary to what teachers report, feedback for students focuses primarily on language accuracy. Additionally, according to the data, the extent to which students use this feedback varies from case to case, and in the majority of cases, is utilized primarily when making revisions to the students’ drafts. Hyland, K. (2003). Second language writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. The book explores the importance of teaching both writing strategies and different genres to L2 writing students. In the author’s view, writing in a second language involves both composing skills and knowledge about texts, contexts, and readers. Hyland, K. (2004). Graduates’ gratitude: The generic structure of dissertation acknowledgements. English for Specific Purposes, 23(3), 303–324. By examining the acknowledgements contained in 240 Ph.D. and M.A. dissertations, the author examines the way in which the student authors express gratitude and promote their own scholarship. Hyland, K., & Tse, P. (2004). Metadiscourse in academic writing: A reappraisal. Applied Linguistics, 25(2), 156–177. In the opinion of the authors, the study of metadiscourse has failed to achieve its explanatory potential due, in part, to lack of theoretical rigor and empirical confusion. Using a corpus of four million words, the authors make the case that metadiscourse offers another way of understanding writers and their rhetorical and social distinctiveness. Johns, A. (2004). Searching for answers: A response. Journal of Second Language Writing, 13(1), 81–85. Johns acknowledges the many important questions raised by the authors in this special issue of the Journal of Second Language Writing, which focuses on conceptualizing discourse and responding to text. Additionally, she cautions readers to remember that many essential questions remain unanswered. Kubota, R. (2003). Unfinished knowledge: The story of Barbara. College ESL, 10(1/2), 11– 21. This fictionalized account chronicles the transformation of a college writing teacher through her interactions with ESL students. ‘‘Barbara’’ evolves in her thinking from a teacher who categorizes students by their cultural backgrounds to one who is beginning to understand and appreciate the cultural complexities found in each individual. Kubota, R., & Lehner, A. (2004). Toward critical contrastive rhetoric. Journal of Second Language Writing, 13(1), 7–27. Unlike a traditional approach to contrastive rhetoric, critical contrastive rhetoric incorporates poststructuralist, postcolonial, and postmodern critiques of language. In practice,
248
T. Silva, E. Patton / Journal of Second Language Writing 13 (2004) 243–250
critical contrastive rhetoric affirms the multiplicity of languages, rhetorical forms, and students’ identities. Lee, H. (2004). A comparative study of ESL writers’ performance in a paper-based and a computer-delivered writing test. Assessing Writing, 9(1), 4–26. The results of this study (an investigation into the impact of the use of word-processors in ESL writing assessment) indicate that while there was no significant difference in the holistic ratings across test occasions, all the analytic components of the computergenerated essays were marked significantly higher than those of the paper-based essays. Lindgren, E. (2002). The effect of stimulated recall on 14-year-olds’ L1 Swedish and EFL writing and revision. Language teaching research, 6(3), 267–268. Using stimulated recall as a tool for reflection on text progression in L1 and EFL writing, this longitudinal study investigates native Swedish students’ revisions and the effect the revisions have on content and/or shifts in balance of the text toward the reader or the topic. McCarthey, S., Lo´ pez-Vela´ squez, A., Garcı´a, G., Lin, S., & Guo, Y. (2004). Understanding writing contexts for English language learners. Research in the Teaching of English, 38(4), 351–394. Spanish-speaking and Mandarin-speaking ELLs at the fourth and fifth grade levels were studied to determine if, despite their limited opportunities to explore their linguistic and cultural identities in the all-English or ESL settings, they successfully negotiated the complex curriculum. Results indicate that although the students’ views of writing at school were somewhat fragmented, they still found ways to explore their bilingual/bicultural identities. Myers, S. (2003). Reassessing the ‘‘proofreading trap’’: ESL tutoring and writing instruction. The Writing Center Journal, 24(1), 51–70. From the author’s viewpoint, it is both possible and desirable for writing center staff to be both teacher and writing instructor for foreign/second language learners. This paper recommends a much more relaxed attitude about what constitutes an ‘‘error’’ and better training in the pedagogical grammar of English as a second language for both tutors and students. Ortega, L. (2004). L2 writing research in EFL contexts: Some challenges and opportunities for EFL researchers. The Applied Linguistics Association of Korea, http://www.alak.or.kr. The author argues that ESL researchers need to produce findings and insights from a much wider range of EFL school, university, and workplace contexts, and suggests several areas in which applied linguists from non-English speaking countries can make unique and noteworthy contributions. Petric´ , B., & Cza´ rl, B. (2003). Validating a writing strategy questionnaire. System, 31(2), 187–215.
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This article describes both a qualitative and a quantitative method for evaluating the validation of a writing strategies questionnaire and the various stages of the validation process. The authors conclude that validation using triangulation of different sources provides both insights into the actual construct of the questionnaire and important information to confirm the validity of the instrument. Rose, J. (2004). ‘B Seeing U’ in unfamiliar places: ESL writers, email epistolaries, and critical computer literacy. Computers and Composition, 21(2), 237–249. Using a developmental writing class populated primarily by international ESL students, this study explores how students, by writing email epistolaries, negotiated their technological literacies and developed more nuanced understandings of how technological literacy emerges in dialogue with other literary practices. Starfield, S. (2002). ‘I’m a second-language English speaker’: Negotiating writer identity and authority in sociology one. Journal of Language, Identity, and Education, 1(2), 121– 140. Themes of ownership, self, and authority in student writing are explored in this comparison/contrast of essays of students enrolled in a sociology course. The author draws social factors into the equation, highlighting the differences in discourses when considering socioeconomic, educational, and racial factors. Steinman, L. (2003). Cultural collisions in L2 academic writing. TESL Canada Journal, 20(1), 80–91. The author describes the ways by which non-native speakers might learn to write ‘‘with Western notions of academic rhetoric.’’ Revisiting the notion of contrastive rhetoric, this article explores the cultural collisions encountered by students when they are faced with differing notions of voice, organization, reader/writer responsibility, topic, and identity, and how these students might incorporate ‘‘standard Western notions’’ of writing without compromising their own identity. Tuzi, F. (2004). The impact of e-feedback on the revisions of L2 writers in an academic writing course. Computers and Composition, 21(2), 217–235. Although results of this study indicate that L2 students preferred oral feedback on their writing, the researcher explores the way in which electronic peer review was viewed by 20 L2 writers. Overall, the results seem to indicate that e-feedback had a greater impact on revision than oral feedback. Weigle, S. (2004). Integrating reading and writing in a competency test for non-native speakers of English. Assessing Writing, 9(1), 27–55. This paper evaluates a test used to evaluate the reading and writing skills of non-native students in the university system of Georgia. Although data reported over the past two years indicates a high-percentage of pass rates, the author stresses the importance of striving to ensure that the test forms are equivalent.
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Xiang, W. (2004). Encouraging self-monitoring in writing by Chinese students. ELT Journal, 58(3), 238–246. The results of this study indicate that students using the technique of self-monitoring are able to effectively improve the organization of their compositions. Other aspects of students’ compositions show little improvement, and the technique does not seem to prove effective with lower-achieving students. Zhu, W. (2004). Faculty views on the importance of writing, the nature of academic writing, and teaching and responding to writing in the disciplines. Journal of Second Language Writing, 13(1), 29–48. Using data reported in 10 qualitative interviews with business and engineering faculty, the researcher investigated faculty views on academic writing and writing instruction. Both faculty groups emphasized the importance of writing and believed they had a role to play in helping students develop academic writing skills.
Selected bibliography of recent scholarship in second language writing Tony Silva*, Elizabeth Patton Department of English, Purdue University, 500 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2038, USA
This bibliography cites and summarizes essays and reports of research on second and foreign language writing and writing instruction that have become available to its compilers during the period from April 1 to June 30, 2004. Abu-Rabia, S. (2003). The influence of working memory on reading and creative writing processes in a second language. Educational Psychology, 23(2), 209–219. By testing both the processing and storage of functions of working memory (WM), the results of this study indicate significant relationships between the working memory measures and reading and writing in English as a second language. Although the conclusions are speculative, the author determines that there is evidence of working memory in L2 that would most certainly be activated under the same conditions as in L1. Bacha, N. (2002). Developing learners’ academic writing skills in higher education: A study for educational reform. Language and education, 16(3), 161–177. Drawing upon current L2 teaching/learning methodologies, this paper explores one EFL freshman composition class and the practical results for students whose first language is Arabic. Results stress the importance of learning both basic writing skills in English and in acquiring necessary academic researching skills as well. Bearse, C. (2003). Identity formation and collaborative inquiry in the zone of proximal development: Eighth-grade ESL students doing research. A teacher research study. Dissertation Abstracts International, 64(2), 372. * Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 765 494 3769; fax: +1 765 494 3780. E-mail address: [email protected] (T. Silva). 1060-3743/$ – see front matter doi:10.1016/j.jslw.2004.09.003
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T. Silva, E. Patton / Journal of Second Language Writing 13 (2004) 243–250
This investigation is an ethnographic examination of collaborative inquiry in a grade eight ESL writing classroom. The findings of this study are reflected in the three generative themes of learning English, becoming writers and researchers, and the manner in which students help each other. Beebout, L. (2003). On-the-job training for novice ESL writing tutors: A practicum model. College ESL, 10(1/2), 60–73. This article details the results (both positive and negative) of a practicum course designed to train upper-level undergraduates as ESL writing tutors. Positive outcomes include more ESL students being assisted without increases in staffing, one-on-one assistance for ESL students, and practical teaching experience for tutors. The author cites communication problems and discipline issues as some of practicum’s problems. Bruce, S., & Rafoth, B. (Eds.). (2004). ESL writers: A guide for writing center tutors. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook Publishers. Following a forward by Ilona Leki, 15 scholars share their insights on how writing centers might better address and serve the needs of L2 students. The book is divided into the following segments: ‘‘Cultural contexts,’’ ‘‘The ESL tutoring session,’’ and ‘‘A broader view.’’ The chapters include: ‘‘Insights into cultural divides’’ (Hayward); ‘‘Theoretical perspectives on learning a second language’’ (Tseng); ‘‘Getting started’’ (Bruce); ‘‘Reading an ESL writer’s text’’ (Matsuda and Cox); ‘‘Avoiding appropriation’’ (Severino); ‘‘ ‘Earth aches by midnight’: Helping ESL writers clarify their intended meaning’’ (Minett); ‘‘Looking at the whole text’’ (Staben and Nordhaus); ‘‘Editing line by line’’ (Linville); ‘‘Tutoring ESL papers online’’ (Rafoth); ‘‘Raising questions about plagiarism’’ (Bouman); ‘‘Is this my job?’’ (Gillespie); ‘‘Creative writing workshops for ESL writers’’ (Dvorak); ‘‘The role of writing in higher education abroad’’ (Bra¨ uer); ‘‘Trying to explain English’’ (Rafoth); and ‘‘ESL students share their writing center experiences’’ (Bruce). Cahill, D. (2003). The myth of the ‘‘turn’’ in contrastive rhetoric. Written Communication, 20(2), 170–194. The notion of ‘‘turn,’’ as described in the four-part Chinese qi cheng zhuan he and Japanese ki sho ten ketsu, is challenged in this article. Using Chinese and Japanese language scholarship, the author concludes that the ‘‘turn’’ is not a rhetorical move of ‘‘circularity’’ or ‘‘digression,’’ but rather it serves as the occasion to develop an essay further by alternative means. Carrio Paster, M. (2003). Contrastive analysis of scientific-technical discourse: Common writing errors and variations in the use of English as a non-native language. Dissertation Abstracts International, 64(12), 4440. Using the tools offered by contrastive linguistics to detect and classify the errors and variations observed in two different written categories, this study attempts to detect and classify errors made by non-native writers when producing scientific articles in English.
T. Silva, E. Patton / Journal of Second Language Writing 13 (2004) 243–250
245
Chao, Y. (2003). Contrastive rhetoric, lexico-grammatical knowledge, writing expertise, and metacognitive knowledge: An integrated account of the development of English writing by Taiwanese students (China). Dissertation Abstracts International, 65(2), 493. Five hundred and seventeen Taiwanese EFL students at four education levels were recruited in an attempt to describe and explain the multi-faceted nature of EFL writing. Findings from this study indicate that lexical and grammatical knowledge is a critical factor in explaining English writing. Chen, L., & Tokuda, N. (2003). A new template-template-enhanced ICALL system for a second language composition class. Calico, 20(3), 561–578. By exploiting a simple rule-based approach to the template construction used when automatically correcting free format English composition sentences, the authors have developed a new template-template scheme for evaluation purposes. Their approach, which allows the integration of complex template patterns into a simpler single template and generates specific grammatical patterns, opens the door for a new natural-language processing (NLP)-based dialogue system. Cheng, S. (2003). Home literacy practices: The emergent literacy experiences of five Chinese children in America. Dissertations Abstracts International, 64(4), 1170. Five Chinese ESL students between 3 and 6 years of age were the subjects of a four-month study addressing children’s literacy experience. Data included written products, field observations, interviews with parents, informal conversations with parents and children, and telephone conversations. Findings indicate regular exposure at home to literary activities helps to nurture early readers and writers. Cobb, T. (2003). Analyzing late interlanguage with learner corpora: Quebec replications of three European studies. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 59(3), 393–423. By analyzing a learner corpus compiled via electronic submissions of classroom writing, the author examines the characterizations of learner interlanguage in the later acquisition stages. The study seeks to determine what advanced learners know and do not know about their L2. In conclusion, the paper argues that a research agenda which includes a contrastive learner corpus can shed light on the nature of advanced interlanguage. Coffin, C. (2004). Arguing about how the world is or how the world should be: The role of argument in IELTS test. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 3(3), 229–246. The range of argument structures found in a short argument essay required of all non-native speakers of English taking the International English Language Testing Systems (IELTS) is studied in this paper. Results indicate that candidates in the sample produced more exposition arguments than predicted. Fageeh, A. (2003). Saudi college students’ beliefs regarding their English writing difficulties. Dissertation Abstracts International, 64(11), 4035.
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T. Silva, E. Patton / Journal of Second Language Writing 13 (2004) 243–250
This study explored the beliefs about writing difficulties of 37 male Saudi students at King Khalid University. Although participants believed in the importance of writing, they considered it one of the most difficult skills. Additionally, although their chances to utilize computers as a tool for learning English varied from limited to none, the students polled exhibited an enthusiasm for using technology in their writing. Falkenstein, A. (2003). Critical literacy in an EFL (English as a foreign language) context. Dissertation Abstracts International, 64(11), 3933. Set in a university EFL composition course in Taiwan, this study finds that the use of multiple sign systems generated metaphorical and analytical thinking and greater self disclosure in participants’ writings and that written texts tend not to reflect upon what was read, rather they retell the original text. Results indicate that foreign language learners are capable of taking a critical literacy approach to language learning. Ferris, D. (2004). The ‘‘Grammar Correction’’ debate in L2 writing: Where are we, and where do we go from here? (and what do we do in the meantime . . .?). Journal of Second Language Writing, 13(1), 49–62. Despite several decades of research activity in the area of the efficacy of teacher error/ grammar correction in second language writing classes, the author contends that we are at ‘‘square one’’ based upon the existing research, which she describes as ‘‘incomplete and inconsistent.’’ Goldstein, L. (2004). Questions and answers about teacher written commentary and student revision: Teachers and students working together. Journal of Second Language Writing, 13(1), 63–80. This paper addresses the role of the context within which commentary and revision take place, the process of communication between teachers and students, and the shape of teacher commentary with recommendations for what factors teachers might consider in determining what to comment on and in what fashion. Haneda, M. (2004). The joint construction of meaning in writing conferences. Applied Linguistics, 25(2), 178–219. In a Japanese-as-a-foreign language class, one-on-one teacher/student interaction is characterized, by this author, as having a back and forth movement between dialogic and monologic instructional sequences. Patterns of discourse varied according to such factors as students’ self-selected goals, the choice of discourse topic, and the underlying goals of the teachers. Hinkel, E. (2004). Teaching academic ESL writing: Practical techniques in vocabulary and grammar. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. This book provides ESL/EAP instructors with a basis for framing the differences between writing in a second language and the teaching of second language writing. It also provides a collection of techniques for teaching both the grammatical and lexical features of academic language to L2 students.
T. Silva, E. Patton / Journal of Second Language Writing 13 (2004) 243–250
247
Hyland, F. (2003). Focusing on form: Student engagement with teacher feedback. System, 31(2), 217–230. Findings of this study suggest that contrary to what teachers report, feedback for students focuses primarily on language accuracy. Additionally, according to the data, the extent to which students use this feedback varies from case to case, and in the majority of cases, is utilized primarily when making revisions to the students’ drafts. Hyland, K. (2003). Second language writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. The book explores the importance of teaching both writing strategies and different genres to L2 writing students. In the author’s view, writing in a second language involves both composing skills and knowledge about texts, contexts, and readers. Hyland, K. (2004). Graduates’ gratitude: The generic structure of dissertation acknowledgements. English for Specific Purposes, 23(3), 303–324. By examining the acknowledgements contained in 240 Ph.D. and M.A. dissertations, the author examines the way in which the student authors express gratitude and promote their own scholarship. Hyland, K., & Tse, P. (2004). Metadiscourse in academic writing: A reappraisal. Applied Linguistics, 25(2), 156–177. In the opinion of the authors, the study of metadiscourse has failed to achieve its explanatory potential due, in part, to lack of theoretical rigor and empirical confusion. Using a corpus of four million words, the authors make the case that metadiscourse offers another way of understanding writers and their rhetorical and social distinctiveness. Johns, A. (2004). Searching for answers: A response. Journal of Second Language Writing, 13(1), 81–85. Johns acknowledges the many important questions raised by the authors in this special issue of the Journal of Second Language Writing, which focuses on conceptualizing discourse and responding to text. Additionally, she cautions readers to remember that many essential questions remain unanswered. Kubota, R. (2003). Unfinished knowledge: The story of Barbara. College ESL, 10(1/2), 11– 21. This fictionalized account chronicles the transformation of a college writing teacher through her interactions with ESL students. ‘‘Barbara’’ evolves in her thinking from a teacher who categorizes students by their cultural backgrounds to one who is beginning to understand and appreciate the cultural complexities found in each individual. Kubota, R., & Lehner, A. (2004). Toward critical contrastive rhetoric. Journal of Second Language Writing, 13(1), 7–27. Unlike a traditional approach to contrastive rhetoric, critical contrastive rhetoric incorporates poststructuralist, postcolonial, and postmodern critiques of language. In practice,
248
T. Silva, E. Patton / Journal of Second Language Writing 13 (2004) 243–250
critical contrastive rhetoric affirms the multiplicity of languages, rhetorical forms, and students’ identities. Lee, H. (2004). A comparative study of ESL writers’ performance in a paper-based and a computer-delivered writing test. Assessing Writing, 9(1), 4–26. The results of this study (an investigation into the impact of the use of word-processors in ESL writing assessment) indicate that while there was no significant difference in the holistic ratings across test occasions, all the analytic components of the computergenerated essays were marked significantly higher than those of the paper-based essays. Lindgren, E. (2002). The effect of stimulated recall on 14-year-olds’ L1 Swedish and EFL writing and revision. Language teaching research, 6(3), 267–268. Using stimulated recall as a tool for reflection on text progression in L1 and EFL writing, this longitudinal study investigates native Swedish students’ revisions and the effect the revisions have on content and/or shifts in balance of the text toward the reader or the topic. McCarthey, S., Lo´ pez-Vela´ squez, A., Garcı´a, G., Lin, S., & Guo, Y. (2004). Understanding writing contexts for English language learners. Research in the Teaching of English, 38(4), 351–394. Spanish-speaking and Mandarin-speaking ELLs at the fourth and fifth grade levels were studied to determine if, despite their limited opportunities to explore their linguistic and cultural identities in the all-English or ESL settings, they successfully negotiated the complex curriculum. Results indicate that although the students’ views of writing at school were somewhat fragmented, they still found ways to explore their bilingual/bicultural identities. Myers, S. (2003). Reassessing the ‘‘proofreading trap’’: ESL tutoring and writing instruction. The Writing Center Journal, 24(1), 51–70. From the author’s viewpoint, it is both possible and desirable for writing center staff to be both teacher and writing instructor for foreign/second language learners. This paper recommends a much more relaxed attitude about what constitutes an ‘‘error’’ and better training in the pedagogical grammar of English as a second language for both tutors and students. Ortega, L. (2004). L2 writing research in EFL contexts: Some challenges and opportunities for EFL researchers. The Applied Linguistics Association of Korea, http://www.alak.or.kr. The author argues that ESL researchers need to produce findings and insights from a much wider range of EFL school, university, and workplace contexts, and suggests several areas in which applied linguists from non-English speaking countries can make unique and noteworthy contributions. Petric´ , B., & Cza´ rl, B. (2003). Validating a writing strategy questionnaire. System, 31(2), 187–215.
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This article describes both a qualitative and a quantitative method for evaluating the validation of a writing strategies questionnaire and the various stages of the validation process. The authors conclude that validation using triangulation of different sources provides both insights into the actual construct of the questionnaire and important information to confirm the validity of the instrument. Rose, J. (2004). ‘B Seeing U’ in unfamiliar places: ESL writers, email epistolaries, and critical computer literacy. Computers and Composition, 21(2), 237–249. Using a developmental writing class populated primarily by international ESL students, this study explores how students, by writing email epistolaries, negotiated their technological literacies and developed more nuanced understandings of how technological literacy emerges in dialogue with other literary practices. Starfield, S. (2002). ‘I’m a second-language English speaker’: Negotiating writer identity and authority in sociology one. Journal of Language, Identity, and Education, 1(2), 121– 140. Themes of ownership, self, and authority in student writing are explored in this comparison/contrast of essays of students enrolled in a sociology course. The author draws social factors into the equation, highlighting the differences in discourses when considering socioeconomic, educational, and racial factors. Steinman, L. (2003). Cultural collisions in L2 academic writing. TESL Canada Journal, 20(1), 80–91. The author describes the ways by which non-native speakers might learn to write ‘‘with Western notions of academic rhetoric.’’ Revisiting the notion of contrastive rhetoric, this article explores the cultural collisions encountered by students when they are faced with differing notions of voice, organization, reader/writer responsibility, topic, and identity, and how these students might incorporate ‘‘standard Western notions’’ of writing without compromising their own identity. Tuzi, F. (2004). The impact of e-feedback on the revisions of L2 writers in an academic writing course. Computers and Composition, 21(2), 217–235. Although results of this study indicate that L2 students preferred oral feedback on their writing, the researcher explores the way in which electronic peer review was viewed by 20 L2 writers. Overall, the results seem to indicate that e-feedback had a greater impact on revision than oral feedback. Weigle, S. (2004). Integrating reading and writing in a competency test for non-native speakers of English. Assessing Writing, 9(1), 27–55. This paper evaluates a test used to evaluate the reading and writing skills of non-native students in the university system of Georgia. Although data reported over the past two years indicates a high-percentage of pass rates, the author stresses the importance of striving to ensure that the test forms are equivalent.
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Xiang, W. (2004). Encouraging self-monitoring in writing by Chinese students. ELT Journal, 58(3), 238–246. The results of this study indicate that students using the technique of self-monitoring are able to effectively improve the organization of their compositions. Other aspects of students’ compositions show little improvement, and the technique does not seem to prove effective with lower-achieving students. Zhu, W. (2004). Faculty views on the importance of writing, the nature of academic writing, and teaching and responding to writing in the disciplines. Journal of Second Language Writing, 13(1), 29–48. Using data reported in 10 qualitative interviews with business and engineering faculty, the researcher investigated faculty views on academic writing and writing instruction. Both faculty groups emphasized the importance of writing and believed they had a role to play in helping students develop academic writing skills.