Selected bibliography of recent scholarship in second language writing

Journal of Second Language Writing 16 (2007) 118–124

Selected bibliography of recent scholarship in second language writing Tony Silva *, Tony Cimasko Purdue University, United States

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 1 January to 31 March 2007. Bell, D. C., & Youmans, M. (2006). Politeness and praise: Rhetorical issues in ESL (L2) writing center conferences. The Writing Center Journal, 26(2), 31–47. Writing center consultations are a hybrid discourse, combining the institutional nature of the center and the hierarchy that they entail with attempts to make meetings nonthreatening, casual, and collaborative. This hybridity causes confusion and discomfort for both parties, especially for L2 speakers coming from backgrounds with differing values and norms. Burnside, D. (2006). Latino Generation 1.5 student success in a community college literaturebased writing course, a meta-analysis. Dissertation Abstracts International, 67(11), 4071. Meta-analysis of previous studies is combined with observations to explore the problems encountered by Generation 1.5 students in a literature-based writing course. The author discusses issues of applicability and helpfulness of insights from traditional ESL populations to such learners, and ultimately concludes that inclusive literature can be particularly useful. Carter, Y. G. (2006). Rhetorical structures of Spanish dominant third-grade student writers emerging into English literacy. Dissertation Abstracts International, 67(9), 3333. Literacy instruction provided to L2 students in the US is often based on knowledge of how native English speakers learn literacy. This study of Spanish- and English-dominant * Corresponding author. 1060-3743/$ – see front matter doi:10.1016/j.jslw.2007.06.001

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students suggests that having Spanish as a first language is not a barrier, but is instead used as a springboard into English literacy. Cheng, A. (2007). Simulation-based L2 writing instruction: Enhancement through genre analysis. Simulation & Gaming, 38(1), 67–82. The author argues that merging genre analysis with simulation-based L2 writing instruction can enhance the benefits already present in simulation-based pedagogy. Increased reading experiences with content materials, awareness of discipline-specific genre features, discourse competence, and writing accuracy are among the most significant gains to be made. Chung, L.-Y. (2006). Learning to write American academic English: Case studies of Asian college exchange students’ transitional experiences in the United States. Dissertation Abstracts International, 67(9), 3278. An 8-month ethnographic study of six Asian college exchange students focused on the difficulties they encountered and on how factors in the American academic discourse community contributed to and interacted with these difficulties. The findings show that students’ affective responses to difficulties exert powerful influences on acquiring academic writing norms. Cogie, J. (2006). ESL student participation in writing center sessions. The Writing Center Journal, 26(2), 48–66. While writing center tutors have often been the focus of research on enhancing their work, much less emphasis has been placed on the role ESL students themselves play. The author reviews writing center research and relevant SLA theories before analyzing tutor–student interactions for elements that either enhance or hinder communication. Connolly, S. K. (2006). Peer-to-peer dialogue journal writing by Japanese junior high school EFL students. Dissertation Abstracts International, 67(9), 3351. A ‘‘secret’’ dialogue journal project was carried out between students at two Japanese junior high schools in order to investigate the pedagogical efficacy of peer-to-peer dialogue journals. Without instructor intervention, there was no statistically significant improvement in English skill in the journals themselves, although quiz scores improved following the project. East, M. (2007). The impact of bilingual dictionaries on lexical sophistication and lexical accuracy in tests of L2 writing proficiency: A quantitative analysis. Assessing Writing, 11(3), 179–197. Attempting to address the inauthentic nature of many timed writing assessments, a study of L2 German writers measured performance in two tests, one with and the other without a bilingual dictionary. Use of the dictionaries resulted in higher lexical sophistication but with frequent misuse and no overall improvement of scores. Elqobai Hamdaoui, R. (2006). Writing in cognate vs. non-cognate languages: A comparative study of two groups of American students writing in Arabic and French as L2. Dissertation Abstracts International, 67(9), 3268. Addressing the lack of research in L2 studies on the writing of English native speakers using other languages, the study examines writing samples from American students in

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cognate and non-cognate languages, French and Arabic. Arabic texts were much shorter than French texts and demonstrated more word-for-word translation and L1 interference. Ene, S. E. (2006). The last stages of second language acquisition: Linguistic evidence from academic writing by advanced non-native English speakers. Dissertation Abstracts International, 67(10), 3798A. A corpus of texts by non-native English speakers was analyzed to refine SLA theories and pedagogy, particularly definitions of ‘‘advanced learner.’’ Surveys and interviews supplemented the corpus data. The results fell into four clearly distinguished developmental ‘‘advanced’’ sub-stages, suggesting that language teaching should continue until native-like fluency is reached. Enos, M. L. (2006). Referential explicitness and coherence in written personal narratives by English-speaking and Spanish-dominant elementary-age children. Dissertation Abstracts International, 67(12), 4418. The author reports on two studies: the first of elementary school teachers’ think-aloud protocols; the second a textual analysis of English narratives. ESL/bilingual teachers were less stringent in their evaluations than mainstream colleagues, while native writers showed more elaborations, linguistic variety, and word order variations than their Spanish dominant counterparts. Friedrich, P. (2006). Assessing the needs of linguistically diverse first-year students: Bringing together and telling apart international ESL, resident ESL and monolingual basic writers. Writing Program Administration, 30(1/2), 15–36. Beginning with an argument for using ‘‘international ESL’’ and ‘‘resident ESL’’ instead of the term ‘‘generation 1.5,’’ the author explains the need to articulate differences between these two groups and how they differ from monolingual basic writers. Understanding the multiple contexts affecting learners is a prerequisite to effective programmatic changes. Fukushima, T. (2007). Simulation in JFL: Business writing. Simulation & Gaming, 38(1), 48–66. Japanese as a Foreign Language students enrolled in a writing course took part in a simulation in which they were required to write letters in response to realistic business situations. The simulation activities provided realistic rhetorical structures and time constraints, and emphasized performance in socioculturally appropriate ways for business correspondence. Furneaux, C., Paran, A., & Fairfax, B. (2007). Teacher stance as reflected in feedback on student writing: An empirical study of secondary school teachers in five countries. International Review of Applied Linguistics, 45(1), 69–94. A study of feedback from 110 EFL teachers demonstrates that most teachers are more likely to respond as language teachers rather than as readers of communication. Their feedback on errors primarily took the form of corrections, but periodically also indicated errors that the writer was expected to resolve independently. Ghandoura, W. A. (2006). College ESL students’ attitudes and beliefs about computer-assisted writing classes. Dissertation Abstracts International, 67(4), 1319. This study examined the attitudes towards and beliefs about a WebCT-based composition class among basic writing ESL students. Participating students reported that computers

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facilitated their acquisition of writing skills, despite none of them having previously taken a course that had used WebCT. Grades were a primary factor in determining attitudes. Hu, G. (2007). Developing an EAP writing course for Chinese ESL students. RELC Journal, 38(1), 67–86. An EAP course designed to prepare Chinese learners for undergraduate studies is described in terms of its curricular objectives, pedagogy, course materials, assessment, and gains in writing proficiency. The author argues that sharing curriculum development efforts such as this will help to improve EAP in multiple higher education settings. Jordan, C. T., III. (2006). ESL, ‘‘comp,’’ and composition: Terms, assumptions, implications, and new practices for native and nonnative English-speaking students. Dissertation Abstracts International, 67(8), 2969. Despite the separate evolution of ESL and mainstream composition, both view students’ competencies as the acquisition of static privileged or standardized forms. Such a view runs counter to the increasingly international status of English. The author discusses linguistic and rhetorical talents that have been overlooked due to such static perspectives. Kim, J. (2006). Implementing critical pedagogy in an English as a second language (ESL) writing classroom. Dissertation Abstracts International, 67(9), 3269. An ESL writing course instructor adopted ‘‘student empowerment’’ as a teaching goal, encouraging students to think critically about and take stances on relevant issues in a collaborative learning environment. Students’ indifference and lack of connection with American culture and the instructor’s status as a non-native speaker made the goal unattainable. Kim, S. K. (2006). Effects of computer-supported contrasting cases on ESL students’ adaptive writing abilities. Dissertation Abstracts International, 67(10), 3787. The author reports on linked studies intended to explore instructional approaches – contrasting two forms of model-based writing with a traditional repeated practice approach – in the development of adaptive expertise in writing. Both model-based approaches provided better outcomes, with students using contrasting models outperforming those who used a single ‘‘good’’ model. Knutson, E. M. (2006). Thinking in English, writing in French. French Review, 80(1), 88–109. A think-aloud protocol study of six students of French explored the role that thinking in one’s first language plays in second language writing. The students’ L1 was used for local and global planning and text generation and was the language of intended meaning. The author concludes with comments on pedagogy. Li, Y. (2007). Apprentice scholarly writing in a community of practice: An interview of an NNES graduate student writing a research article. TESOL Quarterly, 41(1), 55–79. The author examines a nonnative-English-speaking student and the process of writing the first draft of an English language chemistry article. Throughout the process, the student engaged critically with his own immediate context and with multiple communities. The article concludes with calls for training EAP professionals in non-Anglophone contexts.

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Mancho´n, R. M., & Roca de Larios, J. (2007). Writing-to-learn in instructed language learning contexts. In E. A. Soler & M. P. Safont Jorda` (Eds.), Intercultural language use and language learning (pp. 101–121). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer. Writing is a regular part of L2 pedagogy, which has increased research into what learningto-write entails, but it has not, however, expanded research into the role of writing in learning itself. The authors present the psycholinguistic rationale for writing-to-learn and synthesize prior literature on the subject, focusing on essay writing. Matsuda, P. K., Fruit, M., & Lamm, T. L. B. (2006). Letter from guest editors: Second language writers and writing program administrators. Writing Program Administration, 30(1/2), 11–14. In their introduction to this special issue, the authors discuss increasing diversity in U.S. higher education and the lack of response to it. Among their recommendations for more ‘‘ethical’’ writing programs, the authors call for greater instructor preparation, contact with L2 writing specialists, and integration of L2 issues into writing programs. Ulloa-Caceres, G. E. (2006). Computers in second language (L2) composition classrooms. Dissertation Abstracts International, 67(10), 3807. Addressing a need for greater information on L2 students’ perception of computers in writing instruction, the study examined the views of undergraduate students through preand post-diagnostic essays, surveys, and interviews. Student attitudes during the semester shifted from indifference to positive views about the benefits of computer-based instruction. Olson, C. B., & Land, R. (2007). A cognitive strategies approach to reading and writing instruction for English language learners in secondary school. Research in the Teaching of English, 41(3), 269–303. Secondary teachers in a large urban school district implemented a cognitive strategies approach to reading and writing instruction for ELLs. Writing assessments, GPAs, and testing outcomes all showed significant gains. The authors point to the comprehensiveness, the density, and the duration of the approach to emphasize its potential with ELLs. Phillips, T., Stewart, C., & Stewart, R. D. (2006). Geography lessons, bridge-building, and second language writers. Writing Program Administration, 30(1/2), 83–100. The present contexts of many academic institutions do not easily allow mainstream composition programs to build bridges to L2 composition. Such realities have forced writing professionals to become resourceful in networking across campus to compensate. The writers discuss how their own WPA experiences can help create such networks elsewhere. Preto-Bay, A. M., & Hansen, K. (2006). Preparing for the tipping point: Designing writing programs to meet the needs of the changing population. Writing Program Administration, 30(1/ 2), 37–56. Student populations in American college composition courses are on the verge of – or have already crossed – a demographic tipping point. The author discusses the nature of the shift and the ways in which writing programs will need to adapt in response. The article concludes with ramifications for first-year composition curriculum.

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Rao, Z. (2007). Training in brainstorming and developing writing skills. ELT Journal, 61(2), 100–106. Recognizing the value of brainstorming, the author reports on a study of the effects of brainstorm strategy training on writing quality and on the attitudes of university-level EFL students. Explicit instruction in brainstorming strategies measurably improved writing ability beyond that of students who had received no such prior training. Rosen, C. V. A. (2006). ‘‘Why doesn’t this sound German?’’: Information-structural problems in German L2 texts by Swedish students. Dissertation Abstracts International, 67(4), 1015C. L2 German writing at various levels is compared with Swedish and German native control corpora in order to investigate the ways that information structure in L2 deviates from L1 German. The results indicate problems with language-specific information structures that also breach more general, and possibly universal, discourse organization principles. Ryshina-Pankova, M. V. (2006). Constructing coherent and cohesive textual worlds in advanced foreign language learner writing. Dissertation Abstracts International, 67(9), 3383. Adopting a systemic-functional and genre theory framework, the study analyzes foreign language academic writing from a German undergraduate curriculum for internal cohesiveness and contextual coherence. The rich description provided by the study indicates the necessity of rooting future research in writing contexts in order to better understand long-term acquisition. Saldivar, E. V. (2006). Product, process, and participation: The second language writing fluency development of 20 first grade English language learners. Dissertation Abstracts International, 67(10), 3702. The author reports on a study of L2 writing fluency development through journal writing among first grade Spanish-speaking ELLs, focusing specifically on participation in the project, changes in writing over time, and any connections between the two. The findings suggest improving fluency but through different trajectories. Shuck, G. (2006). Combating monolingualism: A novice administrator’s challenge. Writing Program Administration, 30(1/2), 59–82. The continuing influx of multilingual students brings into clearer focus what Horner and Trimbur have called the tacit monolingualism of composition studies. The author reflects on her time as an English language support coordinator, the ideologies informing her position, the ways she has challenged monolingualism, and lessons from those experiences. Song, M. (2006). A correlational study of the holistic measure with the index measure of accuracy and complexity in international English-as-a-second-language (ESL) student writings. Dissertation Abstracts International, 67(12), 4522. Index and holistic measures of L2 writing were compared in this study, specifically whether they were complementary in terms of gauging accuracy and syntactic complexity. Various T-unit-based scores and ACTFL writing proficiency guidelines were used for index and holistic measures, respectively. Little correlation was found between the two measures. Weinstein, A. L. (2006). Technology and second language writing: A study in discussion. Dissertation Abstracts International, 67(3), 924.

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Although increasing interest in English will lead to greater enrollment at US universities in Asia, it is believed that students will be impeded by a cultural reticence to critical thinking and by grammar-based English instruction. The author discusses a constructivist- and computer technology-based curriculum designed to counter both difficulties. Zacharias, N. T. (2007). Teacher and student attitudes toward teacher feedback. RELC Journal, 38(1), 38–52. Triangulating participants and methods through questionnaires and interviews of both students and teachers, this study explored students’ attitudes toward feedback. The results showed a strong preference for specific teacher feedback and that feedback on form was more helpful than on content. Strong links between feedback and motivation were also found. Zemach, D. (2007). The process of learning process writing. Essential Teacher, 4(1), 12–13. Process writing instruction has become a standard feature of current ESL writing textbooks. The author discusses her students’ work with and responses to process writing, as noted in their journals. Comments by students cover brainstorming, organizing, peer editing, and reflections on their own past work. Zhang, Y. (2006). Task representation and second language writers’ prior writing experience: A case study. Dissertation Abstracts International, 67(9), 3391. In order to address the significant yet under-examined issue of task representation in L2 writing, the author studied six advanced ESL writers’ interpretation processes as influenced by prior writing experiences. Questionnaire, think-aloud protocol, interview, and textual data suggest that literacy history plays a key role in L2 writing development.