Second language writing

Second-language writing is the name usually given to the study of writing performed by non-native speakers/writers of a language, whether as a true second or foreign language.

In addition to disseminating research through the Journal of Second Language Writing, scholars in the field regular participate in three academic conferences, the Symposium on Second Language Writing, the TESOL convention, and the Conference on College Composition and Communication.

ymposium on Second Language Writing

The Symposium on Second Language Writing, which began in 1998 at Purdue University, is an international conference on second language writing. The Symposium was a biennial event through 2006, at which point it become an annual meeting of second language scholars. Although the Symposium has been hosted at Purdue University six times, the 2007 Symposium was held in Japan, and the 2009 Symposium will be held at Arizona State University (“Symposium on Second Language Writing,” n.d.).

econd Language Writing at TESOL, Inc.

In June 2005, the TESOL Board approved the addition of a new interest section on writing. The Second Language Writing IS provides a space to build bridges—between academic levels, across settings, and over oceans. When it debuted in Tampa in March 2006, the Second Language Writing IS’s academic session and discussion groups covered topics ranging from “Broadening Perspectives in Second Language Writing” and “Alternative Placement Methods for Second Language Writers” to “Issues in Technologies for L2 Composition Classrooms” and “Crossing Bridges with Second Language Writing Partnerships.”

As these topics suggest, the interest section provides a forum for researchers and educators across grade levels and institutional settings to discuss and exchange information in the area of second language writing. Specifically, the SLW-IS goals are:

* to increase awareness of the significance of writing in teaching ESL/EFL,
* to encourage and support the teaching of writing to ESOL students at all levels,
* to provide a forum to discuss issues of writing assessment and the placement of second language writers, and
* to disseminate and promote research on second language writing (“Second Language Writing Interest Section,” n.d.).

The Second Language Writing IS facilitates communication about writing across teaching levels and settings. Recent research on the scope of second language writing scholarship suggests that most of the field’s nationally (within the U.S.) and internationally circulated scholarship is produced by scholars in post-secondary education at research intensive institutions. Other contexts for writing (Pre-K through 12, two-year colleges, community programs, international K-12 schools, etc.) often have much larger populations of ELL/EFL writers, but scholars, particularly teacher-researchers, in these settings do not often receive support for researching and writing.

Given this discrepancy, the SLW-IS provides scholars with the opportunity to initiate more research and scholarship in these underrepresented contexts by supporting new collaborations and partnerships across levels and by providing a forum for discussing shared experiences. Indeed, TESOL’s Second Language Writing IS, along with TESOL, is distinctive in that the organization provides an opportunity to bring teachers, teacher-researchers, and second language writing specialists together, from across nations, across institutions, and across grade levels, to discuss the unique needs and concerns of ESL/EFL writers.

econd Language Writing at CCCC

Second language writing scholars also participate in a Special Interest Group on the field at CCCC (http://www.ncte.org/cccc). In addition, a CCCC Committee on Second Language Writing attempts to bridge work between CCCC and TESOL to involve more scholars in the field’s discussions.

Much recent attention focuses on the potential of Computer-mediated communication (CMC) to foster desire and opportunity to write.

ee also

* Second language acquisition
* Computer-Assisted EFL Writing Development
* Contrastive rhetoric

External links

* [http://www.jslw.org/ the Journal of Second Language Writing]
* [http://sslw.asu.edu/ Symposium on Second Language Writing]

References

*Symposium on Second Language Writing. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2008, from http://sslw.asu.edu
*Second Language Writing Interest Section. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2008, from http://secondlanguagewriting.com/slwis/