Chapter 18
Second Language Writing Development and Instruction
Second Language Writing Research
§ Teachers have encountered ELL students who can write accurate sentences, but they cannot put them together to generate written text.
When a student is learning to write in English they have a difficulty writing for different audiences because of their own cultures *Dialogue journals, peer journals, and personal journals are a great way to help students develop awareness of audience expectations.
§ *Having the ELL students read sources of literature and essays written by English writers will also help them understand audiences.
§ The children need to know the value of learning to write in English. Providing opportunities to use their writing skills on other areas of learning will help them understand various forms, uses, and reasons why it is important.
Why Is Writing Difficult for Second Language Writers?
§ ELL students are used to hearing expressions that are shorter than it should be written out. Ex. “Cool it.” Opposed to “To become calm”
§ They do not know that informal forms of speaking are not acceptable in a written form.
§ One word can have several meaning.
§ ELL students must learn several tenses before knowing how to write them. Ex. –ing “She is reading a book”, “They are throwing a party on Friday”, or “Te earth’s temperature is always rising.”
§ In some Latin and Arabic cultures copying is the best way to preserve an author’s work, but in America we call it plagiarism. They also work in collaborative groups to write in their country, when writing is down more independently.
Characteristics of the Beginning Writer
§ They must become acquainted with the English Alphabet.
§ They write using phonetic spelling.
§ ELL student’s writing mirrors how they speak orally.
§ They usually write short text.
Characteristics of Intermediate Writers
§ They have mastered simple sentences, mechanical and conventional spellings.
§ They still need to master organizational skills, such as, paragraphs and ordering their ideas.
§ Intermediate writers need constant, repeated exposure to complex vocabulary in order to become more familiar.
§ Even though they may write longer text than the beginner writer, they still make very obvious mechanical errors.
Strategies for Assisting All Second Language Writers
§ The writing process- Prewriting, Drafting, Revising, Editing, Publishing
§ Shared Writing
§ Pattern Writing
§ Journal Writing
§ Structured Controversies
§ Case Studies
§ Paragraph Organization
Writing Assessment
§ Self- Assessment
§ Rubrics