Multilingualism has established itself as an area of systematic research in linguistic studies over the last two decades. The multilingual phenomenon can be approached from different perspectives: educational, formal linguistic, neurolinguistic, psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic, among others. This article presents an overview of cognitive…

The role of (written) corrective feedback (CF) in the process of acquiring a second language (L2) has been an issue of considerable controversy among theorists and researchers alike. Although CF is a widely applied pedagogical tool and its use finds support in SLA theory, practical and theoretical objections to its usefulness have been raised…

Reviews research in second language acquisition that has examined the influence of syllable structure universals on the structuring of interlanguage phonology. (Author/VWL)

Suggests that second language research could provide answers to questions concerning the structure of first language grammars that cannot be answered by only examining first language data and intuitions. Examines homophony in phonology and morphology. (Author/VWL)

Reviews Tesar and Smolensky's, "Learnability in Optimality Theory" (2000). Discusses the main tenets of the book as well as the different topics included in each chapter. (Author/VWL)

Reviews empirical research carried out over the last 20 years in three distinct areas: (1) the characteristics of the texts learners produce; (2) the processes of students' composing; and (3) the sociocultural contexts where learning to write occurs. (Author/VWL)

Focuses on complementarity between cognitive and social aspects of writing. Shows that second language (L2) composing processes are constructed in particular social and historical circumstances. Analyzes three areas of L2 composing that are socially mediated: task environment; situated nature of the skilled/unskilled distinction; and the role…

Presents a critical reassessment of research on composing strategies from the perspective of the different conceptualizations that have guided empirical research in the area. Shows that while the insights gained allow the drawing of inferences for theory building, the field lacks a well-specified theoretical framework in which strategies are…

Analyzes the relation between the revision skills of 53 Japanese university English-as-a-Foreign-Language students and the factors of language proficiency and second language writing experience, while exploring the possible effects of prior explicit instruction on participants' revision performance. (Author/VWL)

This longitudinal study of 63 English-as-a-Foreign-Language school learners investigated whether the development of written production is related to the age (8-11 years) of starting contact with the second language. (Author/VWL)

A case study of an adult male Mandarin learner of English as a Second Language investigated the his writing processes, thinking processes, and quality of writing to ascertain whether using a computer for writing promotes higher-level revisions and improves the quality of compositions. Found computers helped the learner stay on task longer and…

Examines whether targeting instruction to students' weak points has an effect on their writing quality. Upper intermediate students in an English for academic purposes course were asked to write a composition before and after the instructional treatment. Comparison of results from the two tasks shows a significant increase in scores on both…

Describes how some background factors influenced the way in which one experienced rater dealt with a number of operations involved in setting up and applying scoring criteria in the assessment of 60 Test of English as a Foreign Language essays. Implications are drawn for both future research into interrater variability and for rater training.…

Analyzes challenges faced by English-as-a-Foreign-Language teachers teaching writing. Challenges include class size, time constraints, accommodating local needs, and lack of both teacher experience in teaching second language (L2) writing and student training in first language writing. A second group involves ideological challenges such as the…

This bibliography includes both an annotated and unannotated section on research conducted on second language composing processes in the last 25 years. It includes both published and unpublished material. (Author/VWL)