It has been debated whether teachers should treat students' grammatical errors in second language writing instruction (Truscott, 1996, 1999, 2010; Ferris, 1999, 2004, 2010). Several meta-analyses have investigated correction effects (e.g. Russell & Spada, 2006; Truscott, 2007). Their findings, however, have been conflicting. A recent trend to…

This article describes the implementation of technology-mediated tasks in an English for academic purposes (EAP) curriculum at a Japanese university. The course addressed the needs of English majors at the school by enabling more efficient completion of academic work, including essay writing. One way that technology supported this goal was through…

While literature-based instruction has been highly praised for its pedagogical benefits, it confronts entrenched learning hindrances, both linguistic and cultural in EFL settings. Whether the literature instruction in practice is motivating or demotivating is an issue worthy of concern. In response to the issue, this paper examines a literature…

Writing in English is often a problem for EFL learners in part because students may translate literally from their L1, and also because they may organise their writing by focusing on the grammatical structure at the level of clause or sentence. However, many studies argue that language is meaningful at a unit larger than a clause or sentence…

This action research study evaluates a classroom approach incorporating a reflective, metacognitive component within a second language process-oriented writing environment. Inspired by the literature and developed by the first author, this approach seeks to provide English language learners (ELLs) with a command of metalinguistic principles…

This article evaluates the efficacy of explicit genre-based instruction by sensitizing the ESL learners to the concept of genre. The main questions addressed are: How does sensitizing ESL learners to the rhetorical move structure of a genre, the communicative purposes of these moves, and linguistic features that realize these moves help them to…

This article describes teacher research in an EAP context, teaching English for theology at the United Theological College, Bangalore, India, an international, liberal, and ecumenical institution. Conceptually grounded in the theory and practice of genre teaching, and discourse analysis of large pieces of texts such as the thesis, inspired by…

Explores error in writing in relation to particular aspects of second language acquisition and theories of the writing process in the first and second language (L2). Argues that a focus on the writing process as a pedagogical tool is only appropriate for L2 learners if attention is given to linguistic development, and if learners are able to get…

Focuses on how teaching experience at a newly implemented second language writing center contributed towards personal theory development of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) writing for three teachers. Combined the literature on teacher knowledge with ESL writing to study teachers' changing beliefs about ESL writers, readers, texts, and contexts.…

Reports on how language and gender issues have been integrated into the discussion of letter writing, speech making and writing, and the long essay in an advanced English composition course at Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The teaching was done with the main goal of enhancing students' writing skills, while also making them…

Describes plagiarism as it is commonly understood in the United States and is defined for young researchers by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. Applies these ideas to three cases of plagiarism by Chinese scientists reported in the journal "Science." Discusses implications for English-as-a-Second-Language instruction. (Author/JL)

Discusses how students learning to write in a second language need to be aware of text genres. Claims that transforming texts from one genre to another, using information and ideas in the source text to create new texts for different audiences and purposes, helps students to become aware of and take into account genre-related features such as…

Based on English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students' documented preference for error correction and the need for word usage and sentence grammar to become automatic, this article describes the rationale and procedures for using reformulation as composition feedback. The procedures are aimed at improving sentence level grammar. Discusses survey…

This study was originally constructed to examine effect of content-area reading on English-as-a-Second-Language writing proficiency but was restructured and extended because composition topics proved to be confounding factors. Although results of the study raise several issues, most significant are the influence of topic on the acquisition of ESL…

Reports on a survey conducted on TESL-L aimed at discovering whether English-as-a-Second-Language teachers have similar concepts of the process approach to writing or whether the concept has now evolved in different ways in different places. Survey results show teachers actually have strongly differing ideas as to what process writing is.…