Teaching ESL/EFL Writing beyond Language Skills

N

14

Second Language Instruction; Writing Processes; Language Skills; Writing Instruction; Cognitive Development; Teaching Methods; English (Second Language); Writing Assignments; Writing Skills; Second Language Learning; Learning Activities

Writing activities have long been used in a foreign language class for reinforcing students' linguistic knowledge or other language skills. However teaching writing as writing in its own right has only been advocated in recent decades with the increasing awareness of second and foreign language students' needs to write for academic purposes in the target language countries. A writing-based pedagogy in second/foreign language has been evolved over the past two decades. The paper reviews the evolution of thoughts of what constitutes writing competence in a foreign language and several major approaches to teaching writing in a ESL/EFL language class--from teaching writing as a supportive language skill, to teaching writing as a writing, from emphasizing patterns and product to the emphasis of the writer and their writing process, and to the more resent recognition of writing as a social activity. The author argues that teaching writing as writing is not only essential to the development of students' writing competence but is also valuable in promoting their language acquisition, cognitive development and learning in general.

As Provided

10

2008

ED502622