Rethinking academic literacies. A conceptual development based on teaching practice

Academic Literacies, the most influential conceptual framework for writing practitioners at UK universities, is closely related to widening participation. At the same time, writing support is often justified with the argument that written communication is among the most important employability skills for graduates. While these concepts are often used simultaneously, their underlying premises are not necessarily congruent. This paper reflects on a writing intervention that highlighted the difficulties that can arise from a seeming ‘pick and mix’ use of these two frameworks, Academic Literacies and writing as an Employability Skill. Based on this analysis of the practice of teaching writing at a post-92 university, it establishes the need for an expanded, theoretical framework for writing support.     

Thinking with Deleuze and Guattari: An exploration of writing as assemblage

We need to keep experimenting with writing to meet the challenges of Deleuze and Guattari’s flattened ontology in the humanities. The paper reports on a small, experimental research project at a university in the north-west of England. The findings are written in an experimental mode, inspired by the Deleuze and Guattarian concept, ‘assemblage’. The experiment is theorised and assessed in a non-reductive way that offers future creative possibilities to other researchers. First, the paper presents a context for the subsequent experimental writing. Some current innovative writerly practice and some theoretical and methodological standpoints are reviewed. Next, this paper presents its theorisation of ‘assemblage’ with particular reference to Deleuze and Guattari’s use of the idea, ‘double articulation’. This approach supports and justifies the author’s schematisation of the textual assemblage into four areas: identity, work, territory and dissolving territory. The author explains how these ideas function within an experimental discursive text and illustrates their possible usage in the experimental text itself. Thus, this paper offers a theoretical justification, an explanation of and an assessment of experimental writing, in addition to the experimental text itself, all of which are of potential interest to researchers in the fields of education and philosophy.     

英语写作教学与研究的社会文化视角

迄今为止,英语写作教学与研究经历了两次范式转换,即从成品教学法向过程教学法、从过程教学法向体裁教学法的转换。体裁教学法的目的是提高写作的教学效能,其动因是写作的社会文化理论,主包括对比修辞理论、社会建构和实践社区理论、新文化研究等。本文将对这三种理论做一系统梳理,并在此基础上对写作教学提出建议。     

Embedding publication skills in science research training: a writing group programme based on applied linguistics frameworks and facilitated by a scientist

Few systematic efforts have been reported to develop higher degree by research student skills for writing publishable articles in science and technology fields. There is a need to address this lack in the light of the current importance of publication to science research students and the high supervisor workload entailed in repeated draft correction, especially when students use English as an additional language. An interdisciplinary teaching approach to address this need has recently been developed featuring analysis frameworks from applied linguistics (AL) research, with successful outcomes in short, stand-alone workshops facilitated by an applied linguist teaching alone or in teams with scientists. Its use by a scientist alone has not previously been investigated, although scientists are well placed to address this development need. We investigate the suitability and effectiveness of this approach for use by a scientist to embed training, in the context of the first two years of operation of a school-level writing group programme, and identify features of the approach that align with participants’ perceptions of benefit. Student response to the programme has been strongly positive, with increased confidence to write for publication and complete their degrees, and high activity towards publishing papers on their degree research. The presenter reports maintenance of his own publication output in spite of the time spent on this training, as a result of increased writing efficiency. Features of the approach that map to perceived benefit include its basis in AL frameworks for analysis of student-provided example papers; incorporation of relevant aspects of English usage and grammar in the frameworks; and inclusion of response to reviewer comments as an integral part of article writing.     

A Randomized Experiment of a Cognitive Strategies Approach to Text-Based Analytical Writing for Mainstreamed Latino English Language Learners in Grades 6 to 12

Abstract

This study reports Year 1 findings from a multisite cluster randomized controlled trial of a cognitive strategies approach to teaching text-based analytical writing for mainstreamed Latino English language learners (ELLs) in 9 middle schools and 6 high schools. There were 103 English teachers stratified by school and grade and then randomly assigned to the Pathway Project professional development intervention or control group. The Pathway Project trains teachers to use a pretest on-demand writing assessment to improve text-based analytical writing instruction for mainstreamed Latino ELLs who are able to participate in regular English classes. The intervention draws on well-documented instructional frameworks for teaching mainstreamed ELLs. Such frameworks emphasize the merits of a cognitive strategies approach that supports these learners’ English language development. Pathway teachers participated in 46 hrs of training and learned how to apply cognitive strategies by using an on-demand writing assessment to help students understand, interpret, and write analytical essays about literature. Multilevel models revealed significant effects on an on-demand writing assessment (d = .35) and the California Standards Test in English language arts (d = .07).     

Writing in Math: A Disciplinary Literacy Approach

Mathematics teachers often resist generic literacy strategies because they do not seem relevant to math learning. Discipline-specific literacy practices that emerge directly from the math content and processes under study are more likely to be embraced by math teachers. Furthermore, national and state-level mathematics standards as well as Common Core standards provide frameworks for situating literacy practices squarely within the disciplines. A disciplinary literacy approach to writing in math requires teachers to develop innovative strategies and practices that link writing to particular mathematical processes and tasks. An example is shared of a math writing approach developed by a middle school teacher used to prompt her students' critical thinking and problem solving processes during the study of algebra. She designed a template that when completed can serve as a reflective tool for her students and provide the teacher useful feedback on their learning. The example of teaching with the template as a guide for working through steps to solve a story problem demonstrates what disciplinary writing can look like in a typical middle school classroom.     

Examining the Value of a Scaffolded Critique Framework to Promote Argumentative and Explanatory Writings Within an Argument-Based Inquiry Approach

This study investigated the value of using a scaffolded critique framework to promote two different types of writing—argumentative writing and explanatory writing—with different purposes within an argument-based inquiry approach known as the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) approach. A quasi-experimental design with sixth and seventh grade students taught by two teachers was used. A total of 170 students participated in the study, with 87 in the control group (four classes) and 83 in the treatment group (four classes). All students used the SWH templates as an argumentative writing to guide their written work and completed these templates during the SWH investigations of each unit. After completing the SWH investigations, both groups of students were asked to complete the summary writing task as an explanatory writing at the end of each unit. All students’ writing samples were scored using analytical frameworks developed for the study. The results indicated that the treatment group performed significantly better on the explanatory writing task than the control group. In addition, the results of the partial correlation suggested that there is a very strong significantly positive relationship between the argumentative writing and the explanatory writing.     

Writing for professional recognition in higher education: understanding genre and expertise

ABSTRACT

This study draws on the theoretical frameworks of genre theory and writing expertise to explore how educators manage and excel in writing for professional recognition. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four educators from different disciplines in which participants discussed their experiences of preparing and writing for Senior Fellow. Despite the fact that writing for professional recognition can be a contentious genre to manage with its reflective features favouring those from certain disciplinary backgrounds, the participants described positive and affirming experiences. The findings also suggest that educators are strategic in their approach, and that the writing process can have unexpected affordances including a developed knowledge of writing, professional confidence and a sense of empowerment. The findings have implications for developing systems and resources to support educators preparing for fellowship.     

滁州学院基于网络的英语写作教学改革与实践

本研究运用实验对比的方式通过课程创新理论指导下的课程设计和一学期的教学改革实践,探索了滁州学院基于网络的英语写作教学改革之路。实验对比发现,基于网络的英语写作学习者对该课程设计持积极、肯定的态度,他们的写作水平也有了一定的提高。研究表明:社会文化理论和过程写作法相结合的理论框架有利于滁州学院网络信息技术与英语写作教学的整合。     

‘Becoming and being writers’: the experiences of doctoral students in writing groups

The use of writing groups to support students undertaking post-graduate research within universities has begun to receive attention from academic supervisors and doctoral researchers. Very little has been written by doctoral students themselves on the benefits of working within such writing groups. In this article, the experiences of working within a doctoral writing group at an Australian University are presented, primarily from the perspective of students. The authors identify two main benefits they have experienced through participating in a writing group using a ‘multi-voiced’ approach. First, they discuss the kind of learning that they achieved through working in a writing group. They do this with reference to key principles of peer learning and of peer review. Second, they focus on the ways the group worked as a community of discursive social practice. An overarching message for them in participating in the group and now writing this article is the shift in their thinking and experience of writing from seeing writing as an essentially private and implicit process to writing becoming a matter of public and shared work. These two notions are bound by the concept of identity building, drawing from the literature on communities of practice.     

略论大学英语班级分组写作教学方法

这篇文章通过理论分析和实践运用相结合的方法、深入探讨了在大学英语写作教学方面运用班级写作和分组写作的方法来提高大学生写作兴趣，从而提高他们的写作能力的一些有效活动。     

“过程—结果”法在交际式英语写作教学中的运用简

在英语写作教学中采用过程教学法有其局限性,英语水平较低的学习者在英语写作中并没有明显受益于这种反复的自我修改.提出一种创新性的教学方法,通过在自省和合作的环境中使用语法—翻译法将“过程法”和“结果法”合二为一.研究显示这种方法可以使学生更客观地看待自己的写作,认识到语言准确性在成功交际中的重要性,也可培养学生的读者意识.     

浅谈中学作文教学的仿写和创新

写作作为一种技能始于模仿,由模仿到创新,是写作技能由初级到高级的发展规律。而针对当前作文教学中学生缺乏创新性、立意陈旧、材料老套,教师批改讲评不够精确等问题,笔者从实际入手,通过观察与实践,系统地分析介绍作文教学中的仿写及创新能力的培养方法,为学生提供更好的作文发展空间,挖掘学生自身的作文才华。     

The study of teachers' written feedback to students' writing: changes in theoretical considerations and the expansion of research contexts

This paper identifies four successive phases in the study of written feedback to students' compositions. The studies included in these phases are distinguished by views of writing instruction reflected in their theoretical frameworks: the view of writing instruction as a series of teacher provided stimuli and students' responses to these stimuli; the view that the writing class is a rhetorical community, where teacher and students interact as readers and writers over texts; the view of learning to write as a phenomenon both natural and problematic, where school may interfere with students' natural development; the view that learning to write, like all other learning, depends on successful student-teacher interactions within student's zone of proximal development. While reviewing recent studies of written feedback, the paper shows how these changing views of writing instruction are accompanied by changing theoretical perspectives for the study of the provision and processing of written feedback as well as by a gradual expansion of research contexts for looking at this problem. Finally, in view of such a line of development, it suggests an agenda for future research.     

Argumentation,critical thinking,nature of science and socioscientific issues: a dialogue between two researchers

The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast between two theoretical frameworks for addressing nature of science (NOS) and socioscientific issues (SSI) in school science. These frameworks are critical thinking (CT) and argumentation (AR). For the past years, the first and second authors of this paper have pursued research in this area using CT and AR as theoretical frameworks, respectively. Yacoubian argues that future citizens need to develop a critical mindset as they are guided to (1) practice making judgments on what views of NOS to acquire and (2) practice making decisions on SSI through applying their NOS understandings. Khishfe asserts that AR is an important component of decision making when dealing with SSI and the practice in AR in relation to controversial issues is needed for informed decision making. She argues that AR as a framework may assist in the development of more informed understandings of NOS. In this paper, the authors delve into a dialogue for (1) elucidating strengths and potential of each framework, (2) highlighting challenges that they face in their research using the frameworks in question, (3) exploring the extent to which the frameworks can overlap, and (4) proposing directions for future research.     

以专业学习与实践为依托培养学生的创新能力——普通高校英语专业教学新路径的理论与实践探索

在对英语专业学生创新能力内涵进行分析以及对英语专业教学现状进行调查的基础上,提出了普通高校英语专业的教学新路径。该教学新路径以建构主义和人本主义理论为依据,以专业学习与实践为依托,培养学生的创新能力。经过实践,该教学新路径已初步形成了由“一个目标”、“二种能力”、“三大改革”、“四项工程”、“五种模式”、“六个结合”、“七项措施”构成的体系,学生的专业综合创新能力得到了较好的培养与提高。     

English for Specific Purposes and Academic Literacies: eclecticism in academic writing pedagogy

Academic Literacies and English for Specific Purposes perspectives on the teaching of academic writing tend to be positioned as dichotomous and ideologically incompatible. Nonetheless, recent studies have called for the integration of these two perspectives in the design of writing programmes in order to meet the needs of students in the increasingly diverse and shifting landscape of academia. The aim of the present paper is to reflect on how this theoretical integration could be put into practice. Drawing on the design of a research-based writing workshop for postgraduate anthropology students, we argue that rather than a ‘hybrid’ model of writing pedagogy, a theoretically grounded but eclectic approach is needed in order to respond to students’ personal, local, and disciplinary contexts.     

从论文选题看独立学院英专本科毕业论文改革

毕业论文写作是高校本科教学的一个重要环节,是对学生的实践技能、专业知识以及研究与创新能力进行检验考核的重要手段。本文通过分析湖北大学知行学院英专本科毕业论文选题数据结合该院毕业论文工作的创新实践得出结论,应用技术型院校的英专本科毕业论文应摆脱传统模式束缚,鼓励学生以多种形式在实践中完成毕业设计。     

How do question writers compose external examination questions? Question writing as a socio‐cognitive process

The focus of this research is on the practice of education examination question writing. Educational examinations are tests that are taken by candidates in schools or colleges but that are externally developed, administered and marked by an assessment organisation. Whilst the practice of writing external examination questions is ubiquitous, previous research in this area is limited and has tended to adopt a cognitivist approach. This current project sought to extend this area of enquiry by looking at educational examination question writing as a socio‐cognitive process. The project involved a group of seven examination question writers (known as ‘setters’) from a range of subject areas. To capture evidence of question writing practices, each setter was observed remotely using video technology whilst they carried out a question writing task. The video material was then used to facilitate a stimulated recall session where individual setters could explain the processes that motivated their observed behaviours. Analyses suggested that the setters shared a common model of the writing process, which comprised three basic but interconnected phases: thinking about writing; writing and reflective thinking; and reviewing. In addition, question writing practice was influenced by the social system of examining through the way in which the setters considered a variety of perspectives during the writing task. This insight gives an indication of how setter practice develops; implicating a sociocultural perspective which suggests that the broader social context of examination question writing is an inevitable influence on setter practice.