Module overview
The module examines the techniques of process, product, context, and instruction of writing in a second language. The first deals with composing and the writer in relation to the text; the second deals with the text produced, its structure and organisation; the third with the text and the writer in relation to social context; and the fourth with the teaching, assessment, and acquisition of writing in a second language.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- understand and evaluate research methods used in the study of writing;
- examine the strategies you use in text production;
- examine the place of writing in your own learning and teaching of languages.
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- key concepts and terms used in current research into writing in both first and second languages;
- the ways in which research into writing is carried out;
- your own strategies as a writer.
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- apply theoretical models of the writing process to your students’ writing in the classroom;
- understand the relationship between your students’ literacy in their first and second languages.
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- understand how research tools are used to investigate practical situations
- relate theory to practice in applied linguistics;
- understand your own approaches to writing in different contexts.
Syllabus
The main body of the module is in four parts which examine process, product, context, and instruction of writing in a second language. The first deals with composing and the writer in relation to the text; the second deals with the text produced, its structure and organisation; the third with the text and the writer in relation to their social context; and the fourth with the teaching, assessment, and acquisition of writing in a second language.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods include
- seminars;
- student-led sessions;
- workshops.
Learning activities include
- literature searches;
- analyses of current research;
- devising and carrying out small scale research projects.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Teaching | 24 |
| Independent Study | 126 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Journal Articles
Cumming, A. (1998). Theoretical Perspectives on Writing. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 18, pp. 61–78.
Nystrand, M., Green, S., & Wiemelt, J. (1993). Where did composition studies come from? An intellectual history. Written Communication, 10(3), pp. 267–333.
Archibald, A. & G. C. Jeffery (2000). Second Language Acquisition and Writing: A multidisciplinary approach. Learning and Instruction, 10(1), pp. 1–11.
Textbooks
Grabe, W. & Kaplan, R. B. (1996). Theory and practice of writing. London: Longman.
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Essay | 100% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Essay | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Essay | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External