This study examines how adult second language learners in the context of a writing pedagogical intervention give and receive feedback and how they talk about argumentative texts. The study highlights students' work with peer response and the questions that can arise when students need to relate to instructions, model texts, and feedback that can provide inconsistent information about the text's desired design. The design of this study has taken inspiration from genre theory and formative assessment, emphasizing the role of an explicit writing pedagogy. The results show the importance of teacher guided practice and teaching metafunctional linguistic resources in order to improve students´ writing. Furthermore the results indicate the role of function in writing instruction. Second language writers, as well as any student concerned with writing, need to understand how different linguistic choices affect the content and the readers´ perception of the text.

No description available.

No description available.

Each year more international students enroll in American universities, and administrators nationwide must determine how to meet students' unique writing needs. Compared to similar institutions of higher learning, Brigham Young University (BYU) has a large percentage of international students—4.3 percent of the student body, approximately 2,000 students each year from 112 countries. Prior to Fall 2004, international students were placed in courses offered through the English composition program, which focuses on "mainstream" college writers who compose in their first language (L1) and not on second language writers and their unique needs. As a result, many international students did poorly and often failed their general education freshman writing requirement. The Department of Linguistics and English Language at BYU offers some English as a Second Language (ESL) courses in an effort to prepare students for freshman writing, but since these courses are electives and do not count towards the university general education requirement, many students opt not to take them. International students need a viable alternative to the "mainstream" freshman writing course. They need a course in academic literacy, combining the rhetorical and composition elements of a freshman writing course as well as the multicultural and applied linguistic elements of writing. The needs of writers need to be discussed and met through a balanced, interdisciplinary approach. Under the direction of the Department of Linguistics and English Language, I developed a course based upon an interdisciplinary approach to second language writing and academic literacy. I researched the needs of second language writing students, evaluated current ESL programs nationwide, created, implemented, and evaluated a curriculum for an international freshman writing course. It is a course in academic literacy, called Elang 105, which was specifically designed to meet the needs of international students and is now one of the general education (GE) first year writing options at BYU.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.