Search

It is widely recognized that writing conferences benefit second or foreign language writers for the immediacy and the potential to address their needs and provide tailored and individualized support. However, limited attention has been given to the foci and interaction between teacher and student in writing conferences longitudinally. To address this need, this study examined writing conferences between five university English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) students and their instructor in an argumentative writing course over one semester in a key Chinese university. Multiple sources of data were collected, including conferences, students' essay drafts and written reflections, and interviews with the students and the instructor. Data analyses show that the conferences covered a large variety of topics such as varied aspects about argumentative writing, learning habits, and expectations about the course, which were related to English proficiency and English writing ability of each student. Second, the instructor took different approaches to communicate with each student in writing conferences considering their difficulties and needs. Finally, the conferences contribute to a deliberative process critical to the process of learning to write argumentation. The students found conversations with the instructor helpful in their subsequent revisions whereas the instructor gained a better understanding of students' difficulties in writing. This study suggests that more research is needed to examine the role of conferences in EFL writing instruction. This study supports that conferences, as an important aid, will facilitate EFL students in the process of learning to write in English in addition to teacher written feedback and peer review.

It is widely recognized that writing conferences benefit second or foreign language writers for the immediacy and the potential to address their needs and provide tailored and individualized support. However, limited attention has been given to the foci and interaction between teacher and student in writing conferences longitudinally. To address this need, this study examined writing conferences between five university English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) students and their instructor in an argumentative writing course over one semester in a key Chinese university. Multiple sources of data were collected, including conferences, students' essay drafts and written reflections, and interviews with the students and the instructor. Data analyses show that the conferences covered a large variety of topics such as varied aspects about argumentative writing, learning habits, and expectations about the course, which were related to English proficiency and English writing ability of each student. Second, the instructor took different approaches to communicate with each student in writing conferences considering their difficulties and needs. Finally, the conferences contribute to a deliberative process critical to the process of learning to write argumentation. The students found conversations with the instructor helpful in their subsequent revisions whereas the instructor gained a better understanding of students' difficulties in writing. This study suggests that more research is needed to examine the role of conferences in EFL writing instruction. This study supports that conferences, as an important aid, will facilitate EFL students in the process of learning to write in English in addition to teacher written feedback and peer review.

Guided by activity theory, this study examines the major contradictions in an English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher professional learning community (PLC) established in China through a university--district--school partnership. Multiple sources of data were collected, including interviews, observations, and documents. Data analyses revealed four levels of contradictions: the primary contradiction between the university researcher and school teachers, the secondary contradiction between imparting theory and teacher learning, the tertiary contradiction between existing practice and new design, and the quaternary contradiction between practical engagement and academic research. The community members took a series of strategic actions, including questioning and observation, analysis and proposal, examination and implementation, and reflection and resolution. The study may offer insights about nurturing language teacher PLCs and overcoming contradictions in similar joint activities.

The present study examined the effects of languaging by asking four pairs of Chinese university English as a foreign language (EFL) students to rewrite a story from a different perspective through three stages (composing--comparing- revising). Multiple sources of data were collected, including pair discussions, co-constructed writings, individual revised texts, and interviews. Data analysis found that languaging, as an important meditational tool, helped the participants to co-construct meaning and solve problems (e.g. comprehending the original text, structuring their ideas, finding proper expressions) in the process of writing. Languaging was also observed to have immediate, delayed, and ongoing effects on joint writing and individual revision. This study suggests that an opportunity to engage in languaging with the support of source readings and models can facilitate the generation of students' ideas and expressions necessary for writing and allow them to reflect on their language knowledge in the process of writing and revising, resulting in the improvement of their L2 writing performance.

This study examined the effectiveness of reformulation and model text in a three-stage writing task (composing-comparison-revising) in an EFL writing class in a Beijing university. The study documented 10 university students' writing performance from the composing (Stage 1) and comparing (Stage 2, where students compare their own text to a reformulated version of it and a model text) to the improvement of the written product in the posttest (Stage 3). The findings suggest that the students made more effort in finding the proper language to express their ideas at Stage 1 and were able to notice most differences between their original text and the reformulated one at Stage 2. The students also showed their appreciation of having access to a native model text for a broad range of language input. Unlike most previous studies that examined the role of reformulations, pair discussions, or model texts independently, the present study integrated pair discussions, reformulations and a model text at the comparison stage, which allowed the participants to notice their improper language uses, be exposed to richer language input, and appropriate the noticed native-like language use, resulting in better performance in their revised writings at the posttest. (Contains 9 tables.)

This study investigated the negotiations and challenges experienced by five Chinese ESL (English as a second language) students of Commerce through their engagement in an academic presentation in a regular content course at a Canadian university. Multiple sources of data were collected, including interviews, class observations, group discussions, emails, field notes, assignment drafts, and course materials. Data analysis showed that, in their preparatory activities outside the classroom, students employed peer--peer dialogues (group discussions and email exchanges) to clarify the task requirements, generate ideas, seek peer comments, and coach rehearsals. However, the academic presentation--especially open discussion part--was a great challenge to them, related to their underdeveloped English conversation ability, their unfamiliarity with participatory communication modes in the Canadian classroom, and their limited experience with group work. To compensate for their limited sense of conversational abilities, they chose to present a thorough case analysis rather than engage the class in discussion through their presentation as expected by the instructor. The students eventually understood the norms of academic presentation in this content course through their observation of the instructor's reaction to their presentation in class and subsequent presentations of their classmates, and they realized that they should approach assignments according to the requirements. Implications drawn from these findings are discussed. (Contains 2 tables.)

Explored the summary writing processes of six-first-year Master of Business Administration students in a North American university. Participants (three Chinese and three native English speaking) completed a course-related summary task while thinking aloud. Analyses of think-aloud protocols, retrospective interviews, and written drafts reveal similarities and differences in the writing processes of the participants. (Author/VWL)

This study explores the practice of collective lesson planning involving one expatriate and five local instructors as they taught English argumentative writing at a university in Mainland China. By conceptualizing ‘a teacher group’ as a community of practice (CoP), the study illustrates how the observed collective lesson-planning conferences carried on a local tradition to guide students in taking a morally acceptable stand in their writing and how the more and less experienced teachers worked together toward a shared understanding of how to teach. The participating teachers, with unequal statuses and experiences, not only worked collaboratively to sustain a community coherence of pedagogical practice but also negotiated to develop a diversity of individual practices in the collective lesson-planning conferences. The study suggests that collective lesson planning is more than a ‘joint enterprise’ with ‘mutual engagement’ to achieve a ‘shared repertoire’ but a contact zone of power relationships among members labeled as old-timers or newcomers, expatriate or local teachers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]