Explores the sources of difficulties in college ESL composition. Contends that failure to strategically allocate limited attentional resources due to deficient knowledge of both language and academic discourse results in the breakdown of written communication. Emphasizes the importance of strategy training and awareness promotion in preparatory work. The presenter discusses various cultural influences that may affect how ESL students approach the writing process and what kinds of writing those students produce. This presentation draws on work in the philosophy of science to identify and define basic philosophical notions, to discuss how these notions manifest themselves in particular paradigms of inquiry, and to consider the current state of the research in L2 writing in light of these notions and paradigms.
Students are confused about preparing for the essay.
The presenters have attempted to integrate skills related to timed essays into classes without sacrificing pedagogical beliefs about teaching writing. The development of clause structures and the use of lexical variety in student written work are discussed, as is the influence of the spoken register. The presenter discusses the results of a study investigating the planning strategies of advanced ESL writers. Variables include the influence of the writing medium, topic preference, and individual background characteristics. The presenter provides an outline of the data collection technique, analysis of the findings, and implications for composition instruction.