Becoming an effective teacher of L2 writing is a lifelong journey. Teachers about to begin this journey and those well-established on that path will find a useful guide in this second edition of Ken Hyland's popular Second Language Writing. Beginning from the premise that "an effective teacher is one who is able to make informed choices" about their practice, Hyland's updated text provides an even-handed and current overview of the theory and practice of L2 writing instruction (p. xiv).
Chapter 1, "Writing and Teaching Writing" provides a brief but clear overview of instructional approaches that focus on language structures, textual functions, creative expression, writing processes, content, and genre. Throughout the chapter, Hyland eschews the false dichotomies that can too easily characterize such theoretical overviews and instead orients the reader to these approaches as "complementary and overlapping perspectives" (3). While acknowledging the potential merits and value of each approach, Hyland is not coy about his own theoretical position -that good L2 writing instruction provides learners with knowledge of the expectations and genre forms of relevant discourse communities. While readers hoping for a more in-depth discussion of these alternatives will need to supplement the chapter with any of the recommended further readings and resources listed at end of the chapter, newcomers to the field and teachers seeking a quick and clear argument for genre-informed writing instruction will find this chapter valuable.
In Chapter 2, "Second Language Writers and Teaching Contexts," Hyland highlights the many dimensions along which any group of L2 writers may differ from both L1 writers and other L2 writers. The chapter covers important issues such as language intuitions, orientations to voice, and learner motivation and investment. The section on potential cultural differences is particularly detailed and rich. Hyland demonstrates how topics such as essay organization, conceptions of plagiarism, and attitudes toward peer review can all be influenced by underlying cultural schemata. Throughout this discussion, readers are reminded to "avoid stereotyping" writers from specific backgrounds and instead focus on unpacking their own cultural assumptions and helping students "become more aware of these variations" (p. 44). In the second half of the chapter, Hyland provides an overview of some of the contexts for L2 writing instruction, discussing characteristics of ESL versus EFL teaching contexts, the different focuses of writing-to-learn and learning-to-write, and the one-on-one context of writing centers. As with the discussion of student populations, the focus here is less on providing detailed descriptions of these diverse contexts than on introducing general dimensions along which contexts may differ.
Chapter 3, "Course Design and Lesson Planning" provides comprehensive and detailed discussion of the course design process. Both novice and experienced teachers will find the materials related to needs analysis particularly valuable. Acknowledging that an extensive needs analysis may not be possible in all teaching situations, the text emphasizes using methods that balance depth with practicality. In line with this goal, the chapter offers multiple points of entry to course planning including analyzing target genres, designing questionnaires for learners, and examining institutional factors. I found this chapter a personally useful and timely resource as I worked to redesign an upcoming writing course for online delivery. The remainder of the chapter offers similarly comprehensive yet practical guidance for formulating course goals and objectives, creating and sequencing units, and planning engaging and focused lessons.
Chapter 4, "Texts and Materials in the Writing Class" focuses on the design, adaptation, and use of various learning materials. Beginning by clarifying the multiple potential roles of materials -as models, language scaffolds, references, and stimuli for writing -the chapter then dives into more detail on the procedures for designing materials from scratch. This section is relatively basic, and readers interested in materials development specifically will be better served by other resources specifically focusing on this topic. In contrast, teachers who more often find themselves working with existing materials such as textbooks will find the sections on evaluating and adapting writing textbooks practical and insightful.
Chapter 5, "Tasks in the Writing Class" examines both "real-world" and "pedagogic" tasks (p. 112). Acknowledging that "writing tasks vary enormously," the chapter is mostly Chapter 6, "New Technologies in Writing Instruction" tackles a variety of topics related to technology and L2 writing including online learning management, digital collaboration, and corpus-based learning. Discussion focusing on characteristics of digital texts, such as the use of images, hyperlinks, and scannable text structures for screen-based reading offer a useful starting point for teachers by highlighting the similar characteristics of online texts while still acknowledging the different "formats, writing conventions, and constraints" of specific online genres (p. 143). Beyond this general discussion, the text goes into some detail about specific online tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and various corpora for teaching. When these discussions focus on broader pedagogical questions, they provide some useful insights. As with any writing about specific online technologies, however, the description of these platforms themselves is destined to become outdated quickly. For example, between writing and publication, Twitter, doubled the number of characters allowed in a tweet from what is indicated in the text.
Additionally, some readers may be disappointed to see that little attention is paid to the thorny issues of privacy and data security associated with use of such online tools.
After briefly overviewing the debates around the effectiveness of written corrective feedback, Chapter 7, "Responding to Student Writing," introduces a variety of options for delivering teacher feedback. Marginal comments, cover sheets, minimal marking, face-to-face conferences, and recorded audio commentary are all discussed. No single approach is championed as the best option. Instead, Hyland describes the benefits and drawbacks of each approach and teachers are invited to make their own judgments based on their contexts and purposes. A particularly useful section of the chapter examines the pragmatic and interpersonal considerations of teacher feedback. The competing concerns of offering clear direction to students and softening criticisms to encourage students are discussed in depth. Novice teachers in particular will likely value the specific advice and multiple examples of teacher feedback included in this section. The second half of the chapter addresses the pros and cons of peer feedback and writer self-assessment. While the challenges of peer feedback in an L2 writing class are acknowledged, the text generally supports the use of peer feedback and offers a variety of options and strategies for maximizing its value to students. The chapter ends with a discussion of increasing prevalence of automated writing evaluation programs. While acknowledging the objections to such programs, Hyland also notes their growing ubiquity and offers teachers who are obliged to use them with practical advice about how to integrate automated feedback into their teaching.
Chapter 8, "Assessing Student Writing" works to demystify the often anxiety-filled process of assessing student writing. Along with a clearly-stated explanation of the concepts of reliability and validity, the chapter provides guidelines for designing assessment tasks and creating or adapting various types of rubrics. Advice for managing workload and mitigating both teacher and student anxiety related to assessment is also a welcome addition. Working from the premise that writing teachers can and should engage in research as a form of professional development, Chapter 9, "Researching Writing and Writers" provides a guide to the research process from identifying research questions to sharing findings publicly. The examples of research questions and data excerpts focus on high interest pedagogical issues and are likely to inspire teachers to see the relevance of research for their professional lives.
Overall, both novice and experienced L2 writing teachers will find this text a worthwhile addition to their libraries. The presentation of alternative teaching options is concise and balanced and the chapters on new technologies and research are welcome additions. The discussion of course design will be particularly valuable to teachers at any level of experience.
As an experienced L2 writing teacher, I myself found this discussion clarifying as I worked to move my upcoming writing class online in response to the COVID-19 situation. Additionally, with embedded reflection questions, real-world examples, and activity suggestions in every chapter, this book also offers a flexible text option for those teaching L2 writing methods courses. Overall, Hyland's second edition of Second Language Writing is a welcome update of his 2003 text and a valuable resource for L2 writing teachers at any experience level.
Email address: dlworden@ua.edu