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Part of
Writing and Language Learning: Advancing research agendas
Edited by Rosa M. Manchón
[Language Learning & Language Teaching 56] 2020
► pp. 73–94

Chapter 4
Toward an agenda for researching L2 writing and language learning

The educational context of development

| Georgetown University

Taking an educational linguistics perspective, the chapter highlights four areas that have the potential of illuminating possible effects of L2 writing for L2 learning. They address pressing issues by (a) theorizing writing as textual meaning-making; (b) emphasizing the pivotal role of the educational context, in its conceptualization and its practice; (c) affirming the long-term nature of developing literate forms of language use under a longitudinal optic; and d) privileging an extended, well-conceptualized curricular framework. The chapter suggests that these dimensions can yield important insights regarding the long-term development of both L2 composing and L2 abilities, especially when they are informed by a textually oriented theory of language, such as Systemic Functional Linguistics, and contemporary thinking in Complex Dynamic Systems Theory.

Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Theorizing writing as textual meaning-making
    • Linking processing and meaning-oriented approaches to compositional writing
    • In search of the uniqueness of writing as embodied thinking with language: Emig and Vygotsky
    • Toward a textual meaning-oriented inquiry for L2 composing
    • Toward researching the L2 writer as textual meaning-maker
  • Foregrounding the pivotal role of the educational context
    • Exploring educational dimensions of writing development
  • Affirming the long-term nature of developing written literacy
  • Privileging an extended curricular framework for researching the writing-language learning interface
  • Concluding reflections
  • References
Published online: 20 November 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/lllt.56.04byr
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