This course has TWO main aims:

(1) To familiarize students with different views of writing, learning to write, particularly in second language.

(2) To introduce students to main research approaches (including data collection and data analysis) to the study of writing.

(1) The first part of the course will cover theories and previous research on the nature and role of literacy (particularly writing) in different institutional, social and cultural contexts, particularly second writing research. Key topics include:

n          What are common assumptions of writing and learning to write?

n          Writing, literacy, power, discourse, identity

n          Cultural issues in writing research: contrastive rhetoric, multilingual literacy practices

n          Writing instruction: syllabus design, material design, tasks in the writing class.

n          New technologies in writing instruction: such as computer-assisted writing instruction and the issue of ‘multimodality'

n          Responding to and assessing student writing

(2) The content of the second part of the course will focus on related research methods (mainly qualitative research methods) and approaches to analyzing written data qualitatively. Research issues may include various research approaches to collect or analyze written data: think-aloud protocols, ethnographic approaches, discourse-based interviews, linking research on processes to analysis of written texts (mainly discourse analysis), research which grows out of learning, the status of research which draws heavily on learners' insights, multiple sources of data and others