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Theory has been used widely in the field of second language writing. Second language writing specialists—teachers, researchers, and administrators—have yet to have an open and sustained conversation about what theory is, how it works, and, more important, how to practice theory. Practicing Theory in Second Language Writing features fourteen essays by distinguished scholars in second language writing who explore various aspects of theoretical work that goes on in the field.

Sujets

English

Language

Lettres et linguistique

Foreign Language study

Informations

Publié par	Parlor Press, LLC
Date de parution	15 janvier 2010
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781602355903
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,1000€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

Second Language Writing
Series Editor, Paul Kei Matsuda
Second language writing emerged in the late twentieth century as an interdisciplinary field of inquiry, and an increasing number of researchers from various related fields—including applied linguistics, communication, composition studies, and education—have come to identify themselves as second language writing specialists. The Second Language Writing series aims to facilitate the advancement of knowledge in the field of second language writing by publishing scholarly and research-based monographs and edited collections that provide significant new insights into central topics and issues in the field.
Books in the Series
The Politics of Second Language Writing: In Search of the Promised Land , edited by Paul Kei Matsuda, Christina Ortmeier-Hooper, and Xiaoye You (2006)
Building Genre Knowledge , Christine M. Tardy (2009)
Practicing Theory in Second Language Writing , edited by Tony Silva and Paul Kei Matsuda (2010)

Practicing Theory in Second Language Writing
Edited by
Tony Silva and Paul Kei Matsuda

Parlor Press
West Lafayette, Indiana
www.parlorpress.com

For Gus Entler
Parlor Press LLC, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906
© 2010 by Parlor Press
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
S A N: 2 5 4 - 8 8 7 9
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Practicing theory in second language writing / edited by Tony Silva and Paul Kei Matsuda. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-60235-138-7 (pbk. : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-1-60235-139-4 (hardcover : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-1-60235-140-0 (adobe ebook : alk. paper)
1. Language and languages--Study and teaching--Research. 2. Rhetoric--Study and teaching--Research. 3. Second language acquisition--Research. I. Silva, Tony. II. Matsuda, Paul Kei.
P53.27.P73 2009
418.0071--dc22
2009043991
Cover design by Paul Kei Matsuda and David Blakesley
Printed on acid-free paper.
Parlor Press, LLC is an independent publisher of scholarly and trade titles in print and multimedia formats. This book is available in paper, hardcover, and Adobe eBook formats from Parlor Press on the World Wide Web at http://www.parlorpress.com or through online and brick-and mortar bookstores. For submission information or to find out about Parlor Press publications, write to Parlor Press, 8 1 6 Robinson St., West Lafayette, Indiana, 47906, or e-mail editor@parlorpress.com.

Contents
Introduction
Tony Silva and Paul Kei Matsuda
Part I. The Nature and Role of Theory in Second Language Writing
1 Between Theory with a Big T and Practice with a Small p: Why Theory Matters
Dwight Atkinson
2 Theories, Frameworks, and Heuristics: Some Reflections on Inquiry and Second Language Writing
Alister Cumming
3 Multicompetence, Social Context, and L2 Writing Research Praxis
Lourdes Ortega and Joan Carson
4 Finding “Theory” in the Particular: An “Autobiography” of What I Learned and How about Teacher Feedback
Lynn M. Goldstein
Part II. Reflections on Theoretical Practices
5 Practicing Theory in Qualitative Research on Second Language Writing
Linda Harklau and Gwendolyn Williams
6 Cleaning up the Mess: Perspectives from a Novice Theory Builder
Christine Tardy
7 A Reconsideration of Contents of “Pedagogical Implications” and “Further Research Needed” Moves in the Reporting of Second Language Writing Research and Their Roles in Theory Building
Doug Flahive
8 Beyond Texts: A Research Agenda for Quantitative Research on Second Language Writers and Readers
Dudley W. Reynolds
9 Ideology and Theory in Second Language Writing: A Dialogical Treatment
A. Suresh Canagarajah
10 Critical Approaches to Theory in Second Language Writing: A Case of Critical Contrastive Rhetoric
Ryuko Kubota
11 Theory and Practice in Second Language Writing: How and Where Do They Meet?
Wei Zhu
12 Theory-and-Practice and Other Questionable Dualisms in L2 Writing
John Hedgcock
13 Assess Thyself Lest Others Assess Thee
Deborah Crusan
14 “Do I Need a Theoretical Framework?” Doctoral Students’ Perspectives on the Role of Theory in Dissertation Research and Writing
Diane Belcher and Alan Hirvela
Contributors
About the Editors
Index to the Print Edition

Introduction
Tony Silva and Paul Kei Matsuda
The Issues
Theory is a term that has been used widely in the field of second language writing. Yet, partly due to the interdisciplinary nature of the field, the term often means different things to different people. Second language writing specialists—teachers, researchers and administrators—have yet to have an open and sustained conversation about what theory is, how it works, and, more important, how to practice theory.
This collection will feature fifteen chapters by distinguished scholars in second language writing who will explore various aspects of theoretical work that goes on in the field. The authors of the first four chapters address the nature and role of theory in second language writing. The authors of the next nine chapters reflect on their own theoretical practices. The authors of the final chapter take up the issue of theory in writing dissertations on second language writing.
Some of the key questions explored in this collection include the following:
• The Nature of Theory. What is the nature of theory in second language writing? What role does theory play in second language writing research, instruction, and administration? Is it possible (or even desirable) to develop a comprehensive theory or theories of second language writing?
• Applied Theories. How do various theories from other areas of inquiry inform second language writing research, instruction, and assessment? What are some of the advantages of using theories from other fields? What are some of the limitations? How can the value of new theoretical perspectives be assessed?
• Theorizing and Theory Building. How do second language writing teachers, researchers, and administrators develop theories of second language writing? What might a theory of second language writing look like? What is the relationship between the conceptual work of theorizing and data-driven theory building?
• Practicing Theory . How might second language writing teachers, researchers, and administrators deal with theory? What are some of the practical issues that arise in working with various types of theory? How do second language writing specialists learn to work with theory? How does theory inform instruction and administration as well as materials development?
The chapters
Part I. The Nature and Role of Theory in Second Language Writing
In “Between Theory with a Big ‘T’ and Practice with a Small ‘p’: Why Theory Matters,” Dwight Atkinson attempts to clarify relationships between theory and practice in L2 writing. Suggesting that a simple theory-practice distinction is not a productive way to think about L2 writing, he asserts that it is the speculative and thoughtful nature of theory combined with practice that gives them an important role in helping teachers and researchers do what they do. Atkinson then distinguishes between different forms of theory and practice in L2 writing. The first, Theory with a big T, refers to a system of principles, ideas, and concepts used to explain, understand, or predict phenomena. Atkinson posits two kinds of Theory with a big T: scientific theory, from the natural sciences—exceptionless, objective, truthful, and empirically confirmed accounts of some part of the natural world—and social macro-theory, representing grand attempts to explain how the human world works. Theory with a small t is described as a speculative approach, the opposite of Theory with a big T. practice with a small p is described as customary or habitual action, assuming a commonsense view of reality . Practice with a big P is characterized as outward-looking, reflective, and open to reformulation and has the potential to dialogue with, inform, and even instigate or upset theory. Atkinson contends that what is at stake is understanding one’s own place and the place of others in local and global systems, in helping people understand the effects of their actions.
In “Theories, Frameworks, and Heuristics: Some Reflections on Inquiry and Second language Writing,” Alister Cumming considers the nature of theory in second language writing research by reflecting on the place of theory in his own data-based descriptive research. He starts by relating two stories of his childhood explorations, one involving no theoretical framework and the other guided by theoretical assumptions and procedures. He then considers his experience as a student of biology and of literature, both of which made use of different sets of conceptual and descriptive frameworks as well as discovery procedures (or heuristics). Through these stories, he not only illustrates how theory informs the process of knowledge construction but also demonstrates how theory provides a context that gives a sense of purpose to research activities. He further considers his insights in the context of second language writing research and argues for the importance of theory—or theories—as frameworks for describing and conceptualizing second language writing as well as heuristics for making pedagogical and policy decisions.
In “Multicompetence, Social Context, and L2 Writing Research Praxis,” Lourdes Ortega and Joan Carson concern themselves with the congruence between theory and research practices in work that explores interfaces between second language writing and second language acquisition. Using disciplinary insights about multicompetence and social context, they