Although composing has long been recognised as recursive, so far there have been few studies on the temporal dimension of writing processes. This is regrettable given that one might expect the predominance of certain processes at different stages of writing at the expense of others and/or differences among writers with respect to the duration and…

One of the most difficult problems facing researchers on writing is to define writing as a construct. The way writing is conceptualized determines how writing assignments are created and how written products are analyzed and rated. A functional approach to defining writing as a construct is presented here. It begins with the overall construct of…

The process oriented approach to English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction has spurred such new ideas as student instruction and the whole language approach. New thinking justifies the validity of qualitative research, which lets researchers view subjects' learning processes from previously impossible angles. This paper examines ESL writing…

Process writing and communicative-task-based instruction both assume productive tasks that prompt self-expression to motivate students and as the principal engine for developing L2 proficiency in the language classroom. Besides this, process writing and communicative-task-based instruction have much else in common, despite some obvious…

This book reviews pertinent theories about writing in English, English as a Second Language (ESL), and foreign languages for teachers at secondary and postsecondary levels, to provide insight into the teaching and learning processes. Five hypotheses about the nature of foreign language (FL) writing serve as points of departure for analyzing…