This paper examines how research in second language acquisition has approached the study of cognitive individual differences in the process and product of L2 writing from a theoretical and empirical perspective, paying special attention to the three empirical studies included in this special issue. The paper is divided into three sections. The…

Writing is a crucial means of communicating with others and thus vital to success and survival in modern society. This article provides an overview of recent research and key findings about writing, including the roles of cognitive and social processes during writing, and educational research on how to improve writing proficiency. Writing…

On the basis of one teaching project carried out in a school, this article discusses collaborative writing in wiki platforms. It aims to find out what wiki reveals about pupils' knowledge construction, creation, and division and their collaborative writing skills. In this project, wiki is treated as a useful tool for analyzing these processes…

The impetus of the present study was to scrutinize the impact of planning and proficiency on 172 EFL learners' written task performance regarding concept load, fluency, complexity and accuracy. Planning was operationalized at two levels: pretask planning (PTP) and online planning (OLP). Participants of this study were two groups, high and low…

Examines whether writers who can create vivid mental images experience intense emotions as they write. Finds that imagery contributes to the intensity of a writer's engagement with his or her evolving text and that imagery may bridge the cognitive and affective domains of thought. (PRA)

This collection of materials, a summary of a workshop, is in four parts. The first part lists participants in the workshop and their addresses. The second part presents a recorder's summary of statements made by six participants in a panel presentation on "What Is the Domain Beyond?" The third section gives brief accounts of three…

Defends the use of verbal reports, or protocol analysis, as a valid means of understanding cognitive processes and writing processes. (SRT)

Suggests that the information processing model of writing developed by cognitive psychologists provides a construct for researchers to work with but has little to contribute to classroom pedagogy. (MM)

Claims that despite the fact that writing research has drawn extensively on cognitive processes, little research has been done to describe the role that the unconscious and emotions play in the writing process. Offers a pedagogy designed to enable students to draw writing energy from the realm of the unconscious. (HB)

Linda Flower and John Hayes respond to Marilyn Cooper and Michael Holzman's "Talking About Protocols," pointing out errors in their understanding of protocol analysis and a study in which the data appear to contradict what Cooper and Holzman assume the researchers should see. Includes reply by Cooper and Holzman. (HTH)

Noting that recent issues of several scholarly journals have contained criticism of protocol analysis and the use of verbal reports in the analysis of the writing process, this paper examines some of the charges made and then explores the implications of the criticisms. Specific charges addressed in the paper include the following: (1) protocols…

Asserts that the main goal of writing instruction is to help students attain the competence necessary for academic discourse and the most effective way to do this is to teach the basic strategies for uncovering the rules that govern discourse in any particular context.(SRT)

Discusses a study that explored college freshman English students' feelings toward peer evaluation and concluded that this form of evaluation should be included to some extent in all composition classes. (DF)

The annotated titles in this bibliography are intended to introduce the novice to current or significant work on the application of cognitive psychology methodologies to the writing process. The bibliography is arranged in four sections: (1) an overview of the topic that includes anthologies, essays and papers; (2) relevant publications of Linda…

Intended for junior high and high school writing instructors, this booklet provides prewriting activities designed to help students master the thinking strategies essential to effective written communication. The first portion of the booklet discusses theory and research on the role of thinking strategies in writing and gives an overview of the…