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…

This book addresses the validity of think-aloud protocols (TAPs) in L2 writing research through a mixed methods study and proposes effective approaches for their valid implementation. The book uncovers the reactive effects that TAPs have on L2 writing performance and processes, and examines how individual factors moderate this reactivity. It…

This book provides a comprehensive overview of research in applied linguistics involving the intersection of digital multimodal composing (DMC) and second language (L2) writing. It presents a theoretically and methodologically diverse introduction to key theories and scholarship supporting DMC's use, along with practical pedagogical tips and tools…

Working memory has been proposed to account for the differential rates in progress young children make in writing. One crucial aspect of learning to write is the encoding (i.e., integration) and retrieval of the correct phoneme-grapheme pairings, known as binding. In addition to executive functions, binding is regarded as central to the concept of…

Notes that while there are some similarities in secondary school teachers' and students' perceptions about the kinds of written work usually done in class, there are also very marked differences in perceptions, particularly regarding essays, short answers, and poetic writing. (HOD)

Examines intermediate grade students' intraindividual differences across different levels or units of written language in sequencing the elements of written language. Finds that performance at the word level does not predict performance at the sentence or paragraph levels and that performance at the sentence level does not predict performance at…

Discusses the theory of multiple intelligences and what it tells English teachers about students' writing processes. Discusses results of a study of the writing processes of 10 high school juniors whose cognitive profile featured visual-spatial intelligence and subordinated linguistic aspects. Discusses the importance of matching instructional…

Investigated university students' beliefs about themselves as writers and about the experience of learning in writing as related to writing approaches measured by the Inventory of Processes in College Composition. Found support for the deep and surface paradigm, and variation in students' conceptions of writing, attitudes about themselves as…

A study investigated the role of writing apprehension in the writing competency and performance of college students. Specifically, the study examined whether high writing apprehensives would perform differently than low apprehensives on standardized tests of writing-related skills and on two different types of essays. Based on the results of a…

A study described college student writers as they constructed arguments, creating a picture of school-based argument drawn not from ideal models of arguments as envisioned by educators, but from experiences of students themselves. A three-part framework that synthesizes rhetorical perspectives on argument with a social-cognitive view of the…

A study designed to examine the differences in quality ratings that 20 teachers in each of three senior high school curricular areas (business, English/social studies, and mathematics/science) gave to samples of written argument by college freshmen also investigated the relationship between the three groups of quality ratings and eight syntactic…

Identifies a particular class of explanatory discourse, and proposes hypotheses about the types of knowledge likely to be associated with skill in this genre. Finds that variations in accuracy and adaptiveness of students' explanations were partially accounted for by measures of topic knowledge, social cognition, and discourse knowledge. (MG)

To gain insight into the evaluation of college freshman compositions, a study explored the relationship between the personality type of the instructor and the grades assigned to essays written by freshman composition students. The sample comprised 23 college instructors who answered a short questionnaire, graded the same expository essay, and…

Discusses the writing of 12-year-old boys who write daily. Presents case studies of five individual boys and describes their genre choices, individual writing strengths and weaknesses, and attitudes toward the writing process. (SKC)

Illustrates dimensions of variation in how young children orchestrate or manage the writing process, using data collected from a five-month study of primary grade writers. Finds children's composing behaviors consistent with their apparent intentions and with their styles as symbolizers and socializers in their classroom. (SKC)