Writing-to-Learn in English: In-Class Timed Writing for Content Learning

초록

Second language writing research has focused on the learning-to-write approach whose analytic and pedagogical goal is to develop L2 learners’ writing proficiency. Equally important is the writing-to-learn approach that uses writing as a primary tool for content learning. Drawn from writing across the curriculum (WAC) movement in North America, the writing-to-learn approach integrates writing into content instructions across various disciplines. Considering that Korean universities have increased English-mediated courses, it is timely to explore how the writing-to-learn approach can be used for content learning in English. Writing in this approach is considered to demonstrate whether and how students understand and undertake the course content presented in the assigned readings. The present study examines in-class timed writings produced in a course for English majors at a university in Korea. The student writings were analyzed and classified into four distinctive categories in terms of how they use sources in their writings. The data analysis demonstrates the types of problems these students have in processing complex texts and specifies an array of distinctive skills they need to be fully proficient.

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