MAAL6023 Advances in writing pedagogy
COURSE TEACHER:
Dr. Ken Ho
Email: hoken@hku.hk
OVERVIEW
This course discusses current developments in writing pedagogy and their relevance for ESL/EFL teachers. It reviews different approaches (e.g., process, genre, task-based) and critical strategies for providing useful feedback on student writing. The course examines issues that influence writing improvement such as motivation of writers, feedback, autonomy and reflection. Students will be required to explore how learning in this course can be adapted to their teaching and learning contexts.
AIMS
The overall objective of this course is to develop students’ understanding of how current approaches to language learning can be applied in writing classrooms. The course also aims to help teachers become critical and reflective practitioners by providing ways to create and evaluate courses, tasks and materials for teaching writing in contexts applicable to them.
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES
On completing this course, students are expected to be able to:
- explain their understanding of key developments and influences on writing pedagogy;
- evaluate writing lessons, tasks and feedback for a learner-centered curriculum; and
- reflect on the applicability of writing theories and practices to their development as teachers of writing
PROVISIONAL SCHEDULE
| Session 1 | Perspectives on writing approaches and second language writers |
| Session 2 | Course design and lesson planning |
| Session 3 | Materials and tasks design |
| Session 4 | Responding to student writing |
| Session 5 | Assessing writing and technologies in teaching writing |
| Session 6 | Researching writing |
ASSESSMENT (100%) An essay of 2,500 words (±10%)
Students select one of two essay topics. In this essay, students must demonstrate a clear understanding of concepts in writing pedagogy and critically evaluate the teaching design and recommendation used in a context applicable to their development as writing teachers.
Essay topics will be provided at the beginning of the course.
KEY REFERENCE
Hyland, K. (2019). Second language writing (2nd Ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Students are advised to read the first two chapters before the course begins.
OTHER RECOMMENDED REFERENCES
Ferris, D.R., & Hedgcock, J.S. (2023). Teaching L2 composition: Purpose, process, and practice (4th Ed.). New York: Routledge.
Hyland, K. (2022). Teaching and researching writing (4th Ed.). New York: Routledge.
Hyland, K., & Hyland, F. (2019). Feedback in second language writing: Contexts and issues (2nd Ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Manchón, R.M., & Matsuda, P.K. (2016). Handbook of second and foreign language writing. Boston/Berlin: Walter de Gruyter Inc.
RECOMMENDED JOURNALS (Course lecturer will explain the order in class)
Journal of Second Language Writing
Assessing Writing
Language Teaching (Cambridge University Press)
English Language Teaching Journal (Oxford University Press)
Language Teaching Research
TESOL Quarterly
System
Journal of English for Academic Purposes
Written Communication
Applied Linguistics