Connecting Speaking & Writing in Second Language Writing Instruction (The Michigan Series on Teaching Multilingual Writers)

Connecting Speaking & Writing in Second Language Writing Instruction provides both a theoretical perspective on the importance of L2 learners' development of written language as well as practical strategies for incorporating social interaction into the writing classroom.

Weissberg provides a compelling argument for rethinking and reclaiming the speaking-writing connection. He reminds L2 writing specialists about the work of Vygotsky and other sociocultural theorists and how social interaction and inner speech play an integral role in writing. Weissberg also shows how encouraging concurrent oral-writing proficiencies affects L2 learners and how dialogue-writing relationships are developed through writing tasks, group activities, conferencing, dialogue journals, and teacher-written feedback.

This well-researched and theoretical treatment of the speaking-writing connection is likely to encourage more teachers to "socialize" their L2 writing classrooms.

Robert Weissberg is retired from teaching writing at New Mexico State University.