Exploring Academic Writing and Voice in ESL Writing

• Main Author: Doris Correa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad de Antioquia 2009-04-01
• Series: Ikala: Revista de Lenguaje y Cultura
• Subjects: métodos de escritura académica; métodos de escritura preproceso; métodos de escritura proceso; métodos de escritura postproceso; escritura en inglés como segunda lengua; metodologías de escritura en inglés como segunda lengua
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0123-34322009000100006&lng=en&tlng=en

This literature review explores two basic questions: First, why have English as a Second Language (ESL)/English as a Foreign Language (EFL) academic writing courses not been able to significantly help ESL/EFL students meet the academic writing demands of their university courses? Second, how can ESL/EFL writing instructors better help these students succeed in their undergraduate courses? To respond to these questions, the author reviews how notions of academic writing, text, and voice have changed over time, and how these changes have influenced (ESL) and (EFL) writing approaches and methodologies. The author also presents some of the critiques that scholars have posed regarding each of these notions, approaches and methodologies, and draws some conclusions based on these critiques.