Child L2 Writers

Studies on L2 writing tasks with child learners have broken through several barriers in the past few years. Although long considered a solitary task, writing is now regularly done in collaborative pairs and groups as well. New and more comprehensive writing and feedback strategies have been implemented and task repetition has made its way from oral into writing tasks. Finally, research analyses of linguistic outcomes have been complemented by measures of task motivation. Drawing on knowledge from the fields of psychology, education and SLA, this book includes a comprehensive and interdisciplinary analysis of this body of research. It pinpoints the specificity of writing tasks for child L2 learners, identifies the research gaps that pave the way for future research, and offers a guide for teachers who wish to implement writing tasks with young language learners. In sum, this book demonstrates that child L2 writing constitutes a new field of inquiry and attempts to give child L2 writers a room of their own.

This volume uniquely looks at both adolescent L2 writing and the preparation of secondary teachers to work with this population of students. It takes a theoretically eclectic approach that can support a variety of pedagogies.

Bridges the gap between the fields of second language acquisition (SLA) and second and foreign language (L2) writing. This title intends to advance our understanding of written language learning by collecting theoretical meta-reflections and empirical studies that shed light on two crucial dimensions of the theory and research in the field

When severe reading and spelling problems are not detected at an early stage in the school context, students may not be able to overcome them even in adulthood. Such problems in the worst cases may lead to developmental dyslexia or developmental dysorthographia, which are severe learning disabilities. Early intervention, though, can prevent these problems. Consequently, involving students in an active writing programme and providing them with ample opportunities to use spelling words in frequent writing can be the answer to such an inquiry. Meaningful writing can further facilitate spelling acquisition since in this manner, they can gain control over their work and learn to focus on the writing process and not exclusively on the final product. The book addresses these issues in order to help educators and clinicians identify such problems early, while it also acts as a practical guide to instruction and assessment.

Synthesizing twenty-five years of the most significant and influential findings of published research on second language writing in English, this volume promotes understanding and provides access to research developments in the field. It is an essential reference tool for libraries and for serious writing professionals, both researchers and practitioners, both L1 and L2.

Second Language Writing in Elementary Classrooms focuses on L2 writing in elementary classrooms. It features chapters that highlight research in elementary classrooms focused on the writing development of multilingual children, and research in teacher education to prepare elementary teachers to teach L2 writing and address L2 writers' needs.

This volume brings together the perspectives of new and established scholars who have connected with the broad fields of first language (L1) and second language (L2) writing to discuss critically key methodological developments and challenges in the study of L2 writing processes. The focus is on studies of composing and of engagement with feedback on written drafts, with particular attention to methods of process-tracing through data such as concurrent or stimulated verbal reports, interviews, diaries, digital recording, visual screen capture, eye tracking, keystroke logging, questionnaires, and/or ethnographic observation. The chapters in the book illustrate how progress has been made in developing research methods and empirical understandings of writing processes, in introducing methodological innovations, and in pointing to future methodological directions. It will be an essential methodological guide for novice and experienced researchers, senior students, and educators investigating the processes of writing in additional languages.

This book examines child second language acquisition within the Principles and Parameters theory of Universal Grammar (UG). Specifically, the book focuses on null-subjects in the developing grammars of children acquiring English as a second language. The book provides evidence from the longitudinal speech data of four child second language (L2) learners in order to test the predictions of a recent theory of null-subjects, namely, the Morphological Uniformity Principle (MUP). Lakshmanan argues that the child L2 acquisition data offer little or no evidence in support of the MUP s predictions regarding a developmental relation between verb inflections and null-subjects. The evidence from these child L2 data indicates that regardless of the status of null subjects in their first language, child L2 learners of English hypothesize correctly from the very beginning that English requires subjects of tensed clauses to be obligatorily overt. The failure on the part of these learners to obey this knowledge in certain structural contexts is the result of perceptual factors that are unrelated to parameter setting. The book demonstrates the value of child second language acquisition data in evaluating specific proposals within linguistic theory for a Universal principle.

Practical, engaging guide to helping early childhood educators understand and address the needs of English language learners.

This book is essential and accessible reading for all teachers and professionals who are working with sign bilingual deaf children. It considers the background and theory underpinning current developments in sign bilingual education and the implications for policy and developing classroom practice. Practical teaching strategies are suggested and evaluated. The authors draw on their own experience of working in sign bilingual settings as well as current good practice and relevant research. This book is the first UK book that describes sign bilingual education (beyond policy). It is also the first book to support sign bilingual practice dealing with current educational issues. The authors draw together relevant research and practice in sign bilingual education and present practical strategies for teachers.