English Faculty Publications
Title
Innovation in L2 Writing Instruction: Toward Nurturing Confident, Motivated, and Academically Honest L2 Writers
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
2019
Publication Source
Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching: The Case of the Middle East and North Africa
Abstract
In Lebanon, innovative English language teaching (ELT) practices, or cultures of learning and teaching (Bacha & Bahous, 2013), vary depending on the type of school or university (state vs. private), its funding, geographical location, status, and years of operation. The ELT curriculums adopted in schools have undergone significant changes throughout the years, and practices run the gamut from teaching soft and critical thinking skills, to learner-centered classrooms, on one end of the continuum, all the way to using new pedagogic approaches, adopting the flipped and blended classroom model, and using new technology such as interactive white boards, mobile learning, and various digital platforms, to name a few. This chapter begins by offering a brief description of English teaching in Lebanon, focusing particularly on the teaching and learning of writing. It proceeds to explore the context and impetus for change in first-year writing classes in a private university in Lebanon where a modified version of the Sequenced Writing Project (SWP) was implemented. Drivers for change, or the challenges that inspired adapting the SWP, are presented through a description of an exploratory study that examined students’ perceptions of both existing and new practices. The chapter describes the disparity between the principles and guidelines outlined by the administration in the existing curriculum and the reality of classroom practices. Findings revealed that the existing curriculum is detrimental to students’ self-confidence as writers and to their motivation to learn and write; it did not improve students’ writing skills; and it encouraged academic dishonesty among first-year writing students. In contrast, implementing the SWP as a new pedagogic approach motivated students, boosted their self-confidence, enhanced their writing skills, and significantly decreased academic dishonesty.
ISBN/ISSN
978-3-030-13412-9
Publisher
Palgrave Macmillan
eCommons Citation
Esseili, Fatima, "Innovation in L2 Writing Instruction: Toward Nurturing Confident, Motivated, and Academically Honest L2 Writers" (2019). English Faculty Publications. 124.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/eng_fac_pub/124
COinS
Comments
The publisher does not permit self-archiving; to read this chapter, visit an academic library or purchase the book using the ISBN or citation information provided.