What is Second Language Writing and Why Should I Care?

Second Language Writing

Those who teach legal writing generally, or to international students specifically, may not realize that second language writing is a discipline in itself. The Journal of Second Language Writing publishes "theoretically grounded reports of research and discussions that represent a contribution to current understandings of central issues in second and foreign language writing and writing instruction."

Teaching legal writing to international students fits nicely under the under the SLW umbrella, which focuses on "characteristics and attitudes of L2 writers, L2 writers' composing processes, features of L2 writers' texts, readers' responses to L2 writing, assessment/evaluation of L2 writing, and contexts (cultural, social, political, institutional) for L2 writing." 

Many of these areas of pedagogical concern -- such as the composing process, features of texts, assessment and feedback, and the writing context -- should be familiar to legal writing teachers generally. However, there are variables specific to L2 writers, including the transfer of writing strategies from L1 to L2, unfamiliarity with rhetorical norms and processes, and social and cognitive challenges, such as motivation, goals, and general learning strategies.

Here are just a few resources for further investigation of and practical advice for teaching second language (legal) writing:

Journals

• Journal of Second Language Writing
• English for Specific Purposes

Conferences

• Symposium on Second Language Writing

Books

• Second Language Writing: Research Insights for the Classroom, by B. Kroll
• On Second Language Writing, edited by T. Silva and P. K. Matsuda
• Second Language Writing Research: Perspectives on the Process of Knowledge Construction, by P. K. Matsuda and T. Silva
• Graduate Studies in Second Language Writing, edited by K. McIntosh, C. Pelaez-Morales, T. Silva
• Developing International ESL/EFL Scholarly Writers, by D. Bain Butler

Articles

• Developing Legal Writing Materials for English Second Language Learners: Problems and Perspectives, by C. N. Candlin, V. K. Bhatia, and C. H. Jensen
• Strategies for Clarity in L2 Legal Writing, by D. Bain Butler
• Helping International Students Transition and Succeed, blog by S. Sharma
• Second Language Writing and Research: The Writing Process and Error Analysis in Student Texts, by J. Myles
• Writing Teachers' Perceptions of the Presence and Needs of Second Language Writers: An Institutional Case Study, by P. K. Matsuda, T. Saenkhum, and S. Accardi