ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the writing as a socialized practice. It explores the implication of this assumption in respect to the identification of roles in the writing classroom, notions of authenticity in relation to the meaningfulness of the writing task, and the primacy of audience. Sociocultural theory views writing as a social practice, or sets of social practices, since different language communities foster the acquisition of different ways of doing writing. The chapter discusses the writing classroom as a community of practice; it also argues that teachers need to recognize the part played by the language communities to which each student belongs. It examines the kind of fluidity in identity that occurs when the writing classroom is thought of as a community of writers where expertise is distributed among members. This chapter draws attention to the key role played by dialogue, especially oral dialogue, in the learning process.
