ABSTRACT
Writing is one of the three modes of linguistic expression and communication – along with speaking and signing. The process of writing involves a series of highly complex cognitive activities that takes place in response to a rhetorical situation – a complex web of relationship among the elements of writing, including the writer, the reader, the text and reality. ‘Drafting’ can be a challenge for writers because factors such as the writer’s self-image and anxiety about writing can make the writing task overwhelming, sometimes resulting in writing inhibition, commonly referred to as ‘writer’s block’. The success of writing and language across the curriculum movements have also increased the need for writing in courses across the discipline, further creating the need for attention to second language writing issues in broader contexts. Although developments in second language writing have been influenced by work in mainstream composition studies, the unique contexts of second language writing require distinct perspectives, models and practices.
