Second Language Learners: Writing. ERIC Topical Bibliography and Commentary.

Teachers of second language writing classes are faced with the task of choosing writing methods that provide their students the greatest opportunity to gain writing skills, but there is a lack of research in this area. This topical bibliography and commentary reviews existing research on second language writing instruction. It concludes that free writing offers value to second language learners, while a strictly grammatically based writing strategy has been shown to be detrimental. It appears that the most advantageous approach to second language writing instruction is to include some skills from both schools of writing (product and process approaches) and to avoid a one-sided teaching method. (RS)