Learning-to-Write and Writing-to-Learn in an Additional Language ed. by R. M. Manchón (review)

In Learning-to-Write and Writing-to-Learn, Manchón attempts to redress the disciplinary divide between research that seeks to understand how students learn how to write in an additional language (second language/foreign language [L2/FL] writing) and research that attempts to understand how writing leads to learning an L2 (second language acquisition [SLA] theory). Her book advances the discussion of theory building in L2 writing (Silva & Matsuda, 2010) and contributes to the impressive work previously undertaken by scholars to synthesize research on L2 writing (Leki, Cumming, & Silva, 2008). She accomplishes this in two parts: Part One includes contributions from scholars who explore beliefs about learning to write (LW) and writing to learn (WL) in research, teaching, and curricula, and Part Two provides empirical research from scholars studying writing in diverse contexts. For a Canadian audience of L2 writing scholars, language teachers, and graduate students, Manchón’s volume is a welcome addition to the discussion on writing, language, and literacy.

In chapter 1, Manchón introduces the theme, purpose, and scope of her book, provides a rationale for its organization into two parts, and summarizes each chapter. Part One consists of three chapters by Manchón and guest contributors Ken Hyland and Alan Hirvela. Together, they provide a literature review, outlining the various theories, past studies, and diverse pedagogies on writing and learning. In chapter 2, Hyland explores WL research among adult learners in university settings. He covers a vast terrain in the development of thought about writing and offers insights about writing research that inform pedagogy. In chapter 3, Alan Hirvela focuses on what scholars have learned from using WL content. He examines the findings from celebrated case studies to understand how writing used to develop content knowledge has differed widely among participants and across contexts. In her chapter concluding Part One, Manchón reflects on writing research over the past 20 years and outlines the contributions that both descriptive and interventionist studies drawing on both cognitive and sociocultural frameworks have had in advancing our knowledge of the language learning potential of writing and its impact on SLA theory and practice. Part One equips readers new to the field with sufficient background knowledge to appreciate the significance of the diverse and ground-breaking studies presented in Part Two.

In Part Two, Manchón includes six studies that highlight the perspectives of LW, WL content, and WL language. Part Two begins with chapter 5, Ilona Leki’s empirical study that discovers the wealth of writing knowledge and experience that multilingual undergraduate and graduate writers transfer from their L1 to their L2 writing. In chapter 6, Suresh Canagarajah offers a single case study of a multilingual scholar who moves or “shuttles” between Tamil and English in his writing to demonstrate similar ways multilingual student writers can learn to write for disparate audiences and write to learn across genres and languages. In chapter 7, Heidi Byrnes offers insights from a case study of learning how to make meaning in German using a staple form of academic writing: the summary. In chapter 8, Fiona Hyland looks at language teachers’ and students’ impressions of the effectiveness of form-focused feedback on writing development. In chapter 9, Manchón and Roca de Larios look at Spanish university students’ perceptions of using writing as a means to learn English. In chapter 12, Hedgcock and Lefkowitz report on a university language classroom in which the role of LW or WL depended on whether the students were L2 speakers of Spanish or heritage Spanish speakers. The authors discuss the pedagogical implications of this important finding for language teachers. Finally, in chapter 13, Lourdes Ortega summarizes the themes presented throughout the book, leaves readers with her interpretations of the studies and their contributions to L2 writing research, and offers insights for future research.

Although Manchón’s work is extensive in its treatment of writing practices...