Clarifying the Relationship between L2 Writing and Translingual Writing:
An Open Letter to Writing Studies Editors and Organization Leaders
Dwight Atkinson, University of Arizona Deborah Crusan, Wright State University Paul Kei Matsuda,
Arizona State University
Christina Ortmeier-Hooper, University of New Hampshire Todd Ruecker, University of New Mexico
Steve Simpson, New Mexico Tech Christine Tardy, University of Arizona

We are writing as a concerned group of second language (L2) writing professionals to call attention
to a problematic trend developing among writing studies scholars based in North America: a growing
misunderstanding that L2 writing and translingual writing are somehow competing with each other or,
worse yet, that one is replacing the other. Because of the influential role that professional
organizations and journals play in the field of writing studies, we wish to emphasize the
importance of encouraging the development of L2 writing and  translingual writing as related yet
distinct areas of research and teaching. In this letter, we suggest ways of facilitating a more
productive understanding of the role of both approaches to writing in writing studies organizations
and journals.

With growing language diversity in writing classes across the US, members of the L2 writing
community have long advocated for the need of all writing professionals to be aware of the
linguistic diversity of their student populations and how to best serve them. L2 writing scholars
at CCCC have been working for decades to develop resources and strategies for supporting writing
teachers and program administrators in working more effectively with L2 writers. Because of the
growing diversity of higher education, L2 writing specialists have called for all writing
researchers, instructors, and administrators to have training in working with L2 writers.

The broadening interest in language diversity brought on by the increasing popularity of
translingualism is certainly welcome, as it is long overdue in writing studies. Recently, however,
there seems to be a tendency to conflate L2 writing and translingual writing, and view the latter
as a replacement for or improved version of L2 writing. This is not consistent with our
understanding of the field of L2 writing.

L2 writing is an international and transdisciplinary field of study that is concerned with any
issues related to the phenomenon of writing in a language that is acquired later in life. The term
“second language” or “L2” is a technical term that refers to any language other than the first
language. Although the term, if taken literally, may seem to exclude people with multiple first
languages, L2 writing scholars are often the first to critique those assumptions in their own
publications and presentations. Within the field, there are various theoretical, methodological,
and ideological perspectives, and it does not presuppose any particular ideological orientation. In
fact, much of what has been discussed under the term “translingual” writing has long been
part of the conversation in the field of L2 writing.


Translingual writing is a particular orientation to how language is conceptualized and implicated
in the study and teaching of writing. It emphasizes the fluidity, malleability and discriminatory
potential of languages. It challenges the static view of language and writing, privileges the view
of multiple languages as resources, and calls for a more agentive use of various language resources
in constructing and negotiating meaning, identity, and even larger ideological conditions.
Translingual writing is valuable in that it highlights issues that fall between traditional
conceptions of L1 and L2 writing--issues that have traditionally been addressed by writing studies
scholars informed by insights from sociolinguistics. Although translingual writing and L2 writing
overlap in their critique of the historically monolingual, English-only focus of composition
studies, translingual writing has not widely taken up the task of helping L2 writers increase their
proficiency in what might still be emerging L2s and develop and use their multiple language
resources to serve their own purposes. As a field, L2 writing has also been addressing the
ideological concerns highlighted in translingual writing as well as the task of helping L2 writers
develop and use their multiple language resources to serve their own purposes.

This recent tendency to conflate L2 writing and translingual writing has manifested itself in
several ways:

! Narrowed focus: Some proponents of translingual writing have suggested that translingualism is an
encompassing term for a variety of fields, including L2 writing. Yet, translingual writing is only
one orientation towards language difference, which limits attention paid to different but equally
important work.
!  Reviewer feedback: L2 writing scholars have been receiving comments from editors  and reviewers
that demonstrate a misunderstanding of  major distinctions between L2 writing and translingualism
and a lack of familiarity with L2 writing scholarship. For instance, authors have been requested to
reference translingual writing scholarship even when it is not theoretically or practically
relevant to the work they are undertaking.
!  Conference presence: In recent years, the confusion between L2 writing and translingual writing
at CCCC has led to the marginalization of L2 writing scholarship and scholars, to the extent that
some L2 scholars have or are considering leaving CCCC for other conferences such as the American
Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL) and TESOL International Association. This may exacerbate
the disciplinary division of labor that had long divided writing studies from disciplines focused
on the study of language learning.
! Hiring practices: Postsecondary institutions seeking specialists to support the needs of
L2 writers have hired scholars with expertise in translingualism but not necessarily L2 writing,
which limits the support students, and the programs and instructors that support them, can receive.

We understand that translingual approaches are useful in challenging dominant language ideologies
and in emphasizing the language resources students bring to the writing classroom. This broad
agenda addresses some aspects of communicative strategies and language awareness that are important
in working in their disciplines, professions, and beyond. Our aim in


this letter is not to diminish the value of translingual approaches but rather to call attention to
the distinctions between translingualism and the field of second language writing, while
acknowledging overlaps as well.

Because of the concerns described above, we urge writing studies leaders and journal editors to:

! recognize the unique contribution of L2 writing as its own field while acknowledging that it
shares certain common foci with translingual writing;
! understand that translingual writing is not a replacement for L2 writing;
! understand that L2 writing researchers need not necessarily situate themselves within
conversations about translingual writing when establishing the significance of their work;
! understand the importance of selecting reviewers for conferences and journals who
understand the distinct nature of L2 writing scholarship;
! understand that job candidates professing translingual writing expertise may lack expertise in
training writing teachers and developing writing curricula supportive of emerging L2 writers in
ways that are both practical and critical.

Thank you for your continued service to the field and for supporting a strong future for L2
writers, teachers, and scholars in the field of writing studies.
The following second language writing specialists have endorsed this letter:

Diane Belcher, Georgia
State University
Christine Pearson Casanave, Temple University
Pisarn Bee Chamcharatsri, University of New Mexico Michelle Cox, Cornell University
Angela Dadak, American University
Kevin Eric DePew, Old Dominion University Christine Feak, University of Michigan  Dana Ferris,
University of California, Davis
Lynn Goldstein, The Monterey Institute of International Studies Alan Hirvela, The Ohio State
University
John Hedgcock, The Monterey Institute of International Studies
Ann Johns, San Diego State University Jay Jordan, University of Utah
Kate Mangelsdorf, University of Texas at El Paso Susan Miller-Cochran, North Carolina State
University Vaidehi Ramanathan, University of California, Davis Tanita Saenkhum, University of
Tennessee-Knoxville Carol Severino, University of Iowa
Shawna Shapiro, Middlebury College Gail Shuck, Boise State University Tony Silva, Purdue University

John Swales, University of Michigan
Margi Wald, University of California-Berkeley Wei Zhu, University of South Florida

Suggested Reading

L2 Writing and Translingual Writing
Cox, Michelle, and Terry Myers Zawacki.“Introduction.” WAC and Second-Language Writers: Research
Towards Linguistically and Culturally Inclusive Programs and Practices. Eds. Michelle Cox and Terry
Myers Zawacki. Fort Collins: The WAC Clearinghouse. http://wac.colostate.edu/books/l2/intro.pdf
Ferris, Dana. “English Only” and Multilingualism in Composition Studies: Policy, Philosophy, and
Practice.” College English 77.1 (2014): 75-85.
Matsuda, Paul Kei. "The Lure of Translingual Writing." PMLA 129.3 (2014): 478-483. Matsuda, Paul
Kei. "It’s the Wild West Out There: A New Linguistic Frontier in U.S. College
Composition." Literacy as Translingual Practice: Between Communities and Classrooms. Ed. A. Suresh
Canagarajah. New York: Routledge, 2013. 128-138.

L2 Writing as a Field


Leki, Ilona, Alister Cumming, and Tony Silva. A Synthesis of Research on Second Language Writing in
English. New York: Routledge, 2010.
Matsuda, Paul Kei. "Situating ESL Writing in a Cross-Disciplinary Context." Written Communication
15.1 (1998): 99-121.
Matsuda, Paul Kei, Michelle Cox, Jay Jordan, and Christina Ortmeier-Hooper, eds. Second-
Language Writing in the Composition Classroom: A Critical Sourcebook. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s,
2006.
Silva, Tony, and Ilona Leki. "Family matters: The Influence of Applied Linguistics and Composition
Studies on Second Language Writing studies—Past, Present, and Future." The Modern Language Journal
88.1 (2004): 1-13.

For more resources, please see the “CCCC Statement on Second Language Writing and Writers”:    
http://www.ncte.org/cccc/resources/positions/secondlangwriting

Note: This letter will be published in the March 2015 issue of College English.  While it
may be shared via email, please do not publish it elsewhere or post it online (including
public email listservs).