Apologies for cross-posting > > *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). -- Natasha -- Natasha Artemeva, PhD Graduate Supervisor, Associate Professor School of Linguistics and Language Studies, Carleton University 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaK1S 5B6 Tel.+1 (613) 520-2600 ext.7452; Fax +1 (613) 520-6641 E-mail: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> http://www1.carleton.ca/slals/people/artemeva-natasha -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL-L command to [log in to unmask] or, if you experience difficulties, write to Russ Hunt at [log in to unmask] To view or search the list archives, go to https://listserv.utoronto.ca/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CASLL-L -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-