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>
> *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


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