Abstract
The present study explores four L2 mature writers’ development of writing and voices in English between different academic environments, and seeks to create more meaningful grounds for teaching academic ESL writing in the U.S. and college writing in Taiwan. The approach of this study is influenced by Hirvela and Belcher’s (2001) reading of terms they define as voicist—in other words, terms that refer to voices and identities. Qualitative research methodology is adequate for this exploratory study because of its capacity to gain in-depth and interpretive understanding of the composing process that second language writers employ in different contexts. The study results have highlighted some of the major challenges of academic writing Taiwanese L2 writers encounter when studying abroad at graduate level. One of the salient problems is inadequate academic writing skills, and the sub-problem is a failure to express ideas with a strong individual voice and to position themselves appropriately in their texts (e.g. having a narrow scope of positioning themselves, applying limited linguistic features to position themselves and lacking confidence to express their ideas and to position themselves in texts).As a result, they face great challenges in the Western educational system, but with their development of academic writing skills, voice, critical thinking through academic writing practices, L2 writers can overcome the challenges and become successful writers which can in turn lead to successful academic careers and publishing. Keywords: Second language writing, voice and positioning, academic writing
Highlights
As numbers of international graduate students in North American institutions have increased over the last 25 years, research attention on second language writing has increased sharply and begun to shift the primary focus from second language learner (L2) undergraduates to the L2 graduate student population (Leki et al, 2008)
Many L2 scholars and educators claim that those diverse groups of ESL students represent social, political, cultural, and educational ideologies informing literacy practices (e.g. Gee, 1996), and that their prior academic writing practices are significant in informing their current writing practices and influencing their writing development
My research has explored the series of elements or factors that L2 writers feel influenced them while developing their academic writing or constructing their second language writing voice; in particular, I expected to be able to explore the conflicts or problems L2 writers encountered as they entered a context in which voice or positioning is considered central, possibly because this context is socially and culturally imbued with the ideology of individualism, as well as being culturally different from their home country in other ways
Summary
As numbers of international graduate students in North American institutions have increased over the last 25 years, research attention on second language writing has increased sharply and begun to shift the primary focus from second language learner (L2) undergraduates to the L2 graduate student population (Leki et al, 2008). Many international students arrive in graduate school in the United States as already highly respected and established professionals in their home countries Even though these students have a high degree of disciplinary knowledge, experience writing within their disciplines in L1, and a background of reading in English, they still need to face the challenge of learning between different academic environments. Many of these graduate students face the challenge of adapting to a new context in which the educational system and culture are strongly linked with the ideology of individualism. Many scholars have researched the dilemmas and struggles faced by L2 English writers from different cultures and linguistic backgrounds
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