Preparing writing teachers to teach the vocabulary and grammar of academic prose

Abstract

Over the years, substantial shifts in theory, belief, and practice have occurred in the teaching of language, specifically vocabulary, grammar, or their combination in lexicogrammatical features of a language as part of the writing class or curriculum (Paltridge, 2004; Reid, 1993, 2006). Much of the instruction in L2 writing for adult learners who are preparing for degree study in an English-medium college or university focuses on academic writing; one result of this interest in academic writing is a growing body of research data that provides insights into the language of academic discourse and the various registers that make up that discourse, demonstrating that vocabulary and associated grammar characterize particular discourse types (Biber & Conrad, 1999, 2004; Biber, Conrad, & Cortes, in press, Biber, Conrad, Reppen, Byrd, & Helt, 2002; Coxhead, 2000; Schleppegrell, 2004; Schleppegrell, Achugar, & Orteiza, 2004; Schleppegrell & Colombi, 2002). Through knowledge of that literature and the development of skill at analyzing particular examples of academic writing, teachers can learn to identify the language that their students need to become fluent writers of various types of English academic prose. In this article, we review recent scholarship on the nature of the vocabulary and grammar that characterize academic writing. In addition to the discussion of published research and theory on language-in-use focused on academic prose, we also include a selected listing of web-based resources to be used for teacher development. We also suggest practical ways that teacher educators can bring the study of academic language into the preparation of writing teachers to teach the vocabulary and grammar of academic prose.