Reading and Writing Descriptive and Persuasive Texts

Abstract

surge of research and pedagogical examination of reading-writing relationships in English as a first or native language (24; 26; 28; 31). The importance of reading-writing connections has recently become the focus of research in English as a second language (10; 11; 14; 15; 16; 17). Thus far, however, the ESL research on the reading-writing connection has examined the relationship at only a general level. For example, no studies have addressed the influence of specific aims of reading texts and writing tasks, e.g., persuasive vs. descriptive texts, and none has attempted to control either for the previous reading and writing experiences of students (e.g., undergraduate vs. graduate students) or overall proficiency in the second language. The present study was designed to determine the relationships of intermediate-level (Michigan 70-90) ESL students' reading and writing of both persuasive and descriptive texts.