Writing the World in a Foreign Language

Abstract

Decades of theorisation and research on the teaching and learning of second-language writing have hardly created coherent theoretically profound and practically relevant understandings of writing instruction. This article discusses the possibilities and insights created by bringing personal meaningfulness into the realm of writing pedagogy. Briefly revisiting the mainstream landscape of second-language writing theory and, more specifically, addressing aspects of (im)personal academic writing and publishing, we present an overview of the notion of wor(l)d writing, which implies the intimate interconnection of writing and the writer’s individual and social identity. Recognising the role of linguistic forms, cognitive processes and socio-political situatedness of writing practices, such a perspective underscores the importance of balancing these elements and going beyond them by bringing the self of the writer into the writing practice. On this basis, we argue that language and literacy education may be enhanced by acknowledging the little-explored wonders of writing and understanding it as an act of composing and narrating the word-world of the self-other.