Connecting Writing to Reading... Why write?

In synthesizing the reading and writing processes, the importance of writing for English language learners (ELL) is integral to the development of fluency in their developing language system. Just as structured input activities--such as information gap activities--are crucial to the ELL who is learning how to manipulate the new (second language or L2) input that s/he is hearing and reading, so too must these learners engage in structured output activities. Output is any production of language, be it oral or written, and production of the second language requires multiple strategies and demands on the ELL. These production (or output) processes include accessing or retrieving of the correct forms, monitoring or editing one's speech/writing, and production strategies used for stringing forms and words together into sentences and connected discourse. All of these processes are affected by a variety of factors (see the research of Pienemann, 1998). The term "access" was first used for referring to retrieval by Terrell (1986, 1991) and is part of the binding process whereby an L2 learner binds a word or form with its meaning. According to Terrell's theory, production in an L2 involves two processes or abilities: (1) the ability to express a particular meaning using a particular form or structure, and (2) the ability to string together forms and structures in appropriate ways. The first process is what Terrell refers to as access and the second process is what Terrell defines as production strategies. Access involves retrieving the correct verb tense when attempting to express the associated concept temporally. What is important for teachers to keep in mind is that access does not automatically follow language acquisition. Simply because an ELL student has incorporated a particular form or structure into his or her developing L2 system does not mean that it can be easily accessed and thus produced (in oral or written output) automatically. It is important to to note that learners can acquire a great deal of grammatical information, but not be able to apply it in communicative situations. The ability to read a language, therefore, does not provide the opportunity to create output in that language. Hence, the importance of writing in the L2 in order to practice access as well as producing output which in turn increases accessing abilities. Output then serves as further input of the L2 as the learner writes, edits, and reads his or her work. Structuring output refers to sequencing the production activities to follow the input activities, creating coherent grammar lessons that take the student from processing a grammatical feature in the input (reading, listening) to accessing the feature from his or her developing language system, to creating the feature in his or her output (writing, speaking). Creating structured output activities for ELLs, the teacher should keep the learner's processes in mind, presenting one thing at a time, keeping meaning in focus (meaningful context), moving from sentences to connected discourse, using both written and oral output, and having others respond to the content of the output through grand discussion, group work, and instructor feedback. It is through writing that all learners use their developing grammar and vocabulary to communicate information, and writers need ample opportunities to express themselves. Only through writing and discussing writing do learners activate all the processes responsible for the development of language fluency and accuracy. Write on!