TOWARD AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE DISTINCT NATURE OF L2 WRITING - THE ESL RESEARCH AND ITS IMPLICATIONS

Dealing effectively with L2 writers requires a clear understanding of the nature of L2 writing. In an attempt to develop such an understandi ng, 72 reports of empirical research comparing L1 and L2 writing were examined. The findings of this research indicate a number of salient d ifferences between Ll and L2 writing with regard to both composing pro cesses (and subprocesses: planning, transcribing, and reviewing) and f eatures of written texts (fluency, accuracy, quality, and structure, i .e., discoursal, morphosyntactic, and lexicosemantic). Implications of the findings for L2 and L1 writing theory; future comparative writing research; and the practical concerns of assessment, placement, staffi ng, and instruction are discussed.