Language Acquisition and Academic Writing

An important contribution to the scholarship on student writing and composition theory, this book presents a new approach to writing instruction based on linguistic research and theory. In this book, leading scholar James D. Williams explores the historical failures of composition studies and the need for effective writing instruction to be grounded in the immersive principles of language acquisition.

Starting with an indictment of the historical failures of composition studies to teach students how to become competent writers, the book moves beyond the current flawed theories and practices to introduce a new way forward to improving students’ writing skills. Accessible and jargon-free, Williams skillfully explains how students must be immersed in target dialects and registers, with access to a range of authentic texts, to become effective writers of academic discourse. Chapters include authentic writing samples from the disciplines, including life and applied sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

Essential for preservice and practicing teachers of writing, as well as scholars in composition and literacy studies, the book demonstrates how language acquisition is a necessary foundation and provides a road map to improving students’ writing proficiency.