Reading and writing connections in second language: Reader Response Theory as a social process/ November 4, 2009/ Hirvela chapter 1

Viewpoints about reading-writing relations have changed a lot in at least in research and in L1 domain. Unfortunately practitioners, especially teachers in EFL settings, might not have an opportunity to be exposed to the viewpoints suggested by research studies in the field. Among them is the belief that writing developments mean “mastery of spelling conventions; with mastery of skills and subskills” (p. 29). I don’t mean here that these skills should not be taught in school. Rather, I want to warn against the tendency to delay teaching other aspects of writing until students master these skills and to be reluctant to provide students with plenty of opportunities to be engaged in meaningful literacy experiences.

Even advanced writers can make mistakes in various forms. That students got a bad grade in grammar test does not necessarily mean that they cannot be engaged in meaningful literacy practices. In EFL setting where students have limited access to input of target language, students’ exposure to a target language is usually through textbooks with grammar drills and short instructional stories which are very limited both in the types of genres and the amount of reading. It is vital to help students read a various genres extensively in and out of EFL classrooms.