Letter from the Editors
Svetlana Koltovskaia, Northeastern State University, Tahlequah, OK, USA
Sidury Christiansen, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
Michael Mauricio, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA,
Dear members of SLWIS,
We invite you to start by reading the chair letter. Dr. Sidury Christiansen, the Chair of SLW-IS, provides insights into the newsletter’s transformation, updates on the recent webinar on AI in L2 writing, highlights SLW-IS’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, and extends an invitation to an upcoming book club session.
Our SLW News showcases an article authored by Dr. Kristin Rock, an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Linguistics at Georgetown University. In her article, Dr. Rock draws on research in genre-based approaches to teaching writing and task-based approaches to teaching language as she outlines five key characteristics of effective second language writing tasks. To enhance student engagement and promote the development of second language writing skills, these tasks should be explicit, genuine, recurrent, social, and varied.
Additionally, our SLW News highlights a research brief written by a PhD student, Wei Xu. This brief delves into the recontextualization of genre knowledge among multilingual writers across different languages. It offers valuable insights into the teaching of genre knowledge in multilingual writing classrooms.
In the “Meet the Experts” section of our SLW News, you will find the interview featuring Dr. Qian Du, an Associate Professor of Teaching and Associate Director at the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Du discusses her journey into SLW, emphasizing the importance of understanding the cultural elements inherent in learning to write and the evolving landscape of English academic writing. She also delves into her research on the intersection of writing, culture, and technology, particularly the impact of generative AI on language learning. Dr. Du’s perspectives on what constitutes good L2 English writing and the need for more research on writing conventions in languages other than English offer thought-provoking ideas for the SLW-IS community. Her interview provides a rich source of knowledge for those interested in SLW and language education.
The “Meet the Members” section of our SLW News introduces our trainee editor, Michael C. Mauricio who is a multilingual English teacher and Ph.D. Fellow at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Read his introduction and get to know our new member!
We invite students, teachers, and researchers alike to actively participate in shaping our SLW News by submitting your work. We welcome a diverse range of submissions, and you can find detailed information on what we are looking for in our call for submissions. Don’t hesitate to review the call and share your contributions with us by emailing them to [email protected].
Warm regards,
Svetlana Koltovskaia
Sidury Christiansen
Michael Mauricio
Svetlana Koltovskaia is an Assistant Professor of English and Director of the ESL Academy at Northeastern State University, Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Her research centers around L2 writing, computer-assisted language learning, and L2 assessment. She had her works published in journals like Assessing Writing, ReCall, JALT CALL, and TESL-EJ.
Sidury Christiansen is an Associate Professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She is a Fulbright Scholar and English Language Specialist. Her research centers around issues of digital literacies, sociolinguistics, and transnationality in online spaces. Her publications have appeared in the journals such as Written Communication and TESOL Quarterly. She promotes technology for the enhancement of teaching and learning, especially of second language writing.
Michael Mauricio is a multilingual teacher of English with nine years of teaching experience. He earned his Master of Arts in Education degree with specialization in English Language Teaching from Philippine Normal University, The National Center for Teacher Education, Manila, Philippines. His research interests include language policy and planning, language in STEM education, teacher education, and multilingualism. He is currently doing a Ph.D. in Culture, Literacy and Language at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA).