Writing teachers’ perceptions of the presence and needs of second language writers: An institutional case study

First-year composition in U.S. higher education has been a major site of L2 writing research. Despite the historical division between mainstream first-year composition and L2 writing, there has been an increasing interest in integrating insights from L2 writing research into the professional literature in rhetoric and composition and writing program administration. Yet, a majority of composition courses are taught by those who are not specialists in these fields, and their level of awareness is yet to be examined. To investigate writing teachers’ perceptions of the presence and needs of L2 writers, we conducted a perception survey of teachers of both mainstream and L2 sections of first-year composition courses. The findings show that writing teachers do recognize the presence and needs of L2 writers, and more than a few teachers were enthusiastic about working with this student population. At the same time, many teachers—including those who taught L2 writing sections—did not make any special provisions to address the unique needs of L2 writers. The findings also show that teachers’ ability to address L2 writers’ needs were constrained by program policies, lack of common teaching and assessment materials, and professional preparation opportunities. This study suggests the need to better understand the specific needs of teachers in order to address the needs of their students.

► A survey examined composition teachers’ perceptions of L2 writers’ presence and needs.
► Findings show that writing teachers are aware of L2 writers’ presence and needs.
► Program policies constrained the teachers’ ability to address student needs.
► Common teaching materials and professional preparation are also useful.
► This study suggests the need to better understand the teachers’ needs.