Writing in Late Immersion Biology and History Classes in Hong Kong

Authors

  • Stella Kong Hong Kong Institute of Education Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/wap.v2i1.13

Keywords:

second language writing, l2 teacher education, immersion education, content-area writing, copying and plagiarizing

Abstract

Previous research has shown that late immersion education in Hong Kong is not achieving the dual curriculum goals of content and second language learning which a late immersion curriculum can expect. This article presents a case study of writing in four late English immersion classes in Hong Kong, two in Biology and two in History, examining whether and how some of the teaching and learning processes with respect to writing support content and language learning. The study analyzed 285 samples of student writing using a writing analysis framework that reflects features of both content and language learning. The writing analysis, along with contextual data from teacher and student interviews and a teacher questionnaire, indicate that students demonstrate little content and language learning in their writing. The data suggest that the writing pedagogy adopted may partly explain the unsatisfactory learning outcomes. A major reason for adoption of the pedagogy seems to lie in the teachers’ and students’ views of the role of copying and memorization in writing and in learning, views which are characteristic of the Chinese educational context. Implications for writing teacher education within an immersion curriculum where the immersion language is from a different educational culture are discussed.

Author Biography

  • Stella Kong, Hong Kong Institute of Education

    Stella Kong completed her PhD in English at the City University of Hong Kong. She is an Associate Professor of the Department of English, Hong Kong Institute of Education. Her teaching and research interests are in content-based language teaching and writing across the curriculum.

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Published

2010-06-11

Issue

Section

Research Matters

How to Cite

Kong, S. (2010). Writing in Late Immersion Biology and History Classes in Hong Kong. Writing and Pedagogy, 2(1), 13-38. https://doi.org/10.1558/wap.v2i1.13

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