Many English-as-a-second-language (ESL) and English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners at the tertiary level face difficulties in academic writing and are eager to make improvements in this area, which is crucial to their academic survival in the university. Yet, in most cases, they tend to have overlooked or even neglected the intricate relationship between reading and writing in a sense that one effective way to improve writing performance is in fact to read extensively and strategically. Also, when reading a text, it is common for students to focus mainly on the content (i.e., identification of information and / or understanding of concepts) rather than the writing style and language use, meaning that they are more like “reading as a reader” than “reading as a writer”. In this regard, the reading process is likely to have limited positive impacts on the enrichment of their writing quality.

In this presentation, the strong bonding between reading and writing as well as the specific differences between "reading as a reader" and "reading as a writer" will first be introduced. Subsequently, there will be a demonstration of how a group of students majoring in Cultural and Religious Studies in a university in Hong Kong was empowered to read as a writer in a training workshop. Some practical tips on effective training will also be shared.

Authors:
Allen Ho, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Allen Ho is a University Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer at The Chinese University of Hong Kong in Hong Kong

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

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