Abstract
The dominant approaches to studying multilingual writing have been hampered by monolingualist assumptions that conceive literacy as a unidirectional acquisition of language competence, preventing us from fully understanding the resources multilinguals bring to their texts. According to the monolingualist assumption, writing in a second language mimics the process of writing in the first language. Therefore, the processes by which native speakers of English develop proficiency in writing English can be applied to explain the routes multilinguals should take to become proficient writers in English. This process of development is assumed to take place (or expected to take place) without any involvement from the other languages one speaks. At best, the competence of the multilingual is considered additive-that is, one language competence added to competence in another, each remaining distinct and whole.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Cross-Language Relations in Composition |
| Publisher | Southern Illinois University Press |
| Pages | 158-179 |
| Number of pages | 22 |
| ISBN (Print) | 0809329824, 9780809329823 |
| State | Published - Dec 1 2010 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Social Sciences(all)