Writing to Read

In chapter 3 "Writing to Read", Hirvela focuses on classroom activities that link reading and writing and that can be beneficial to students. Despite their similarities, reading and writing have distinctive features. In this chapter too, he reviews research on writing-to-read and writing-to-learn. One good example is Eisterhold (1990) synthesis of research on L1 reading-writing connection and the models proposed that can be applied to the L2 reading-writing connection. These are the directional, non-directional and bidirectional models that can be exploited by the L2 teacher as well and especially the directional model. Hivela quotes Eisterhold’s (1990) assertion that “this directional perspective is the relevant one for pedagogical concerns, since it helps teachers decide whether reading should precede writing in the classroom or whether writing should precede reading” (p. 89). In fact, one aspect of this chapter that I found interesting is Hirvela’s sharing his personal experience, although briefly, while writing this chapter. It made more sense to me, and I could conceive of it because I could connect to this practice. The fact that he used writing notes helped him to understand, connect, and organize the readings he used in this chapter. Such an example made the reading-writing connection more tangible and authentic to me because this is a so common practice that we take it for granted. We do indeed write before, during, and after reading even if it is just brief notes, or remarks that help us make connections between what we read and what we already know, or what we’ve read elsewhere, etc. Although slightly different, but in the same line of thought, the scenario that Hirvela once again gives here as to “I’d never yell ‘Good luck!’ at anybody” shows how writing can further and probe reading. “[P]rior writing experience or intuition-may lead almost naturally to the notion that writing, which is a concrete act, begins to make visible the invisible or semi-visible” (Hirvela, 2004, p. 75). Elaboration and making use of our schemata knowledge is one way we can use to connect writing to reading and to expand our imagination that can further and enrich our writing and also reading.

As we are involved in much reading and writing in this program, it’s clear that both serve, advance, and expand one another. When we have to write an assignment, there is no way this can take place if we do not read. As we read, we need to write summaries, annotated bibliographies, connections between readings, etc. and this helps us generate ideas, elaborate on ideas. When we read we often times deconstruct the readings in order to re-construct and co-construct a new reading of those texts through writing.

Also, the writing-for-reading activities that Hirvela proposes in terms of summarizing, synthesizing, and responding (especially journals) can be used in different contexts (L1 or L2), and in different levels (junior, high school, or college level).