Introduction

Although many aspects of language can be addressed in independent language learning (ILL) settings, it is writing that lends itself most naturally to individual practice. Whereas speaking and listening, for example, normally occur ‘in the company of one or more individuals, writing is usually a solitary activity. Students can complete written tasks by themselves’ (Chastain, 1988: 248). This would seem to suggest that the discussion of writing in ILL contexts is relatively straightforward. However, this is not necessarily the case. The difficulty in discussing second language (L2) writing in general may be that it is historically the skill that receives the least attention in the second language classroom context (Lally, 2000a; Valdés et al., 1992) and is often treated as a support skill rather than an essential component of second language competence (Scott, 1996). Even within the field of language learning strategies, writing may receive a secondary role. For example, many of the cognitive strategies applied specifically to writing, such as note taking, summarising and highlighting (Oxford, 1990), are writing strategies that support listening and reading comprehension rather than the development of L2 writing competence. Therefore, the question of how we define L2 writing in general and how we discuss strategy use in L2 writing contexts is complicated by the place historically occupied by writing in L2 instruction.

This chapter aims to present a clear description of the theoretical background of the L2 writing process and strategy use in L2 writing in order to discuss both effectively in ILL contexts. It treats L2 writing as a skill to be learned rather than simply support for language learning in general.