The Interaction of Theory, Philosophy, and Practice in ESL Writing Conferences - Report on a Writing Conference Program

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by SANS

The report examines how TESOL conferencing theory becomes effective classroom practice through a writing conference program for 250 prematriculated ESL students in an Intensive English Program. Teachers used a theory-driven, nondirective philosophy with holistic, level-appropriate feedback and minimal emphasis on grammar during 1-on-1 sessions held five times per semester. Although teachers generally followed the philosophy, their practices diverged in conference purposes, grammar feedback, and reflective methods for shaping instruction. Analyzing these deviations allows reconsideration of the philosophy so it more accurately and inclusively describes real practice.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Writing Conference History and Background: A Rationale

Institutional Perspective and Administrative Concerns

GRANT ECKSTEIN University of California, Davis The Interaction of Theory, Philosophy, and Practice in ESL Writing Conferences TESOL theory is intended to inform teacher practice, but studying what teachers actually do in a given teaching context can sometimes lead to better theory. This report illustrates an area in which practice informed theory in the context of 1-on-1 writing conferences for prematriculated ESL writers. This report describes the creation and implementation of a writing conference program for 250 prematriculated students at an Intensive English Program (IEP) with language proficiencies ranging from high-beginning to low-advanced. The theory-driven philosophy of conferencing encouraged teachers to meet 1-on-1 with their writing students 5 times during a semester to provide holistic, nondirective, level-appropriate feedback on student writing and to de-emphasize grammar instruction in these interactions. While teachers largely followed this philosophical direction, they also made modifications that were not entirely expected. Specifically, teacher practice deviated from conferencing philosophy in terms of the purposes of conferences, the role of grammar feedback, and the use of reflective practices to shape classroom instruction. Confronting these unexpected areas of teacher practice to learn from them rather than remove them allowed the writing conference program to thrive. It also pointed to areas where the writing conference philosophy, and its theoretical underpinnings, could be reevaluated to become more descriptive and inclusive of actual practice. This report also provides insights other theorists and practitioners may find valuable in establishing their own writing conference programs. Introduction After finishing my MA degree in TESOL, I took a faculty position in the Linguistics and English Language Department at Brigham Young University as the writing coordinator for the university’s Intensive English Program (IEP) . My first major administrative assignment was to create a writing conference program (WCP) for the IEP’s 250 students in which every writing teacher would meet with his or her students in face-to-face writing conferences 5 times per semester. Creating this program was a major undertaking 174 • The CATESOL Journal 24.1 • 2012/2013 requiring a broad infrastructure that included a training approach, a program philosophy drawing on current TESOL theories of conferencing, and a commitment from teachers and students to balance the needs and expectations of students, teachers, and administrators. Ultimately the WCP was a success, though teacher practice did not always reflect the theory and philosophy on which the WCP was based. This report focuses on how the theory-driven conferencing philosophy was translated into actual practice and how that practice in turn reinformed the theory. Specifically, this report looks at: 1. How teachers implemented the writing conference program; 2. How this implementation aligned with the theory-driven WCP philosophy; and 3. How this relationship between practice and philosophy informed writing conference theory. Studies such as this, which investigate areas of theory-practice alignment, can ideally lead to better TESOL theory, practice, and teacher training. And while the purpose of this report is to investigate areas of theory-practice alignment in order to improve TESOL theory and practice, TESOL administrators also may be interested in the design and development of an intensive WCP for its own sake. Writing Conference History and Background: A Rationale While classroom-based writing conferences are a relatively new response technique for second language writers, they have been a part of composition instruction for more than 100 years (Lerner, 2005) . They were introduced in the 1890s (Baldwin, 1894) and by the 1920s were widely used in American universities (Beck, 1929; Shipherd, 1926) . Their implementation was not altogether

FAQs

What is the main focus of the report?

It focuses on how a theory-driven conferencing philosophy was translated into actual teacher practice and how that practice, in turn, reinformed writing conference theory.

How was the writing conference program implemented in the Intensive English Program?

Teachers met 1-on-1 with 250 prematriculated ESL students five times during a semester, providing holistic, nondirective, level-appropriate feedback on student writing.

In what ways did teacher practice differ from the intended conferencing philosophy?

Teacher practice deviated regarding the purposes of conferences, the role of grammar feedback, and the use of reflective practices to shape classroom instruction.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by SANS