Abstract
This article presents the findings of an action research project conducted with a group of pre-service teachers of a program in modern languages at a Colombian university. The study intended to go beyond an emphasis on linguistic and textual features in English as a foreign language argumentative essays by using a set of genre-based activities and the understanding of writing as a situated social practice. Data were gathered through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, class recordings, and students’ artifacts. The results showed that genre-based activities supported the participants throughout the experience and boosted their confidence, resulting in a positive attitude towards essay writing. The study highlights the importance of dialogic interaction to provide scaffolding opportunities, of understanding writing as a process, and of the use of samples and explicit instruction to facilitate writing
| Translated title of the contribution | El papel de actividades basadas en géneros en la escritura de ensayos argumentativos en inglés como lengua extranjera |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Pages (from-to) | 127-147 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| Journal | Profile: Issues in Teachers' Professional Development |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| State | Published - 2013 |