Includes bibliographical references.

"Reflecting on Writing: Composing in English for ESL Students in Canada is a process-oriented text for intermediate to advanced students preparing for academic studies in English-speaking settings. It views the teacher as a participant in the student's writing processes, not as an evaluator of the student's work.

Each chapter begins with a reading about writing that is intended to encourage student inquiry into the nature, history, and various uses of writing, and to promote a greater appreciation of its complexities. The reading is followed by activities related to the reading, and a reminder to keep a journal-Learning Record-of work related to the chapter. The Learning Record gives students a chance to review previous work, record their perceptions of the purpose and value of the work, and discuss successes, difficulties, and misunderstandings." (Book Cover)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter One

Reading: Writing and its Uses

Focus on Composing

Writing Experiences
Model: Writing Experience Report
Your Literacy Learning Experiences

Operations in Writing Operations in the Writing Process
Getting Ideas
Four Important Elements of Writing
Model: How the Reading Affects the Writing Process
Talking to Write

Learning Record

Chapter Two

Reading: Learning to Write

Focus on Composing

Developing a First Draft
Model: Finding a Topic
Banking Ideas
To Make an Idea Bank
Model: Making an Idea Bank
Model: The Drafting Derby

Focus on Composing

Generating Ideas
Model: Exploring a Topic

Focus on Language

Facts versus Interpretations
Degrees of Interpretation

Focus on Composition

The Formal Paragraph in English
Two Types of Paragraphs
Model: The Formal Paragraph
The Controlling Idea
Supporting the Controlling Idea

Focus on Language

Using Examples
Signaling Examples

Language Units and Their Functions
Modifying Language Units

Chapter Three

Reading: How Writing Has Shaped Human History

Focus on Composing

Narrowing a Topic
Model: Thinking to Write

Focus on Composing

Describing a Process

Evaluating a Text
Evaluating to Revise
Model: Revising a Process Description
Evaluating by "Unwriting the Text"
Finding the Controlling Idea
Finding Supporting Points
Adding for Balance

Focus on Language
Adding Signals to Show Time Order

Focus on Composing

Two Purposes for Describing a Process
Model: Process Description 2
Revising by Substituting: Changing the Focus
Substituting With the Passive Voice: Depersonalizing the Text

Focus on Language

Forming the Passive
Omitting the Agent

Relative Clauses
One Function of a Relative Clause
Another Function of a Relative Clause
Position of Relative Clauses
"That" in Relative Clauses

Chapter Four

Reading: Recording Information in Non-Literate Societies

Focus on Composing
Other Ways to Depersonalize

Focus on Composition
Unwriting a Larger Text

Focus on Language

Deleting the Relative Pronoun
Prepositions in Relative Clauses

Focus on Composing

Observing the Drafting Process
Model: Thinking During the Drafting Process
Six Types of Thinking

Focus on Composition Levels of Coherence

Focus on Language

Showing Added Information
Internal Addition Signals
Other Addition Signals

Focus on Composing

Revising by Adding

Editing for Parallel Structures
Other Parallel Structures

Adding Explanations

Focus on Language
Signaling Explanations

Chapter Five

Reading: The World's Writing Systems

Focus on Composition

Introduction to the Essay

The Essay
Model: Student Essay The Formal English Essay

Focus on Composing

Writing versus Composing

Composing an Essay
Model: Drafting the Essay Body

Beginning the Writing Process: Narrowing the Topic

Getting Ideas: Making an Idea Bank
Organizing the Essay: Grouping Ideas
Planning the Paragraphs: Reducing the Groups
Finding Controlling Ideas: Naming the Groups
Controlling the Essay Body: Finding an Interpretation
Supporting the Comment: Ordering the Paragraphs
Putting Ideas into Text: Drafting the Essay Body

Focus on Composing
The Thesis Statement

Focus on Language

Showing Causes and Effects: Three Types of Signals
Type 1: Internal Cause-Effect Signals
Type 2: Linking Cause-Effect Signals
Type 3: Prepositional Cause-Effect Signals

Other Cause-Effect Structures
Type 4: Nouns of Cause-Effect
Type 5: Verbs of Cause-Effect

Chapter Six

Reading: The Origins of Writing

Focus on Composition

General versus Specific

Profiling Levels of Detail
Model: One Type of Profile
Model: Another Type of Profile

Focus on Composing

Another Purpose for Profiling
Revising by Adding

Focus on Language

Other Modifying Clauses
Model: Student Essay
Functions of Subordinate Clauses

Focus on Composing

Editing for Sentence Forms
Common Mistakes in Sentence Form

Chapter Seven

Reading: Speaking and Writing

Conversing and Composing

Focus on Composing
Subordinating for Unity

Focus on Language

Four Reductions and the BE Verb
Appositive Reductions
Prepositional Reductions
Adjective Clause Reductions
Adverb Clause Reductions
A Special Group of Verbs
Active Verbs of Reaction
Passive Verbs of Reaction
Common Verbs of Reaction

Focus on Composition

The Information Structure
Model: Topical Structure Analysis

Focus on Composition

The Essay Introduction
Model: Introductory Paragraph

Focus on Composing

Writing the Introductory Paragraph
Model: Drafting the Introduction

Focus on Composition
Analyzing the Introduction: Four Typical Features

Focus on Composing
Developing the Introduction

Chapter Eight

Reading: Differences in Patterns of Writing and Speaking

Focus on Composition
Analyzing the Introductory Paragraph

Focus on Composing
Model: Comparison Idea Bank

Focus on Composition

The Comparison Essay
Three Methods of Comparing

Focus on Composing
Making Comparison Meaningful

Focus on Language

Signaling Similarities and Contrasts
Other Ways to Show Differences and Similarities

Focus on Composition

The Essay Conclusion
Model: Concluding Paragraph

Focus on Composing
Analyzing the Conclusion: Four Typical Features
Writing the Concluding Paragraph

Chapter Nine

Reading: The Composing Problem: Writing and Thinking

Focus on Composing

Arguing a Position
Model: Argument Paragraph
Ordering Points in the Argument

Focus on Composition
Model: Argument Essay
Three Patterns of the Argument Essay

Focus on Language
Showing Concession and Contrast

Focus on Composing

Analyzing the Composing Problem
Tips for Time Management in an Essay Writing Test
Test Writing Time Budget

Focus on Language

Changing Text Focus
Devices for Changing Text Focus

Chapter Ten

Reading: Writing and Power

Focus on Composing

Using Sources in Your Writing
Paraphrasing Sources
Quoting Sources
Citing Sources
Citation Style
Model: Citations
Citing References

Focus on Language
Changing Text Focus
More Devices for Changing Text Focus

Focus on Composing
Evaluating a Formal Essay

Epilogue
Widening the Focus

Appendices
Appendix I: Epigram Credits
Appendix II: Answers to Vocabulary Exercises

Signal Tables
Common Example Signals
Common Signals to Show Time Order
Time Signals Which Combine Two Sentences
Common Signals of Addition
Common Signals of Explanation
Common Cause-Effect Signals
Common Signals of Comparison
Functions of Signal Types
Common Signals to Show Concession and Contrast