Abstract
Abstract
This entry is a synthesis of theoretical and empirical developments on the connection between writing and language learning. It starts by tracing the origins of this strand in original postulations of the language learning potential of writing that were based on empirical findings in both laboratory conditions and classroom settings. This is followed by a synthesis of those lines of research that are more closely linked to ISLA concerns, namely, task modality and task complexity studies, on the one hand, and research on learning effects of the provision and engagement with written corrective feedback, on the other. The entry finishes with suggestions for future research that pursues implications for teaching. It is concluded that this future pedagogically relevant work on the language learning potential of writing should adopt more ecologically valid research approaches as well as measure learning through writing over time, which will entail the conduct of longitudinal research. Given also the attested complex range and interaction of variables that play a role in the connection between writing and language learning, it is also concluded that future studies will require more complex research designs.