Academic writing in English: process and product: a question of priorities?

Throughout the educational system, and higher education is certainly no exception, the focus has all too often been on the final product and the grade awarded rather than what the student learns as part of the writing process. As a consequence, students’ ability to write tends to stagnate once the basic skills have been mastered. Based on the view that the goal of higher education must be life-long learning, this article proposes a method of teaching writing in English that enables students to produce a variety of texts, from short essays, to doctoral theses, using a concise and correct style (Giltrow, Burgoyne, Gooding & Swaatsky, 2005). The method, known as process writing, focuses attention on the different elements of a text, their mutual relations, and the language and style in which these should be expressed. Process writing can be usefully combined with peer reviewing. Both methods are interactive: the teacher stimulates students "in performing and reflecting on learning activities, which lead them towards independent thinking and writing" (Riljaarsdam, Couzijn & van den Berg, 1996, pp. ix-xviii) by dividing the writing task into identifiable stages (process writing) and critiquing other students’ writing (peer reviewing). Process writing and peer reviewing take account of all capacities. More importantly, they facilitate students’ ability to analyse their own and others’ work.