Casanave, C. P. (2011). Journal writing in second language education. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. 272 pages, paperback.

Journal Writing in Second Language Education by Christine Pearson Casanave is a valuable addition to the well-regarded Michigan Series on Teaching Multilingual Writers, edited by Diane Belcher and Jun Liu. The book’s purpose is to consider its topic in a way that balances research, theory, and classroom pedagogy. This volume might be the first book-length attempt to do so, and it is certainly the most significant engagement with this topic since the Journal Writing edited volume in the Case Studies in TESOL Practice Series (Burton & Carroll, 2001). Designed primarily for classroom use in teacher preparation programs, the main text is amply supported by preview questions, summaries, discussion questions, and suggested activities for each chapter. As one of its main themes is reflection, the book complements other resources on teacher reflection, such as Farrell’s 2012 book, Reflective Writing for Language Teachers.

Readers should keep in mind that this is not a volume to be read from cover to cover. Casanave, herself, advises readers to explore Chapter 1 as an introduction to key purposes and benefits of journal writing in second language education, then read whichever one of Chapters 2–6 addresses the teacher’s immediate objective or context, and finally to use Chapter 7 to think through key questions and issues. In addition, Chapters 2–6 follow a common structure that makes selective browsing easy: Each begins with a rationale explaining the potential benefits of journal writing in different contexts. These justifications are honest and nuanced, as Casanave does not wish to present journals as a “solution to everything” (p. 199). The rationale is followed by four or more classroom examples from the research literature and/or the author’s own experience. These examples are the heart of the book, the means by which Casanave thinks through—and intends her readers to think through—the various dimensions and complexities of journal writing in second language classrooms. The examples are followed by discussions of key issues, such as motivation, translation, grading or evaluation, and connections between journals and more formal academic writing. These discussions are followed by sections on teacher decision-making, procedures, and helpful guidelines and practical suggestions for teachers.

In Chapter 1, Casanave introduces the key issues, presents definitions and characteristics of journals, explains their typical purposes or uses, and deliberates on the distinguishing role of reflection in journal writing. She defines the term “journal” quite broadly, including in her scope not only such well-known forms as dialogue journals, peer journals, and reading response journals, but also research field notes, letters or e-mails, language learning logs, and such digital literacy options as blogs, discussion boards, and the LiveJournal website. What do all these have in common? According to Casanave, these forms share a relatively informal writing style, an emphasis on reflection, and a concern with holistic personal development beyond language learning.

Chapters 2–4 examine journal writing with low-proficiency, intermediate-proficiency, and advanced-proficiency learners. For low-proficiency learners in particular, measurable linguistic gains are difficult to document. Benefits often boil down to regular practice or increased confidence, and some studies show improvements in fluency and self-expression. In general, Casanave stresses the significance of personalized responses from the teacher and recommends looking for qualitative improvements, such as “increases in risk-taking, dramatic flair, detail, and sophistication” (p. 77) rather than gains in grammatical accuracy, vocabulary, and the like.

Chapter 5 addresses journal writing in teacher education and professional development settings, where there are opportunities to reflect, articulate, propose alternatives, ask questions, and recall events more attentively and analytically. For example, Verity (2000), an experienced teacher facing new challenges in Japan, kept a journal to document how she responded to her new cultural and pedagogical context (pp. 146–148). Chapter 5 also includes teacher language learning, which Casanave notes to be sadly infrequent (p. 160). She includes examples on this topic from her own efforts to learn Japanese, a self-study which has since been published in TESOL Quarterly (Casanave, 2012).

Chapter 6 addresses journal writing for research purposes, including keeping journals about research projects and using journals as research data. Several examples are provided that demonstrate the flexibility and richness of using journals as qualitative data to investigate the development of not only language and writing skills, but also of rhetorical-stylistic, reflective, and critical thinking skills.

Chapter 7 brings to the fore certain gray areas and ethical concerns associated with journal writing. For example, while computers and social media need to be part of the discussion, Casanave recognizes the “digital divide” or gap in access to technology as a real barrier. She also presents a substantial five-page discussion of the perceived gender gap in journal writing, that is, the idea that such writing assignments favor female language learners. Other moral issues include: the “fatigue factor” that sets in when journals are overused in courses or programs, plagiarism, and the public-private tension inherent in using a personal genre for class assignments.

A minor limitation to Journal Writing in Second Language Education is that a large preponderance of the examples comes from the United States and Japan. Readers should note, however, that this may reflect the limitations of the published literature. A surprising number of the examples also come from the 1990s, which does not affect the quality of the discussion but does raise the question of future directions for research in this area. Is research on journal writing in second language education stalled? What might researchers fruitfully explore next on this topic? The book does not adequately address this question.

Nonetheless, these are relatively minor limitations to an overall excellent book. Its strengths include its reader- and classroom-friendly organization, a willingness to explore the literature on journal writing in L1 composition classes, the author’s extensive experience using journals in her own teaching (sample assignments are provided in an appendix), and a highly effective emphasis on teacher decision-making (as opposed to treating journals primarily as a “method”). In summary, Journal Writing in Second Language Education is an indispensable book on a vital pedagogical topic.

References

Burton, J., & Carroll, M. (Eds.). (2001). Journal writing. Alexandria, VA: TESOL International Association.

Casanave, C. P. (2012). Diary of a dabbler: Ecological influences on an EFL teacher’s efforts to study Japanese informally. TESOL Quarterly, 46, 642–670.

Farrell, T. S. C. (2012). Reflective writing for language teachers. Sheffield, UK: Equinox.

Verity, D. P. (2000). Side affects: The strategic development of professional satisfaction. In J. P. Lantolf (Ed.), Sociocultural theory and second language learning (pp. 179–197). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Bradley Baurain is assistant professor of applied linguistics and English at Briercrest College in Saskatchewan, Canada. His professional interests include moral and spiritual issues in education, teacher development, narrative inquiry, and second language writing. Among his recent publications is a book coedited with Phan Le Ha, Voices, Identities, Negotiations, and Conflicts: Writing Academic English Across Cultures. Other publications may be viewed at http://briercrest.academia.edu/BradleyBaurain.