Making visible the writing for publication process in the teacher-training classroom: An opportunity for developing academic writing and discussing identity issues

LAURA MARINA COLOMBO; GILDA NOTO; TERESA TORRE

Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires

Jornada; IV Jornada de Educación y Traducción E.N.S.L.V. S.B. de Spangenberg: Traductores y Docentes de Lenguas Extranjeras: Su Formación, Saberes y Prácticas; 2015

Escuela Normal Superior en Lenguas Vivas ?Sofía E. B. de Spangenberg?

Writing plays a key role in teacher education not only because in most courses students are asked to produce papers but also because of its intrinsic connection with the acquisition and production of disciplinary knowledge. Even more, effective written communication can be conceived as a key element to boost professional development: teachers who publish contribute to the advancement of their own careers as well as to the development of the profession. However, all the literacy practices that surround the making of a publishable paper are infrequently taught in teacher education institutions and actual opportunities for students to communicate to a real audience are rare. Consequently, teacher trainees often conceptualize publishing as something that only a few gifted people can embark on and they see themselves as mere consumers ?as opposed to potential producers- of knowledge. Attending to this need for pedagogical initiatives that nurture and model writing for publication, we discuss how to help students develop their identities as writers by unveiling the steps involved in disseminating scholar works. Specifically, we show how reading and hearing about the personal experience of published authors allowed them to demystify notions of writing as a gift and gain a real representation of the task. Discovering that writing was a laborious activity even for experienced scholars aided them in coping with anxiety and negative feelings. This made the writing for publishing process more accessible to them. In addition, class discussions based on other people´s anecdotes led to consider issues such as how to develop an authorial voice and forge a professional identity in writing. Thus, by engaging in critically reflective activities about often implicit scholarly literacy practices, students could acquire tools to explore, understand and reflect on their own writing process and professional development.