Who takes care of the teaching of writing in Latin American and Spanish universities?

CARLINO, PAULA

Washington, DC

Congreso; Writing Research Across Borders II International Conference; 2011

George Mason University

This paper has been delivered in the context of a panel presented by members of the international editorial team for the forthcoming book "Writing Programs Worldwide: Profiles of Academic Writing in Many Places", co-edited by Christopher Thaiss (University of California at Davis) and three other scholars including myself. The book is an anthology of essays that describe and analyze the teaching of academic writing as it occurs across disciplines in higher education settings in more than twenty countries on six continents. Scheduled to apperar in 2012, the book will include essays by forty university teachers/scholars who have been instrumental in designing and leading the initiatives to be described and analyzed. The purposes of this anthology include (1) to reveal current trends in the teaching of writing across the disciplines in different countries and cultures, (2) provide structural and procedural models for other institutions, (3) demonstrate how specific initiatives derive from local and regional traditions, needs, and challenges yet also draw on international influences in theory and research. In addition to the forty individualessays, the anthology contains four "section essays" written by the editors. These essays  examine trends and traditions that influence teaching, learning, and literacy in a region. Taking the book as its framework, my presentation at the WRAB II Conference describes seven writing initiatives from Latin American countries and Spain that are represented in the project, including the diversity of programs, program histories, and institutions, as well as the ways in which the editors expect readers will use the information in both the book and the project website on the WAC Clearinghouse. The extended abstract of the complete panel can be downloaded from http://www.writing.ucsb.edu/wrconf11/