The article explores the purpose and methods of teaching the personal narrative in foreign language classrooms. Following a cross-cultural comparison of the history, purpose, and form of autobiography in first-language contexts in the United States and Japan; a review of the place of personal narrative in second- and foreign-language compo sition theory and practice; and the results from survey research involving 160 Japanese freshman students about high school writing instruction in English, a rationale and methodology for teaching personal narrative to Japanese college students of English is presented. The five-paragraph, thesis-driven personal essay presented in English as a second language/English as a foreign language textbooks is critiqued, with recommendations for a more organic form synthesizing story and essay, as in Barrington's concept of “scene, summary and musing.” The limitations of peer editing are discussed, and the bundan writing workshop is described as an effective alternative.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Arai, M. (2000, February 12). Riled to distraction by random thoughts. Asahi Evening News, p. 6-6.
2.
Ballard, B., & Clancy, J. (1991). Assessment by misconception: Cultural influences and intellectual traditions. In L. Hamp Lyons (Ed.), Assessing second language writing in academic contexts (pp. 19-36). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
3.
Barrington, J. (1997). Writing the memoir. Portland, OR: The Eighth Mountain Press.
4.
Benhabib, S. (1992). Feminism and the question of postmodernism. In Situating the self: Gender, community, and postmodernism in contemporary ethics (pp. 202-239). New York: Routledge.
5.
Connor, U. (1996). Contrastive rhetoric: Cross-cultural aspects of second language writing. New York: Cambridge University Press.
6.
Connors, R. J. (1987). Personal writing assignments. College Composition and Communication, 38, 166-183.
7.
Faigley, L. (1989). Judging writing, judging selves. College Composition and Communication, 40, 395-412.
8.
Flower, L. (1979). Writer-based prose: Acognitive basis for problems in writing. College English, 41, 19-37.
9.
Fowler, E. (1988). The rhetoric of confession. Berkeley: University of California Press.
10.
Harris, W. V. (1996). Reflections of the peculiar status of the personal essay. College English, 58, 934-953.
11.
Hinds, J. (1987). Reader versus writer responsibility. In U. Connor & R. B. Kaplan (Eds.), Writing across languages: Analysis of L2 text (pp. 141-152). Reading, MA: Addison- Wesley.
12.
Hinds, J. (1990). Inductive, deductive, quasi-inductive: Expository writing in Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Thai. In U. Connor & A. M. Johns (Eds.), Coherence in writing: Research and pedagogical perspectives (pp. 89-102). Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.
13.
Hirayanagi, Y. (1998). Writing to improve analytical and organizational skills. The Language Teacher, 22(12), 21-23.
14.
Indrasuta, C. (1988). Narrative styles in the writing of Thai and American students. In A. C. Purves (Ed.), Writing across languages and cultures: Issues in contrastive rhetoric(pp. 206-226). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
15.
Kaplan, R. B. (1966). Cultural thought patterns in intercultural education. Language Learning, 16, 1-20.
16.
Keene, D. (1993). Seeds in the heart: Japanese literature from earliest times to the late sixteenth century. New York: Henry Holt.
17.
Kitagawa, M., & Kitagawa, C. (1987). Making connections with writing: An expressive writing model in Japanese schools. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
18.
Kraemer, D. J., Jr. (1992). Gender and the autobiographical essay: Acritical extension of the research. College Composition and Communication, 43, 323-339.
19.
Langan, J. (1992). College writing skills. New York: McGraw-Hill.
20.
Liebman, J. D. (1992). Toward a new contrastive rhetoric: Differences between Arabic and Japanese rhetorical instruction. Journal of Second Language Writing, 1, 141-166.
21.
Martin, J. R., & Rothery, J. (1986). What a functional approach can show teachers. In B. Bouture (Ed.), Functional approaches to writing: Research perspectives (pp. 241-265). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
22.
Matsuda, P. K. (2001). Voice in Japanese written discourse: Implications for second language writing. Journal of Second Language Writing, 10, 35-53.
23.
Maynard, S. K. (1998). Principles of Japanese discourse. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
24.
McKay, S. L. (1993). Examining L2 composition ideology: A look at literacy. Journal of Second Language Writing, 2, 65-81.
25.
Personal Narratives Group. (1989). Interpreting women's lives. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
26.
Peterson, L. H. (1991). Gender and the autobiographical essay: Research perspectives, pedagogical practices. College Composition and Communication, 42, 170-183.
27.
Priestley, J. B. (Ed.). (1925). Essayists past and present: A selection of English essays. Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press.
28.
Prince, E. (1994). Write more. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
29.
Ramanathan, V., & Atkinson, D. (1999). Individualism, academic writing, and ESLwriters. Journal of Second Language Writing, 8, 45-75.
30.
Ramanathan, V., & Kaplan, R. B. (1996). Audience and voice in current L1 composition texts: Some implications for ESL student writers. Journal of Second Language Writing, 5, 21-34.
31.
Rosenwalk, G., & Ochberg, R. (Eds.). (1992). Storied lives. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
32.
Ruetten, M. (1997). Developing composition skills. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
33.
Shen, F. (1989). The classroom and the wider culture: Identity as a key to learning English composition. College Composition and Communication, 40, 459-466.
34.
Silva, T., Leki, I., & Carson, J. (1997). Broadening the perspective of mainstream composition studies. Written Communication, 14, 398-428.
35.
Smith, S., & Watson, J. (1998). Women, autobiography, theory: A reader. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.
36.
Soter, A. (1988). The second language learner and cultural transfer in narration. In A. C. Purves (Ed.), Writing across languages and cultures: Issues in contrastive rhetoric(pp. 177-205). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
37.
Suzuki, T. (1996). Narrating the self: Fictions of Japanese modernity. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
38.
Takagi, A. (2001). The need for change in English writing instruction in Japan. The Language Teacher, 25(7), 5-9.
39.
Warner, J. S., Hillard, J., & Piro, V. (Eds.). (1991). Visions across the Americas: Short essays for composition. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace.
