A Plurilingual Proposal on Balancing Product Approach and Process Approach to Enhance Academic Writing Skills in Secondary Education

Abstract

[eng] Our master’s thesis has a focus on the improvement of academic writing skills in secondary education in the Balearic Islands. Hence, we introduce the following novel contributions in the field of writing at a secondary level to improve academic writing skills: the balancing of product approach and process approach and the collaborative teaching between the teachers of –at least theoretically– first language (L1) subjects (i.e. Spanish and Catalan) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The plurilingual approach of our teaching proposal is paramount to develop academic writing skills in secondary education to, if possible, encourage writing transfer from one language to another present in the curriculum. To do so efficiently, we have combined the use of the product approach and process approach in all language subjects. This is due to the introduction and further practice of writing strategies, tackling both the acquisition of language accuracy (as in product) and the development of critical thinking (as in process). These two writing aspects are key to better enhance academic writing in both L1 and EFL composition in secondary education and in students’ future professional career.