From Reading to Writing Argumentative Texts: Strategies as a Bridge

Abstract

Reading and Writing differ in accordance with the position of the learner and depend on the process of retrieving ideas from the text or formulating ideas into a written text.  Reading process becomes a writing process when it turns from a receptive skill into a productive one. Wittrock (1989, p. 347) explains that “These well-known differences are summarized best by the commonly accepted belief that writing is the process of putting meaning on written pages, whereas reading is the process of getting meaning from the written pages”.  Nevertheless, and despite the different aspects of the two skills, a large and growing body of the literature has investigated and highlighted the existence of common points and the conversion from Reading to Writing.   This paper investigated the conversion of Receptive strategies into productive strategies in the writing of argumentative essays by 147 Tunisian University students.  Results revealed the strong connection of the two sets of strategies and recommends teachers to raise students’ awareness of the latter to enhance their proficiency level. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship and connection between Reading and Writing in English as a Foreign Language context, and more particularly in the Tunisian University Setting. This study argues in favor of focusing on that connection while teaching Reading and Writing argumentative texts to non-native speakers.