Teaching EFL Academic Writing in Colombia: Reflections in Contrastive Rhetoric

Abstract

This essay relates observations to the reasons that advanced students of English as a foreign language in Colombia struggle with English composition. It identifies some cultural, academic, and disciplinary influences that may obfuscate their assimilation of the conventions of written English. It concludes by proposing that the teaching of context awareness would help said students in their writing of academic texts in English.

Keywords

• Contrastive rhetoric
• EFL composition
• pre-service English teacher education
• teaching English as a second language