The Disciplinary Identity of Second Language Writing

Second language writing has been variously described as a field, as an interdiscipline, and a transdiscipline. Not only are these characterizations of second language writing inaccurate; they are also precarious, fostering an intellectual climate in which other theories and practices emerge as substitutes. In fact, SLW acts as if it were a discipline, so the label discipline makes sense epistemologically and practically. Owning a disciplinary identity strengthens SLW’s theoretical and practical claims and supports researchers, practitioners, graduate students, and above all, multilingual writers.