Studying the Process of Writing in a Foreign Language: An Overview of the Methods

This paper provides an overview of the methods adopted in researching the process of writing in a foreign and second language. Cognitively informed research tends to adopt verbal protocols as a primary method of investigation. In contrast, sociocultural theoretical frameworks typically focus on collaborative writing tasks to elicit data. This overview argues for the need to adopt methods consistent with a sociocultural perspective in studying individual writing tasks.