Discourse resources in discussions of student writing: Another look at the speaking–writing connection

The social interactions surrounding the act of composing have often been theorized as microcosms of teaching, as sites where the effects of talk are intensified, and where dialogic discourse, or internal speech made explicit, promotes learning. Although the importance of the voice and agency are recognized, and their influence often implicitly acknowledged, research on the speaking–writing connection has yet to incorporate a translingual approach that gives attention to agency and voice. This study attempts to address voice and agency in a two‐part discussion between a bilingual teacher and her Taiwanese undergraduate during a writing lab in an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) class. Discursive strategies for asserting agency and giving it voice are employed to create a shared dialogic context for reviewing, evaluating, and revising a written draft. A translingual approach to understanding the problem of dialogic context for supporting literacy practices creates both obstacles and supports for realizing the potential of dialogic interaction.