Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Book Review: Engaging Writing, by Mary Fitzpatrick
Engaging Writing, by Mary Fitzpatrick (Pearson Longman, ISBN 0-13-140889-5) is intended for high-intermediate to advanced ESL writers trying to break out into mainstream composition classes (and there are a lot of them!). It follows the traditional layout of most such books, of almost any writing level: an example essay to discuss, some explanation, and some practice. The rhetorical strategies (which begin with exposition, continue on to cause-and-effect, and end with argumentation) are familiar as well.
So what makes Engaging Writing stand out in a well-populated field? In many respects this book does the same thing as every other writing textbook in this category. However, the pre-writing sections in each chapter are admirably clear and easy to use. These are a strength. Many students will benefit from the numerous “Review and Revise” boxes, each focusing on one editing task. Also, additional resources in Engaging Writing include generous appendices with grammatical resources, ideal as references for students.
Some aspects of the book are more puzzling, such as its focus on its intended audience. Engaging Writing posits itself as an “academic writing” text. Yet there are few instances of such writing in the book itself; it would have made sense to have included more examples of academic and professional writing as sample essays. The book’s first sample writing is by Anne Frank (thus a translation, and a dubious candidate for emulation) and describes rummaging for a lost pen. Yet is this the kind of writing we expect our students to produce at the high-intermediate/advanced level?
Also, the transition from paragraph to essay is unannounced, even though this represents a quantum leap of complexity for students, in terms of opportunity for development, and the need for greater structural control.
Conclusion: Average
So what makes Engaging Writing stand out in a well-populated field? In many respects this book does the same thing as every other writing textbook in this category. However, the pre-writing sections in each chapter are admirably clear and easy to use. These are a strength. Many students will benefit from the numerous “Review and Revise” boxes, each focusing on one editing task. Also, additional resources in Engaging Writing include generous appendices with grammatical resources, ideal as references for students.
Some aspects of the book are more puzzling, such as its focus on its intended audience. Engaging Writing posits itself as an “academic writing” text. Yet there are few instances of such writing in the book itself; it would have made sense to have included more examples of academic and professional writing as sample essays. The book’s first sample writing is by Anne Frank (thus a translation, and a dubious candidate for emulation) and describes rummaging for a lost pen. Yet is this the kind of writing we expect our students to produce at the high-intermediate/advanced level?
Also, the transition from paragraph to essay is unannounced, even though this represents a quantum leap of complexity for students, in terms of opportunity for development, and the need for greater structural control.
Conclusion: Average
