Curricula for ESL writing instruction: Options in the AMEP and internationally

This article discusses four issues central to instructors’ conceptualisations of curricula for ESL writing instruction, citing findings from interviews with 48 highly skilled instructors of ESL writing in settlement and university programs in countries where English is the dominant language (Australia, Canada, New Zealand) or where English is an international language (Hong Kong, Japan, and Thailand). Focusing on curriculum options in the AMEP, I show how the program in Australia has taken comparatively unique approaches to ESL writing curricula in terms of: (1) theoretical foundations, (2) the integration of curriculum components, (3) the specificity or generality of curriculum purposes, and (4) variability in assessment.