Written Communication Jan 2026 Open Access

Writing Instruction for Adult L2-Learners: A Case Study From Three Swedish Classrooms

Clara Palm University of Gothenburg ; Ann-Christin Randahl University of Gothenburg ; Liss Kerstin Sylvén University of Gothenburg

Abstract

This article reports a case study of teachers’ enactment of writing instruction for adult learners in Swedish as a second language at lower secondary level in municipal education. It highlights instructional practices and discourses surrounding writing in three classrooms. The analysis centers on literacy events initiated by teachers to support adult learners’ final individual assignments. Data consist of classroom observations (24 hours) and informal interviews with teachers. The findings reveal that teachers adopt different positions in their teaching. There are varying levels of support for students, with varying numbers of literacy events occurring both inside and outside the classroom. Teachers universally adjust their methods based on contextual factors, including diverse student groups, local agreements on content, and time constraints, raising questions about equality. Furthermore, a text-focused approach prioritizes templates and models over content. As a result, writing assignments emphasize genre awareness rather than personal views, thoughts, or experiences. In sum, teachers' pedagogical choices in writing instruction are shaped by their beliefs about writing, learning to write, and contextual factors. These differences in teaching practices seem to provide students with partly unequal opportunities for writing development. This is further elaborated in the discussion.

Journal
Written Communication
Published
2026-01-01
DOI
10.1177/07410883251372219
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Topics
genre theory writing pedagogy teacher development qualitative research literacy studies
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