The Personal Narrative as Cultural Artifact

Written Communication Apr 2002

The Personal Narrative as Cultural Artifact

Brenda Dyer Tokyo Woman's Christian University ; Lee Friederich University of Minnesota System

Abstract

The article explores the purpose and methods of teaching the personal narrative in foreign language classrooms. Following a cross-cultural comparison of the history, purpose, and form of autobiography in first-language contexts in the United States and Japan; a review of the place of personal narrative in second- and foreign-language compo sition theory and practice; and the results from survey research involving 160 Japanese freshman students about high school writing instruction in English, a rationale and methodology for teaching personal narrative to Japanese college students of English is presented. The five-paragraph, thesis-driven personal essay presented in English as a second language/English as a foreign language textbooks is critiqued, with recommendations for a more organic form synthesizing story and essay, as in Barrington's concept of “scene, summary and musing.” The limitations of peer editing are discussed, and the bundan writing workshop is described as an effective alternative.

Journal: Written Communication
Published: 2002-04-01
DOI: 10.1177/074108830201900202
Open Access: Closed
Topics: writing pedagogy empirical research

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (1)

Alexander (2019)

Forwarding Literacy in I Am Malala: Resisting Commodification through Cooperati…

College English

Cites in this index (3)

SILVA et al. (1997)

Broadening the Perspective of Mainstream Composition Studies

Written Communication
Kraemer (1992)

Gender and the Autobiographical Essay: A Critical Extension of the Research

College Composition and Communication
Shen (1989)

The Classroom and the Wider Culture: Identity as a Key to Learning English Comp…

College Composition and Communication

Also cites 14 works outside this index ↓

10.1017/CBO9781139524599

↗
10.2307/357717

↗
10.2307/358238

↗
10.2307/376357

↗
10.1525/9780520912762

↗
10.2307/378230

↗
10.1111/j.1467-1770.1966.tb00804.x

↗
10.1016/1060-3743(92)90013-F

↗
10.1016/S1060-3743(00)00036-9

↗
10.1017/CBO9780511620973

↗
10.1016/1060-3743(93)90006-O

↗
10.2307/358197

↗
10.1016/S1060-3743(99)80112-X

↗
10.1016/S1060-3743(96)90013-2

↗

CrossRef global citation count: 8 View in citation network →