The Study of Revision As a Writing Process and as a Learning-to-Write Process

Abstract

This chapter analyzes revision as a component of the writing process and as a tool for learning to write. We explore the field of revision via three excursions. The first excursion is undertaken to define revision. It is suggested that in writing research, revision should be reserved for the intentional, reflective activity during and after writing which the writer implements to improve the text. This definition excludes making transformations or other operations on pretext. A second excursion concerns the question as to why revision has received so much attention from writing researchers. The validity of making inferences from text changes about writing processes is questioned. In the last excursion, we take the reader through the landscape of writing instruction: what difficulties do teachers and learners need to overcome to learn to write? What role can be played by revision activities? For both revision as a writing process and revision as a learning-to-write process, we propose a prospective research agenda. We conclude with some methodological considerations.