Learning to write in either a first or second language is one of the most difficult tasks a learner encounters and one that few people can be said to fully master. Many native speakers leave school with a poor command of writing. Even at university level, students require further instruction in writing, providing employment for the teams of instructors in college English departments who teach courses in freshman composition. Learning to write well is a difficult and lengthy process, one that induces anxiety and frustration in many learners.

Yet good writing skills are essential to academic success and a requirement for many occupations and professions. In adult life, people's writing needs are both institutional and personal (Davies and Widdowson 1974). Institutional writing is writing produced in a professional or institutional role, such as that of businessperson, teacher, or student, and conforms to institutional conventions. Personal writing includes personal letters and creative writing. In an ESL writing program, purposes are much more restricted. Most school-related writing is destined either for the teacher (e.g., essays, assignments) or for the learners themselves (e.g., notes, summaries). Writing is used either as evidence of successful learning or as a means of learning. Because writing leads to a product that can be examined and reviewed immediately, it provides feedback to the teacher and learner on what has been understood. It can also guide the process of understanding and organizing ideas during reading or listening (Emig 1971).