TESL Canada Journal

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This paper first discusses the principle of intentional learning then reports on a case study investigating the application of this principle to instruction in ESL writing. Twenty, young adult ESL students of engineering were asked to select goals for their writing development, to monitor their attempts to achieve these goals during writing tasks, and to assess their learning achievements. Data collected from students' reports, think-aloud protocols, and analyses of achievement in composition writing indicate that most learners were able to use this form of learning to make discernable achievements in their writing proficiency. The instructional design used to promote intentional learning in the ESL writing course is described. Implications for ESL instruction and theories of learning are discussed.