ESL Writers Discuss Plagiarism: The Social Construction of Ideologies

Abstract

This paper has evolved out of six years of continuous research into issues of plagiarism among ESL writers. The current study explores group discussions among ESL students and teachers, demonstrating that, through interaction with more experienced peers and instructors, students can negotiate and co-construct their notions of plagiarism by working in their zones of proximal development (Vygotsky 1978). We conclude that such socially situated discourse is necessary for students to grasp and reach generally agreed-upon definitions of, and beliefs and attitudes toward, such complex academic issues as plagiarism.