Podcasting of Workplace Writing among Transitional Writers in Malaysia

Abstract

Studies observe that workplace writing is unlike writing experiences of undergraduates at the university (Sidy, 1999). Workplace writing is influenced by professional documents. University writing classes often fail to prepare students for the workplace writing. The term of transitional writers in this context refers to undergraduates in their final semesters of diploma and degree courses that have undergone academic writing classes. It is imperative for transitional writers to be immersed in authentic workplace contexts which allow them to experience workplace writing genres with the guidance of communities of practice. Transitional writers learn to write to the expectations of their future employers which increase their proficiency in workplace writing. This authentic professional context is constructed using podcasting as a learning object to assist successful transfer of effective workplace written literacy as transitional writers need to have sufficient workplace written proficiency to cater to the workplace written literacy demands. This paper discusses the feasibility of using podcasts in promoting workplace writing among transitional writers.
Key words: College writers; Podcasts; Feasibility; Workplace writing; Academic writing; Challenges; College writing; Transitional writers