Using a Modified Dictogloss to Improve English as a Second Language Learners’ use of Genre-appropriate Conventions and Style Lam Ting Chun and Scott Aubrey Faculty of Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Abstract This article explores the potential for using a modified dictogloss task to improve ESL learners’ use of genre-appropriate conventions and genre-appropriate style in the context of genre-based instruction for writing. Dictogloss has been traditionally used to enhance learners’ focus on lexical and grammatical features through discussions during the joint reconstruction of a text. The inno- vation of the current practice lies in its application to teach generic aspects specific to a particular text type, such as formatting, register, and organization. This practice is potentially important as it is a meaningful, productive task that raises learners’ awareness of genre-related features of writing – an often-neglected but important aspect of learning to write. This practice was carried out in a secondary ESL classroom in Hong Kong, and the evaluation was based on an analysis of improve- ments in learners’ genre-specific conventions and genre-specific style. Implications of this practice are discussed in terms of the possibilities for using model texts in dictogloss tasks within a genre- based approach to writing. Keywords Dictogloss, ESL, genre, genre-based instruction, Second language writing Reason for the Innovation Learning to write in a second or foreign language is replete with challenges (Richards, 2002). In second language learning contexts, student writers tend to focus on lower order concerns, such as grammatical accuracy and precise vocabulary choice, as writing is often used as a means for language practice (Ortega, 2009). Writing instruction in the English as a Second Language (ESL) context of Hong Kong, where the current Corresponding author: Lam Ting Chun, Faculty of Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Room 313, Ho Tim Building, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong. Email: lamtc@link.cuhk.edu.hk Innovations in Practice RELC Journal 1–11 © The Author(s) 2021 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/00336882211045783 journals.sagepub.com/home/rel