On February 6, 2025, the CTRW and Language Institute co-hosted Julia Goetze and Mathilde Garnier who shared their work on “Understanding Emotional Well-Being in the Teaching of Writing.” Their recent research examines the underlying psychological processes that affect writing teachers’ emotional well-being in the workplace.
We asked Julia and Mathilde to share some thoughts about writing more broadly in their personal and professional lives.
What role does writing play in your life? This could be professionally, academically, personally, or all of the above! What does writing look like for you?
Julia: In general, I associate writing with being focused and, ideally, being in a state of flow (to borrow a term from positive psychology). Writing probably plays the most prominent role in my professional life as a researcher. In this context, I think about writing mainly as a medium of thought and communication. One of the most intellectually rewarding activities for me is thinking through a theoretical or empirical problem in written form, working out which words most accurately capture my thoughts and make them accessible to others.
Mathilde: As a graduate student, I write a lot for professional and academic purposes. However, writing plays an important part in my personal life as well. I enjoy journaling and use writing primarily as a space for self-reflection and personal growth. I’ve always found writing more pleasant than speaking (I know it’s an uncommon view!), because writing allows me to fully express complex thoughts and emotions. I often find answers and solutions to academic or personal challenges that I’m grappling with through writing.
What do you hope your research contributes to the conversation on writing or the teaching of writing?
Julia: My research mainly focuses on how language teacher psychologies impact their instructional behaviors and student learning. While instructional behaviors include the teaching of writing, this is not (yet) a primary focus in my work. Nevertheless, I hope that my research helps to create a conversational space for recognizing (writing) teachers’ humanity and the role of their individual differences in writing instruction. Additionally, I hope that my work highlights the emotional and cognitive complexity of the (writing) classroom and the resulting demands on the (writing) teacher. I see such conversations as a necessary foundation to identify and address (writing) teachers’ support needs.
Mathilde: My research on second language (L2) teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching and assessing writing aims to support their professional, emotional, and personal well-being. Many TAs find teaching writing—especially in a second language—taxing, often grappling with self-doubt about their own writing abilities and expertise. Additionally, recent research suggests that professional development for L2 writing instructors remains limited — as I’ve also experienced myself as a French TA. I hope my research highlights these challenges and sparks discussions on improving teacher training, ensuring L2 writing instructors feel confident, prepared, and supported in their roles, ultimately enhancing their well-being and sense of belonging in the profession.
What do you want to know about writing?
Julia: I am very fascinated by the cognitive processes that underlie writing and have spent much time reading about cognitive models of writing. One aspect I’d like to know more about in this context are the interactions between the task environment of a writer and the writer’s internal processes. The interaction of internal and external variables has always fascinated me. Relatedly, I would like to know more about how writers formulate writing goals and how these goals are dynamically adjusted as a function of the interaction between writer internal and external factors.
Mathilde: Since my focus is on (teaching) L2 writing, I’m primarily interested in how students navigate the writing process in a foreign language. Specifically, I’m interested in students’ emotional experiences and how their multiple identities manifest through writing in another language. Additionally, I’m interested in L2 writing pedagogy more generally and enjoy learning about effective approaches to teaching writing in a second language.
What values inform your writing? Your teaching of writing? How do you practice those values in your writing or teaching?
Julia: The belief in writing as a process shapes the way I approach my own writing and the teaching of writing. In my own writing, I first verbalize thoughts in the written modality and pay less attention to careful word choice or form. I always allot time to work through these rough drafts of thought and revise them in accordance with genre type, intended audience, and communicative purpose. In my teaching, I always employ a two-draft approach and utilize peer-review in my classroom. My tasks clearly outline context, genre (including generic stages), and communicative purpose, and audience to scaffold student success.
Mathilde: I see writing as a process of truth-seeking, self-expression and discovery. Therefore, I think it’s important for students to express their own voice and style in their writing. While certain conventions must be followed, I believe that writing should ultimately be a space for self-expression. In my French class, I strive to empower students by emphasizing that their writing doesn’t have to be perfect—what matters most is that their voice comes through and that they express their ideas in their own words.
Julia Goetze is Assistant Professor of German and Second Language Acquisition, U –Madison, Department of German, Nordic, and Slavic+. Julia received her Ph.D. from Georgetown University in 2018, completed a PostDoc at WashU (St. Louis), and worked as a German language program coordinator at Penn State before joining the faculty at UW-Madison in 2022. Her research examines the role of psychological variables in language learning and teaching
Mathilde Garnier is a PhD Candidate in Second Language Acquisition at UW-Madison & Graduate Teaching Assistant for French. She holds a B.A. in English from University Paris XII and an M.A. in French Studies from the University of Arizona. Her research focuses on L2 teacher psychology, particularly how beliefs shape classroom practices and professional development, with a focus on L2 writing.