The 2015 Symposium on Second Language Writing will take place 19-21 November, 2015, at AUT University, Auckland, New Zealand. The theme, Learning to write for academic purposes: Advancing theory, research and practice, will focus on advancing our knowledge and understanding of what is involved in learning to write for the many and varied academic purposes that second language (L2) writers encounter while studying in educational settings and working in various professions and workplaces.

The importance of the theme is underscored by the increasing number of L2 writers studying and working in educational and professional settings where epistemologies and expectations may be quite different to those they have grown up with. The particular academic purposes that L2 writers encounter as students and as working professionals can vary according to the contexts and settings in which writing for academic purposes is undertaken.