This essay interrogates the concept of "clarity" that has become an imperative of effective student writing. I show that clarity is neither axiomatic nor transparent, and that the clear/unclear binary that informs the identification of clarity as a goal of effective student writing is itself unstable precisely because of the ideological baggage…

In a project-based approach to teaching a foreign language at the university level, students are often required to participate in several task-based writing activities. In doing so, language learners not only write incorrect forms, but also correct forms of the same structures, both of which provide useful information on their strengths and…

Focuses on developing courses that facilitate progress toward American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages advanced proficiency by discussing a third-year composition and conversation course designed to increase students' communicative skills. Also examines redesigning programs to meet the diverse needs of students and suggests links to…

Suggests ways to help students using Systeme-D, a word processing program for creative writing in French, exploit more of the linguistic features of the program aside from the dictionary section. The importance of Systeme-D for evaluating written work is discussed, and a list of all program categories within the program is provided. (GLR)

Three examples of conversation and composition courses that work well because of a large amount of preparation and coordination are outlined in this article. Courses in German, French, and Spanish are included that are concrete examples. (JL)

The process of essay writing can serve as an integrating factor in courses with students having differing levels of communicative competence and expectations. The syllabus of an advanced composition class can effectively be structured around genre writing. (LET)

Notes the problem of teaching reading and writing in a way that is not racially or culturally biased. Offers teaching strategies for combating this, including using a wide variety of works from other races and cultures that provide a range of minority perspectives in a nonstereotypical fashion. (JC)

These papers represent applications of linguistics in Australian Aboriginal contexts, not only from a language viewpoint, but encompassing the interactions of language, society, politics, and culture. They include: "Loanwords: Ours or Theirs?" (Velma J. Leeding); "We Spell It 'Gooniyandi'" (David Street and Topsy Chestnut);…