Reprints a 1990 article from this journal describing the central role that narrative--story--plays in language learning, using the example of two young men (a Cambodian immigrant and an American) working together. Updates the article with an Afterword commenting on the earlier piece. (SR)

Semantic mapping was used to help English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learners at a vocational trade school overcome their writing anxiety and generate ideas on paper. Semantic maps serve as a prewriting framework for brainstorming and organizing ideas. Semantic mapping can be used in many creative ways to help ESL students develop their writing…

Provides a detailed description of a way to encourage students to write for a purpose and to actively engage in the evaluation of their product. (Author/VWL)

After a brief discussion of the concepts underlying the design of a high school district's composition program that emphasizes teacher inservice preparation and writing as process rather than product, this paper develops a theory of learning language skills similar to that used in learning a second language. A distinction is drawn between language…

Explores uses for intelligent courseware in language classrooms. Defines three types of intelligent systems: microworlds, intelligent grammar checkers, and intelligent tutoring systems. Explains uses of these systems for all phases of writing instruction and for second language instruction. Questions for future research are raised. (Author/LS)

Although the diagnostic testing of writing is still quite primitive, error analysis and protocol analysis hold promise for writing diagnosis. True diagnostic testing does more than aid in placing students; it identifies the nature of needed instruction. Tests in writing have not been developed to reflect approaches used in diagnostic testing in…

A study examined the impact of oral language competence on the writing behavior of secondary students of English as a second language (ESL). Samples of student writing in both the native Spanish and English were analyzed along five dimensions (topic of the composition, internal organization of thoughts, conveying meaning, sentence construction,…

An approach to promote student editing of their own compositions, to be used in intermediate English as a second language classes, is discussed. Although editing or monitoring may not improve the communicative accuracy of a written message, it may give the message a more native-like quality. Monitoring works best on morphemes which are acquired…

Reports on a small-scale ethnographic study carried out with lower secondary students of Urdu and Bengali at a mainstream school in East London. Focused on the use of the Internet and multi-lingual word processing within a Web publishing project and examined the role played by information and communications technologies at different stages.…

Reports on a study of 126 secondary English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students' transfer of essay organization skills between languages (Icelandic and English). Pre- and posttest proficiency scores were analyzed. It was concluded that students' success in transferring writing skills between languages is assisted by their grammatical proficiency…

A series of interviews carried out over a 6-month period investigated: (1) why and how five New York City high school teachers used writing-to-learn across the curriculum, and, (2) the outcome of conducting research on one's own colleagues. Subjects were a math teacher, a physics teacher, and a career education teacher from a high school for…