Coaching is the central activity in the "game" of teaching, and it is an activity that can have a lifetime effect on language learners. This book presents a "coaching approach" to instruction in written language--an approach that is eclectic, pragmatic, synthetic. The approach in the book centers on finding balance--ways of…

Many teachers would like to counter what Deborah Tannen calls "The Argument Culture." They recognize that teaching students traditional principles of argument may perpetuate the kind of adversarial thinking that erupts all too often: in aggressive newspaper headlines, on confrontational television shows, in court rooms, and in school…

Describes an advanced composition course for liberal arts students based on the connections between private and public writing. Argues that knowledge is socially constructed and that writing can forge both personal and professional identities within academic communities. (RS)

The article describes writing process approaches with primary and secondary level hearing impaired students. Such an approach features interaction with fellow writers. (CL)

Argues that listening is an integral part of composing by discussing the results of several listening/writing exercises (retellings of short stories or parts of novels). Notes that basic writers learned to hear the reader-voice in texts, thereby developing their internal writer's voice and better control of their writing. (RS)

Students can benefit from collaboration long before they are ready for draft feedback. By analyzing writing assignments, anticipating and diagnosing student problems, and introducing necessary skills through appropriate exercises, students can be provided with cognitive and social supports that help them address the challenges of academic writing.…

Proposes that writing instruction at the intermediate level of second language study should be kept to a minimum. Gives examples of the kinds of brief derivative exercises that are most beneficial. (EKN)

Stresses the importance of using imagery when having beginning writers write poetry. Discusses additional techniques of stressing the unusual, continuation words, the five senses, and repetition of a word or phrase. (MG)

Writing strategies encourage beginning writers to collect, explore, and focus ideas. This paper presents a rationale for fusing the word processor with the writing process and offers a series of pre-writing strategies, such as brainstorming, clustering and chunk writing, to help learning-disabled writers begin writing. (Author/PB)

Addressing parents, this pamphlet describes ways to help children learn to write well and thereby excel in school, enjoy self-expression, and become more self-reliant. Writing is discussed as a practical, job-related, stimulating, social, and therapeutic activity that receives inadequate attention in many schools. It is emphasized that writing is…

Techniques are discussed for encouraging students to write thoughtful papers about field trips. Greater student involvement can be achieved by cultivating a sense of ownership of the writing. Topics for before, during, and after the trip are suggested in such functional writing areas as instrumental, regulatory, interactional, personal, heuristic,…

Discusses letter writing as a practical way to teach German composition. Describes the course content and gives samples of topics and exercises. (EKN)

Drill and practice, tutorial, dialogue, and text analysis programs represent the major uses of computers to date in the field of English composition. Drill and practice programs are convenient to use and inexpensive. However, they are usually geared to the low level achiever. Tutorial programs tailor their presentations to students' responses,…

Based on a successful workshop, this book presents the basic elements of narrative and a series of exercises that offer a self-guided set of discussion topics and exercises for a writer, a small group of writers, or a class interested in the craft of narrative prose. Topics addressed in the book are: the sound of language; the narrative sentence…

Describes the teaching approach and materials in "Origins," a book about word origins and how to teach them to elementary students. Notes that this book includes step-by-step activities, a brief history of the English language, relevant poetry examples, and several writing ideas. (MM)