Summary writing is considered one of the paramount assessments to determine students' reading comprehension. The purpose of this study is to examine the kinds of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) used in summary writing in relation to contexts and the points of recommendation for future research in the English language teaching (ELT)…

In this essay I present the results of a national study of over 2,000 writing assignments from college courses across disciplines. Drawing on James Britton's multidimensional discourse taxonomy and recent work in genre studies, I analyze the rhetorical features and genres of the assignments and consider the significance of my findings through the…

This piece continues the work of scholars in the field who look to uncover the ideological and textual practices of our dependence on the construct of "race" through racialized metaphors. Analyzing the rhetoric of race in "College Composition and Communication" and "College English" since 1990, I assert that our categorization of what "race" is…

Suggests that theories of self in composition studies waver between forces of culture and psyche, and that composition theory lacks concrete representations of the materiality of self, the ways in which individuals negotiate culture to create a sense of identity. Examines diary passages from four volunteers to study the "heterophonic"…

A story told about soliciting comments and criticisms from students during a class one day reveals a number of disturbing techniques used in academic story-telling. Such story telling, which has become increasingly common in academic teaching/writing journals of late, creates the deceptive impression of sincerity and intimacy. In this case, the…

Reports on a study of genre and register that reaches the following conclusions concerning the teaching of language and literature: (1) teaching should concentrate on the move structure of genres and the concomitant move registers rather than the general register of a genre as a whole; and (2) the teaching of reading and writing should be…

Describes and analyzes the genesis and history of the academic journal, "College Composition and Communication." Considers the journal's evolving physical format, the conversants within the pages, and the subject matter discussed over a period of four decades. (HB)

Examines three claims about -mail and its implications for African-American students: e-mail (1) blends elements of oral and written language; (2) fosters a sense of community; and (3) leads to the enfranchisement of marginalized writers. Explores these claims through an extended e-mail exchange between African-American students at Howard…

Presents the results of a survey of several freshman composition instructors who offer their opinions of teaching writing and empirical research into the writing process. Notes the problems with such research, as well as the problems of overburdened composition teachers who receive little recognition. (JC)

Explores the developmental trajectory within the field of English studies as discernible in the kinds of articles published over the past several decades in the most prominent pedagogical journals in the field, including "College English" and "Research in the Teaching of English." (HB)

Examines collaborative pedagogy in English departments in the United States in two contrasting decades, the 1930s and the 1950s. Focuses on the practices discussed in three English journals: "English Journal,""College English," and "College Composition and Communication." (HB)

A content analysis was conducted of 17 technical writing textbooks published between 1911 and 1938 and of 3 texts published recently to determine if the early texts differ from the more recent ones in the way they define the purposes of technical writing and in their treatment of style and audience. Results showed that both sets of texts define…

Considers how college English instructors view their students. Studies and analyzes references to students appearing in the February issues of the pedagogical journal "College Composition and Communication" for 1990, 1991, and 1992. Calls for increased attention to this subject. (HB)

A study examined the effects of treatment (guided vs. nonguided prewriting assignments) on the quality of college freshmen's interpretation of the character/setting relationships in two short stories. Subjects, 52 students in two college freshman composition classes, were randomly assigned to an experimental group (required to make inferences…

Noting that students often adopt a flat, lifeless style when writing a research paper, student papers were examined for evidence of the writer's presence. The presence of the writer is admittedly a subjective perception of the reader, but clues to the presence or absence of the writer can be identified. Though no one clue is definitive evidence,…