Written communication skills are often among the most important applied skills sought by employers when hiring graduates of colleges of agriculture. However, recent reports cite a gap between employers' expectations and graduates' levels of preparedness in key applied skills, among them "effective written communication." One critical…

Recent years have witnessed an increased interest in automated writing evaluation (hereafter AWE). However, few studies have examined the use of AWE with apprehensive writers. Hence, this study extends research in this area, investigating the effect of using AWE on reducing writing apprehension and enhancing grammatical knowledge. The participants…

This study examines the relative contributions of linguistic and affective variables to writing performance among students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) in South Korea. In total, 270 middle school students completed four language tests assessing their reading comprehension, grammar knowledge, and descriptive and argumentative…

This study examined the impact of writing anxiety and computer anxiety on language learning for 45 ESL adult learners enrolled in an English grammar and writing course. Two sections of the course were offered in a traditional classroom setting whereas two others were given in a hybrid form that involved distance learning. Contrary to previous…

Argues that grammar correction in second-language writing classes should be abandoned because it is ineffective, harmful, and unhelpful in any interesting sense for theoretical and practical reasons. The article also considers and rejects a number of arguments previously offered in favor of grammar correction. (122 references) (Author/CK)

Reflecting changes in the focus and methodology of writing research over the past 20 years, this book provides a meta-analysis of studies on teaching approaches and focuses on composition instruction at the elementary, secondary, and college levels. The first chapter of the book examines general studies of the composing process, studies of process…

The three issues of the journal on second language teacher education include these articles: "Monitoring and Evaluating the Production of Materials on a Large Scale Trainer Training Workshop" (R. Williams, Choong Kam Foong, Diana Lubelska); Sensory Channels in ESL Instruction" (Michael E. Rudder); "Using the In-Service Feedback…