Discusses the relationship between research in writing (i.e., research in "composition" or "rhetoric and composition") and English departments. Attempts to clarify writing research, asserting that English departments do not understand or approve of this type of research. (MM)

Examines elements in the early stages of the process of writing criticism. Suggests that the key to criticism is connections made in context, and that criticism of film or theater is first a reading act, and then a writing act. (MS)

Describes study designed to investigate students' attitudes and strategies when writing with the aid of a computer. Interviews with four undergraduates enrolled in a computer-assisted section of advanced composition are discussed, and participant observation and document analysis are also used to examine the combined processes of composing and…

Argues that composition is a distinct discipline, separate from literature and literary studies. Discusses problems associated with using literature in composition classes. Asserts that although traditional aesthetic literature is not necessary in the composition class, with limited use it can strengthen student writing. (MM)

Examines the writing strategies of English-as-a-second-language (ESL) student writers at different levels of ESL instruction. Results indicate that native and non-native writers had many strategies in common, but ESL learners were less inhibited by attempts to correct their work. Little correlation was found among English proficiency, writing…

Medical schools were surveyed to determine which types of medical writing are important for physicians, house officers, and medical students to learn and whether they are formally taught. The four most important types were patient history and physical examination, progress note and discharge summary, peer-reviewed publication, and grant proposal.…

Lists and annotates books and articles on the following topics: (1) writing contexts; (2) status surveys; (3) writing instruction; (4) writing processes; (5) text analysis; (6) writing assessment; (7) writing and learning; (8) language processing; (9) language development; (10) language interrelationships; and (11) language and schooling. Also…

Suggests ways of using the newspaper to improve students' reading and writing abilities and increase their knowledge of the world. (ARH)

Grounded in schema and generative theories, this research suggests a theoretical framework and a task-specific procedure for integrating reading and writing. Fourth grade students were given a text-related generative writing task and reading recall test. Results support the notion of using writing as an orienting task prior to reading. (DST)

Proposes a classroom technique that has students examine texts from different points of view by changing the narrator. The method is an amusing, motivating, and challenging exercise in French composition, and is illustrated in an excerpt from a Camus novel. (MSE)

Demonstrates that, in order to introduce students to literature, language must be examined as to the way it conveys messages. Relates the use of literary language to more normal uses. (NKA)

Uses ideas contained in King's book as the basis for a unit on critical analysis of horror films for composition students. (NKA)

Discusses a study of the extent to which the use of 21 grading criteria was comparable among community college and university English faculty. Reports no differences in criteria selected for normal grading situations. Indicates that university faculty gave more importance to "adherence to due dates" in borderline situations. (DMM)

Describes a study to determine whether a measurable change in students' perceptions of the meaning of the word "writing" occurred during a 10-week writing course as assessed by a semantic differential administered to students in developmental and regular freshman English courses. (DMM)

Reviews some word processing programs that facilitate the writing task. These programs cover the following areas: 1) spelling; 2) punctuation and style; 3) thesauruses; 4) sexist language; 5) text and author statistics; 6) footnotes; 7) indexes; and 8) bibliography. Also provides an outline of the "Computer Education Assistance Act" of 1985 (S.…