Used a genre-based research methodology to determine the rhetorical organization of the introductions and endings of English language essays and to identify correlations between linguistic features and the functions they perform. Findings indicate that essay introductions and conclusions exhibit clearly identifiable generic discourse and…

Although digital distribution via the Internet offers enormous potential for profits for artists, writers, and developers, pirates can also distribute perfect copies. Examines methods of protecting intellectual property: "superdistribution," watermarking, securing sound, managing multimedia, digital envelopes or secure containers,…

This article describes Electronic Networks for Interaction (ENFI), a system providing a local area computer network within a classroom of deaf students to provide real-time written communication and allow students a variety of opportunities to use writing for natural communication purposes. (DB)

A third-year university French composition course aims to develop student interest in/knowledge about a topic; promote discussion/writing of ideas, personal opinions, and experiences; help students explore the topic through progressively more difficult writing tasks; focus on communication of ideas, with some attention given to form; teach…

Prison library programming has positively affected inmate rehabilitation by providing a venue for learning and literacy education. Describes programs where inmates read and performed operas and participated in essay contests. Highlights San Quentin's Fathers as Teachers: Helping, Encouraging, Reading, Supporting (FATHERS) program and Cook County…

Discusses the appropriate bases for using instructional materials for English-as-a-Second-Language classes and points to student writing as a previously overlooked source for teaching materials. The article emphasizes the importance of handling legal and ethical issues properly when using student materials and lists guidelines for editing the…

Examines the role of mentors in providing individual tutoring and support in the field of creative writing. The organization of mentorship programs is explained and the Creative Arts Program, a two-level Singapore program that provides mentors to secondary and junior college students, is described. (Author/CR)

Investigated the impact of integrated proofreading strategy training, which combined a computer-based spelling checker and student strategies, on the proofreading of three secondary students with learning disabilities. Students showed an increase in strategy use and percentage of spelling errors corrected on controlled proofreading materials and…

Proposes that an analysis of academic letters provides insight into the variety of language forms used both formally and informally in academic writing and into the entire process by which knowledge is produced, evaluated, and published. Analyzed a sample of letters to the editor. (Author/VWL)

Reports the results of a field study evaluation of a virtual role-play environment, "Ghostwriter," which was designed as a preparation activity for writing stories. Examines the effects of "Ghostwriter" has on characterization in children's imaginative writing. Participants were 60 children aged between 10-12 years. Results…

Investigated vocabulary use in the writing of 65 secondary school multi-grade and multi first language intermediate English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learners at a Greater Vancouver public secondary school. Proposes systematic vocabulary instruction based on teacher-directed interaction and negotiation and psycholinguistic principles of word…

Presents a lesson plan on Pompeii (Italy) for middle school students that utilizes a teaching technique called interactive presentation. Describes the technique's five phases: (1) discrepant event inquiry; (2) discussion/presentation; (3) cooperative learning activity; (4) writing for understanding activity; and (5) whole-class discussion and…

Reports on research describing similarities and differences between expert and novice writing in the problem-solution pattern, a frequent rhetorical pattern of technical academic writing. A corpus of undergraduate student writing and one containing professional writing consisted of 80 and 60 recommendation reports, respectively, with each corpus…

Quantitative analysis of 1,083 first language and second language academic texts establishes that advanced nonnative-English-speaking students in U.S. universities employ excessively simple syntactic and lexical constructions at median frequency rates significantly higher than those found in basic texts by native English speakers. (Author/VWL)

Reports on the development of a self-rating instrument for writing. The instrument engages learners in responding to a writing task and assessing their own proficiency against a set of benchmarks. Provides a description of the self-rating procedure, an account of instrument development, a report on a usability study with six learners of Finnish as…