Describes an editing assignment in which senior engineering students use their knowledge of non-finite clauses (both restrictive and non-restrictive) to achieve concise mature writing. Explains the linguistic background provided to students before the assignment, gives details of the published "answer guide" and the exercise, and…

Art appreciation activities can reinforce hearing impaired students' reading, writing, and reasoning skills. Three such activities involving the works of Grandma Moses are (1) reading and researching about art and artists; (2) attending an artist's exhibition; and (3) attempting to paint like a chosen artist. (CB)

Diagnostic memos written by students in a general technical writing class reveal that students need (1) to know that strong communication skills are desirable beyond immediate job prospects, (2) information about and practice in team-writing tasks, and (3) to understand that graphics are an integral part of the technical communication process.…

Describes a "writing workshop" for eighth graders which focuses on the writing process as well as the finished product. Reports the approach's effectiveness by noting students' improvement on standardized exams and syntactic maturity of student compositions (as measured by the increase in number of words per T-unit). (MM)

Details a data-based study exploring the relationship between grammatical proficiency and a number of variables in an introductory business communication course. Suggests that there is a small, but significant correlation between grammatical proficiency and overall performance in the course, and that grammatical competency is a predictor of…

Shares experiences of a weekly writing workshop for faculty. Provides guidelines for presentation of papers and editorial help. (MS)

Argues for using and creating negative examples to teach writing. Includes ideas for the following areas: (1) the worst grammar; (2) terrible leads; (3) the worst possible article; (4) the awful two-page spread; and (5) rules for breaking the rules. (MS)

Research is reviewed regarding the effectiveness of using revisions to help students improve their writing. The positive use of rewarding feedback which does not overemphasize neatness and unnecessary adherence to routine is emphasized. (CB)

Examines production processes of five publication houses to determine how or if requirements for expertise in the subject area, writing, and design skills are being met. Interprets the production process for technical manuals in terms of a process model of writing and strategies for improving the quality of documentation. (SKC)

Describes the writing problems of "real world" professional users of word processing, which include editing instead of revising and rethinking, a reluctance to rewrite, and word-inflation. Suggests strategies for working with students to avoid these problems, focusing on functional writing used by professionals in various fields. (MM)

Identifies three stages of developmental writing topics: simple personal topics that encourage fluency; topics that encourage students to use reading, writing, critical thinking, and dialog; and academic topics involving abstract concepts. Presents a reading/writing/critical thinking/dialog framework for writing assignments, whereby class…

Two case studies involving a secondary school student and a science graduate training to become a secondary teacher with writing and spelling difficulties indicated that sustained use of word processing and spelling checker programs helped both subjects improve spelling skills and become more independent writers. (CB)

Describes the use of imitation exercises to expose students to selections from great literature and give them opportunities to practice certain English usage or conventions. Notes that imitation improves syntax and style. (HTH)

Fundamental changes are needed in English classes if writing is to be taught. Students must have time to write, and they must have someone reading and responding to their writing. Students need to pay attention to their writing and the writing of others, and this writing should be as important as well-known literary works. (MD)

Discusses three principles germane to the idea that writing is a response to its function, compares school writing with home writing, and suggests specific functions of writing that are frequently used in classrooms. (DF)