Determines whether writing skills are hierarchically organized. Finds that writing begins with the primary process of responsiveness and ends with the terminal skill of mechanics. Suggests that the proportion of instructional time devoted to mechanics and editing skills should exceed that devoted to the primary skills of topic relevance and…

Discusses the importance of students reading their own writing to others to help them see the connection between what they have written and the sounds of their own voice. (MG)

Analyzes why conceptual ambiguity surrounds the subject of writing plans: why they are viewed alternatively favorably and unfavorably; why they are sometimes mental and sometimes written constructs; and why they are sometimes indistinguishable from writing goals. Concludes that one problem is the view of writing as product. (SG)

Examines the writings of an engineer employed by a large manufacturing firm. Argues that the engineer's writing, although not the final product, is the essential means by which the product is created. Suggests that, because a report reflects final, agreed-upon knowledge about a product, the product and the document become one in the engineer's…

Compares White and African-American basic writers' texts produced during districtwide holistic writing assessments. Shows that White basic writers differ little from African-American basic writers, although African-Americans tend to use a stronger personal voice and drop standard word ending. Concludes that dialect is not the key issue. (MG)

Suggests that the rapidly increasing capability of computer-based writing systems will force communication researchers to (1) broaden their basic conception of studying "author" to include authoring teams; (2) broaden the type of material studied from that which is largely textual; and (3) track changes in "genre conventions."…

Describes a protocol study of 10 professional writers which examined the meaning and influence of purpose on writers in the workplace. Explores the interactions of various purpose considerations derived from situation, reader, and text. Suggests that professional writers have a range of meanings in mind when they think about purpose. (MM)

This literature review discusses the relationships among language, thought, affect, and context, which are basic to the processes of reading and writing in hearing-impaired individuals. Reading and writing are viewed as both cognitive acts and as social acts. Implications for intervention are presented. (JDD)

Presents a simple writing assignment, composing an anthology, in which students have some control over their learning and gain confidence, enabling them to approach class discussions with more personal involvement and leading them to find more for themselves in poetry. (RAE)

Identifies the Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) as the best basis for a markup standard for encoding literary texts. Outlines solutions to problems using SGML and discusses the problem of maintaining multiple views of a document. Examines several ways of reducing the burden of markups. (GEA)

Presents a series of three lessons based on found poems. Including a discussion on what poetry is; developing a poetic; and sharing poetry with others through peer analysis and small group discussion of each student's found poem. (RAE)

Outlines a social-interactive model of written communication, highlighting the writer's role in negotiations with readers in the medium of text. Reviews and challenges formalist and idealist theories of text meaning. Spells out the rules governing writers' moves by specifying a fundamental axiom and seven corollaries. (SR)

Outlines a series of progressive exercises designed to train students in written persuasive discourse in French. The technique involves observation of advertising, study of premises, arguments, and conclusions, pragmatic text analysis, training in logical construction, and development of argumentative strategies. (MSE)

Traces the writing problems of visual thinkers to three factors: a lack of words, the unimportance of sequence, and the presumption of context. Pleads for better understanding of the thinking processes that produce such writing problems and the development of new ways of teaching writing that directly address visual thinkers. (SR)

Suggests that the key to making research writing something students are eager to learn is the instructor's enthusiasm and skill in gathering irresistible ideas and prompts to pique students' curiosity. Presents seven steps to help students write research papers. (RS)