For much of this century, text linguists have recognized that various tokens called "metadiscourse" may help explain how texts function. In linguistics, metadiscourse has a more concrete meaning than it typically does in composition: it refers to specific words, phrases, and clauses which are primarily intended to help the reader…

This collection of essays is introduced by Paul Connelly, who focuses on how the essayists encounter problems boldly and recognize opportunity in them--the essays are less local reports of various successful process approaches to teaching writing than a record of the willingness to experiment, to take risks, to learn. The essays and their authors…

The 33 activities in this book reinforce the rules of written English by providing students with practice in editing a variety of formats. The activities help students develop a basic understanding of the rules of grammar and mechanics (generally taught in grades 6-7) in context and exercise their critical thinking abilities by identifying content…

This guide takes the student step-by-step through the writing process in preparing an application essay for admission to college. It tells the student how to: (1) understand what the admissions committee looks for in essays; (2) choose a topic; (3) get "psyched" to write the essay; (4) bring originality to the page; (5) maintain focus;…

This guide presents a view of how to develop a personal program of productive publishing in scholarly journals and how to increase the chances of having articles accepted for publication. In the first chapter, the importance for academics of publishing articles in professional journals is explained. Chapter 2 outlines factors that should be…

This handbook has been guiding writers through the writing process for many years, helping them every step of the way, from getting ideas to getting published. In 110 chapters, the revised and updated 1996 edition presents the practical side of how to write and sell novels, short stories, articles, nonfiction books, poetry, and drama. The 3,000…

This handbook is one of a set of six which provide a systematic means to help students in grades 4 through 8 learn the process of writing while building specific writing skills. The handbook focuses on editorial skills, and offers 25 reproducible lessons, in a variety of formats, which focus on a specific writing improvement skill, such as writing…

Spotlighting a variety of venerable poets, as well as some rising stars, this book is the second series of conversations about the lives and works of poets who write mainly for children and young people. The book presents informal interviews with the writers about their childhoods, the influences upon their work, their writing processes, how they…

A study investigated the following questions: (1) How does writing develop in a foreign language context? (2) What are the learners' perceptions of writing in a foreign language? (3) What is the influence of first language literacy skills on second language writing? (4) What is the influence of second language proficiency on second language…

This handbook is one of a series developed by the Texas Education Agency in response to requests to provide schools with additional information concerning the written composition portion of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS). The handbook focuses on grades 1 through 3. Following an introduction, the handbook is in two parts. Part 1…

The curriculum renewal movement has two interconnected goals--to empower both teachers and students and to move from a skills-based curriculum to a process-based one. With so much educational effort focusing on reading and writing, and with new information supporting holistic approaches coming from psycholinguistic and language arts studies, it…

The portfolio approach to teaching writing brings the writing process into the classroom and enables the new teacher--and all teachers--to see writing from a new perspective, to truly be collaborators and coaches with their students. A college writing teacher uses portfolios and plays the role of evaluator as well as the responder in three courses…

A study used protocol analysis to trace a group of specialized journalists' cognitive processing of information. Science writers were selected because they were hypothesized to be particularly sensitive to the needs of their audience and to rely more on audience knowledge when making decisions. Five science journalists (of about 25 contacted at…

A qualitative study examined the role drawing plays in the writing processes of young children (ages five to nine), and how the role changes with the individual's growth as a writer. Sixty-seven children enrolled in a multiage classroom (K-3) were systematically observed to identify and describe various drawing functions in their writing…

A study examined whether students actually used the composition processes they learned in their first-year college writing classroom when they leave the classroom. Subjects were 200 Florida State University students--a mixture of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors from a variety of majors during fall semester 1997. Subjects were asked to…