The annotated titles in this bibliography are intended to introduce the novice to current or significant work on the application of cognitive psychology methodologies to the writing process. The bibliography is arranged in four sections: (1) an overview of the topic that includes anthologies, essays and papers; (2) relevant publications of Linda…

A text's meaning is, in part, independent of its form. Reading, most of the time, is taking meaning--not words--from the printed page, while proofreading requires attention to form rather than meaning. The author notes that: (1) a meaningful passage is easier to read than one with less meaning; (2) errors in oral reading usually do not obscure a…

Writing exercises are games that can lead to success in the classroom because they are artificial and have arbitrary rules defined by the instructor. By giving students a starting point, a limited task, and the assurance that the writing is, after all, "just a game," exercises can circumvent students' initial anxieties about self-presentation and…

Based on the premise that planning in writing is a strategic response to both the writing situation and the writer's own knowledge, this paper describes the process adult writers bring to ill-defined, expository tasks, such as writing essays, articles, reports and proposals. The paper also states that in planning, writers draw on (nest and…

Intended for adaptation by teachers to suit their students' and their own strengths, this guide is a series of thematic units intended to encourage meaningful language use in an enjoyable and serious atmosphere in the ninth grade classroom. The guide includes many reading and writing activities that can be used in both the specific contexts in…

This paper argues for a dialectical conception of theory that avoids the problem of trying to yoke together theories that embody conflicting epistemological and idealogical concerns in any unified way. Called a "cognitive-social epistemic," this dialectic is a theoretical construct that subsumes a family of cognitive and social theories…

John Reiff's conceptual framework regarding conflicting views of peace provides insight into interpersonal communication which can be successfully applied to conflicts in writing conferences and has already been used at the Colorado College Writing Center. First, a tutor or writer using the "Peace through Strength" frame of reference…

A group of four brief papers provides ideas for teachers of writing and reading. "Writing to Learn" (Osvaldo Grijalva) focuses on writing as a process emphasizing experience and participation, and compares the traditional approach to writing instruction with a learning-process-oriented approach. "Teachers' Corner" (Rogelio Chavira) lists possible…

A study explored the complexities of audience adaptation by examining the relationships between writer/audience proximity, register, and overall quality in essays written for assigned audiences. Subjects, 100 college freshmen, each wrote one essay in response to two audience-specified tasks in which subjects were to write persuasive letters to…

Writer-teachers in the classroom offer two characteristics central to teaching students to write. The first is the writer's concern and respect for the students' own language and experience, and the second is the writer's broadly conceived sense of audience in the classroom. Writers try to maintain the connection between their students' own…

Epistemic rhetoric, as a monolithic view of language use, will not be much help in forging a useful and consistent definition of the composing process and an accompanying effective pedagogy. By rejecting the mimetic functions of language--and thereby the validity of any empiricism and its derivative, positivism--epistemic rhetoric banishes items…

A writer's audience may sometimes be actual readers (real individuals) or implied readers (the reader role the text imposes). Intended readers are individuals the writer expects will actually read the text while the addressed readers are those to whom the writer directs his or her comments--an important distinction in academic writing. For…

To improve the quality of instruction in composition classes at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, a project incorporating the use of word processors was instituted. The project began in the summer session of 1984 with a regular section of beginning English. Although some students experienced difficulty in learning to use the word processors,…

What is meant by saying that reality is socially constructed or that writing is a social process must be thought about carefully. Advocates of a social constructivist view of writing have been able to challenge dominant cognitivist and expressionist paradigms surprisingly quickly. However, such a swift victory needs to be examined. When tested in…

Computer technology (primarily word processing) enables the student of public relations writing to improve the writing process through increased flexibility in writing, enhanced creativity, increased support of management skills and team work. A new instructional model for computer use in public relations courses at Purdue University Calumet…