Describes a project in writing poetry and learning English in Ghana with belief that poetry can stimulate imaginative and personal expression. Results show grammatical errors begin to disappear as students become more involved in mode although lexical choices remain a problem for students throughout their pre-university careers. (Author/BK)

Establishes a coherent and teachable sequence covering some of the practical principles, progressions, and patterns that fluent writers use in arranging their material. (FL)

Argues that technical writing is a problem-solving activity that includes analyzing the primary aim of the communication, pinning down the constraints that will shape the writing, and doing the actual writing. (TJ)

A survey of 14 business managers possessing outstanding dictating skills reveals that preparation is the key to efficient dictation, dictation is not confined to brief letters or memos, the ability to dictate over the phone and to machines is important, and you cannot dictate if you cannot write. (FL)

Claims that social studies classroom teachers have a responsibility to teaching writing skills as well as content. Offers a five stage instructional strategy as a means of helping students improve their writing. Stages are gathering information, classroom discussion, writing assignments, peer assessment, and writing a model paragraph. (DB)

The "intensive" approach to teaching composition emphasizes having students write brief pieces under time pressure. The author argues that writing several short, intensive papers until they are perfect brings students closer to mastery of effective composition than writing more numerous rambling "themes" does. (IRT)

Text reordering, text rewording, text recording, and text researching offer students who must use prescriptive grammar books the opportunity to observe, analyze, manipulate, and enjoy language. (Author/RL)

Presents the flaws and errors characteristic of the writing of undergraduates as an art that cannot be reproduced--except by other undergraduates. Ridicules the language of textbooks. (HTH)

A study of the results of a New Brunswick (Canada) evaluation of writing in grades five, eight, and eleven revealed that teacher-evaluators were more influenced by the length of compositions and their freedom from simple mechanical errors than by students' control of syntax. (DD)

Describes a pilot study that employed the cloze technique to assess student writing and to investigate writing generally. (DD)

Examines recent theories of invention and argues that they teach students to separate ideas from their social contexts, reinforcing students' sense of the writing course's triviality and encouraging them to resign themselves to their lot in society. (DD)

Students' use of "I think" and its variants when writing about literature reflects an avoidance of close observation of the literary text. (DD)

Describes an experimental grammar workshop for journalism students who are severely handicapped in grammar as identified on a standardized test. (TJ)

This article suggests some approaches that the emerging scholar can use in efforts aimed at building a record of scholarly publication. Some of the suggestions include: (1) determining areas of strength; (2) deciding on the project; (3) choosing the appropriate journals; (4) preparing the manuscript; (5) waiting for the results; and (6) accepting…

Represents an exchange of "official notices" on the uses and misuses of workbooks in the teaching of writing. (MKM)