One direction in which English departments must turn in the search for effective methods of writing instruction is toward definition of responsibility for writing skills as an institution-wide concern. Any number of studies--a selection of which is included in an appended annotated bibliography--substantiate the premise that writing instruction…

This paper reports on a usually unrecognized potential benefit of measurement instruments designed for research in instruction: the effectiveness of these instruments when used as instructional procedures. Two studies were involved in the development of this concept. In the first study, an extensive instrument was designed to measure changes in…

The new crisis in freshman English is reflected in recent resolutions by the Modern Language Association and by individual colleges and universities to reinstate composition requirements. Too many composition programs, however, are a waste of money and time which traps the composition teacher into accountability for students' success or failure.…

Rhetorical and linguistic concepts of the sentence are reviewed in the course of introducing the concept of the "minor sentence" (sentence fragments which may occur alone as complete linguistic utterances or which may be combined by parataxis or coordinators with a major sentence). Rather than restraining beginning writers from using…

The articles in this issue of "Kansas English" discuss and define what is basic in composition. The first article, by Richard Lloyd-Jones, discusses the teaching of composition and the preparation of teachers of composition. The second article, by Hans P. Guth, suggests a positive modern approach to language, designed to help students become more…

Canadian literature programs are still very much influenced by the British and American cultures. (JH)

Suggests that some of the language used in science textbooks is unsuitably formal, and contains more jargon than the original works of such scientists as Darwin and Einstein. (RB)

Argues that the journalistic approach--who, what, why, when, where, and how--is an effective and useful method for teaching composition to college freshmen. (R B)

A study was conducted to address the communication concerns of health care professionals. To identify the communication activities and problems of health care communication situations, the Communication Activity Questionnaire (CAQ) was administered to the personnel of 18 human service agencies involved with care of the physically and mentally ill…

Measurement problems which jeopardize the reliability and validity of competency-based writing assessments are analyzed. Methods to stabilize rating criteria and readers' application of them are necessary. Most writing assessment programs use guidelines from norm-referenced test methodology. Use of this method of criteria application based on…