READING AND WRITING SKILLS CAN BE TESTED OBJECTIVELY WITHOUT USING TRADITIONAL TRANSLATION TESTS. WHEN READING FRENCH, STUDENTS NEED TO RECOGNIZE WORDS IN BOTH UNINFLECTED AND INFLECTED FORMS TO ATTACH MEANING TO WORDS IN CONTEXT, AND TO REACT TO THE MEANING IMPLICATIONS OF FRENCH SENTENCE STRUCTURE. WHEN WRITING FRENCH, THEY NEED TO PRODUCE…

This paper presents and illustrates a technique for analyzing the communicative effect of errors produced in spoken and written communication samples by students of English as a second language (ESL). First, a method is demonstrated for eliciting a representative communication sample of a student's speech or writing, using pictorial stimuli.…

The small size of college composition classes encourages exciting and meaningful interaction, especially when students are divided into smaller, autonomous groups for all or part of the hour. This booklet discusses the advantages of combining the inquiry method (sometimes called the discovery method) with a group approach and describes specific…

"Options in Education" is a radio news program which focuses on issues and developments in education. This transcript contains discussions of federal money for colleges and universities; the high school proficiency test in California; the writing problems of college students; letters from listeners about schooling and jobs; the Arts…

This paper illustrates a method for teaching writing that focuses on both the grammatical and communicative aspects of writing. (CFM)

Analyzes an innovative and optional French language proficiency certificate designed to test proficiency in oral and written language on the undergraduate level at the University of London. (AM)

Discusses the theoretical foundation for sentence combining exercises for intermediate and advanced students in English as a second language (ESL) composition classes. A description is given of a three-stage sequencing of exercises, each successive stage corresponding to a less-controlled level within Paulston's framework of mechical, meaningful,…

It is through continued exposure that Black students can learn the principles of the written language. How well these students understand and apply such principles depends on what objectives are set, what materials and strategies are used, and what classroom environment is created by the teacher. (Author/RK)

Focuses on the input of a communicative writing syllabus that can be organized in terms of "rhetorical coherence" (concerned with the function and the act a piece of writing fulfills) and "text-forming resources" (the resources in English for making a piece of writing a text). (CFM)

Discusses responsibilities of the two-year college English department chairperson with regard to developing curriculum offerings to meet student and community needs, recruiting and hiring faculty, developing a sound basic writing program, working to achieve low faculty workloads, encouraging faculty development, and working to achieve public…

To determine the role of student writing in nontraditional life/experience credentialing programs, a questionnaire was compiled and results surveyed from nearly 50 such programs. Most respondents agreed that writing is a vital part of the credentialing process but many felt it should not be overstressed. The questionnaire is appended. (Author/LBH)

Points out that the most evident way of measuring students' understandings of writing is to have them analyze or synthesize a piece of writing. (MB)

The faculties of the postsecondary institutions in Florida, using the authority of the State Board of Education, have implemented a testing program that increases the assurance that all students who complete their sophomore year in college have achieved the communication and computation skills expected of them. (Author/MLW)

Drawing on research regarding a midwestern credit union, factors characterizing why and how credit unions and their members use credit union documents are discussed in regard to: characteristics of document availability; structure of interactions in which documents are used; attitudes and beliefs about the documents; and functions of documents.…

Offers a strategy for having composition students write a clear, complete set of instructions for performing some task, while eliminating the possibility for plagiarism and collaboration. (JC)