A study investigated the types of writing assignments commonly found in undergraduate natural sciences and engineering courses. The study was used as a basis for the development of composition courses for limited-English-speaking students in these fields, the most popular fields of study among foreign students. Eighty take-home assignments given in 17 courses from 12 subject departments in the natural sciences and engineering fields at the University of Texas were classified according to writing task type and the skills required to complete the assignment. It was found that 75% of the writing tasks were "lab reports," and summary and paraphrase were the dominant skills needed to write the "lab reports." Lower division English composition textbooks were then examined to see if they addressed these skills adequately. One book was found to meet this need, but most textbooks did not. It was concluded that separate composition classes should be provided for foreign students majoring in the natural sciences and engineering fields and that these courses should de-emphasize research paper writing and place greater emphasis on development of summary and paraphrase skills. (MSE)