Social workers write under many and varied pressures. A study examined the writing tasks and challenges facing social workers. An open-ended questionnaire was administered to 16 social workers in the Boston area--half were clinicians, and half were administrators/clinicians. The questionnaire was divided into three sections: a description of…

According to a recent article by Richard Fulkerson, there is some consensus among those who teach writing about what makes writing good. Apparently, a growing number of writing instructors' aims constitute what Fulkerson calls "rhetorical axiology." Rhetorical axiology is a belief system in which teachers value highly "overall…

Inspired by a writing group that met regularly in North Carolina, Alice Kaplan of Duke University decided to write a memoir at the age of 38. Practiced in the third-person perspective and schooled in a scholarly writing style, Kaplan found it difficult to write first-person narrative. The transition challenged her: she had not realized what an…

Despite accompanying drawbacks, the Internet information system known as Gopher presents a rich variety of potential benefits to writing pedagogies and to educational administrators. Writing teachers need to overcome tendencies to think of exploration of the Internet information resources as something to be uncritically adopted and as something to…

A recent article in the "Assemby for Computers in English (ACE) Newsletter" explains what most instructors of English already know--that students in most writing classes produce papers for which the primary purpose is the teacher. As the Internet becomes more widely available, students will have more access to what Howard Rheingold calls…

In this first issue of a children's literature annual, 10 articles on poetry for young people are presented. The articles and their authors are as follows: "There Is No Net To Catch A Poem" (Jane Yolen); "Poetry and the Self" (Myra Cohn Livingston); "The World Outside My Skin" (Eve Merriam); "American Poetry for…

While few business people dispute the importance of carefully crafting persuasive, demanding, conciliatory, and bad-news letters, the regular flow of routine communications receives very little meaningful consideration or scrutiny. These routine communications (letters, inquiries, requests, collection letters, complaints, confirmations,…

Pointing out that television sets are virtually a universal household fixture in most industrially developed nations, this book presents many categories and specific examples of television's (and sometimes radio's) coverage of ethnic minorities and conflict. Chapters in the book are: (1) Introduction; (2) Background Notes; (3) Mainstream vs.…

Advancement of students' abilities to cope with the demands of exposition and argument is noted when they are encouraged to accept mixed diction within a framework of activities that interrelate thinking, speaking, reading, writing, and listening, in the context of the immediate audience of class and teacher. Research indicates that when a weak…

Argues that hedging devices are a major pragmatic feature of effective scientific writing, and that students of English for special purposes should be taught to recognize and use them in their own work. The article examines the frequency, functions, and realizations of hedges and discusses a range of strategies for familiarizing students with…

Describes ways in which college and university public relations professionals have addressed the challenge of information dissemination in an era of rapidly changing electronic communication. Others are encouraged to know their audiences, discover commonly used technologies, include television in the mix, make the most of a World Wide Web home…

Interviews Susan Miller, a teacher of composition studies and author of well-known articles about the field. Discusses what it means to be able to write, and the cultural forces that have shaped her as a writer and teacher of writing. Argues for a renewed focus on the act of writing and the production of texts. (PM)

Examines theoretical foundations and practical application of Translation Quality Assessment (TQA), particularly in translator training. Several approaches to translation are considered, especially the "functional" and "relevance" approaches. The need for TQA, several popular views on translation quality, and the issue of…

Discusses the design and impact of Kentucky's statewide writing portfolio assessment. Describes how it was designed to influence writing instruction in Kentucky in positive ways. Evaluates its impact, noting progress toward overall goals, struggles with understanding "authentic audience," and the amazing staying power of the…

Reviews a study examining the influence of rhetorical specification in writing prompts on the writing quality of 7th-, 9th-, and 11th-grade students, and college freshmen. Analyzes the main and interactive effects of topic, purpose, and audience on writing quality. Indicates that students use different kinds of rhetorical information at different…