Two experiments conducted at the University of Texas at Austin are discussed in this paper. One experiment deals with the production of final syllable lengthening and stress in Spanish and English by native Spanish speakers learning English. The other experiment deals with judgments about the Spanish speakers' production of English by native…

The most important factor in the teaching of English is the establishment of a philosophy which serves as a guide for determining course content. At the two-year college level, there is a need to develop English programs and courses which are essential not only to the students but also to the business community in which a majority of the…

Although speech and writing both contain functional varieties as well as many similar mechanical aspects, mature writing contains a number of conventions (words, idioms, constructions) rarely found in mainstream native speech. Among areas of contrast are vocabulary, syntactic constructions--especially punctuation--and the more complex use of…

J.E.B. Stuart High School moved into the minicourse elective program five years ago from an anthology-survey oriented English curriculum. The students are grouped into two levels, one offering minicourses for eleventh and twelfth graders and the other offering minicourses for ninth and tenth grade students, with some courses open to all of the…

Describes how the structure and size of the freshman writing class was changed to deal with the large demand for these classes and the problems in staffing them. Discusses the university's commitment to writing across the curriculum, the writing center, the student tutor program, the use of a collaborative-workshop method, and the writing…

Describes academic programs and graduation requirements at a Massachusetts high school and the changing emphasis over the past decades. Points out college admission requirements are one of many factors affecting student course selection. (MD)

This paper reports on a work in progress, a critical-historical study which considers two issues: (1) the nature and scope of the English curriculum in primary and secondary schools in South Australia from the 1920s to the 1950s; and (2) the role of schooling in shaping young people as future citizens for a nation in a time of great change. The…

This large-scale international comparative study addresses changes in students' math- and English-related self-concept of ability, subjective task-value and interest. Australian (N=1,323) and American (N=651) students are from two separate studies with similar designs and samples, in three cohorts spanning grades 7 to 11 in Australia and 7 to 12…

Understanding the absence of composition in western Canada is predicated upon understanding the presence of composition in the United States, the only country in the world with a highly visible tradition of composition. This absence in western Canada, between 1900 and 1950, is largely a matter of appearance--composition in both countries was an…

The banking model of education views students as empty passive minds to be filled by the teacher. As Paulo Freire perceived the model, the teacher is seen as possessing the currency of knowledge and distributing it to students. In the changing dynamics of the college literature classroom, the relationship between teacher and student should be more…

National Writing Project reports show that writing process institutes and workshops have effected some positive changes in attitudes toward personal writing. The many teacher-written articles appearing in professional journals attest to the use and benefits of personal writing in the classroom. Nevertheless, there is still no evidence that…

By limiting sentence combining to the arena of syntax and skills, an individual's own thinking is seriously constricted. Any linguistic act is simultaneously two games at once--an "inner game" of intention and strategy, and an "outer game" of actual performance. According to this formulation, all language events are intentional, purposeful, and…

Traditional literary canons, represented by E. D. Hirsch's list in "Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs To Know" of works which every literate American "needs to know," deemphasize the cultural significance of women and minorities. An alternative and expanded model of cultural literacy, GODDESS (Gender or Diversity…

Sentence combining can act as a corrective for the large number of language arts lessons and activities that emphasize errors. Based on familiar sentence patterns, sentence combining provides models of effective language use and encourages students to examine and try more expressive and interesting styles of speaking and writing. Sentence…

Although literature and reading are considered liberal arts, it would seem that teachers of English and reading have been anything but "liberal" in their treatment of books and reading. By and large, teachers at all levels have failed to capitalize on the enormous potential of reading to make a significant difference in the lives of students. By…