Questionnaire surveys of university faculty and students were employed to assess the writing needs of undergraduates in the life and social science divisions of the University of California, Los Angeles. Findings were to aid the UCLA Department of English in developing a new freshman composition program, based on specific skill deficiencies.…

This paper argues that teachers of English may be reverting to a kind of doublespeak in elective English programs which reflects an unsteady knowledge of how to evaluate all English programs. The terms "elective" and "teacher specialization" are examined as they relate to the classroom experience. Labeling a course as an…

This paper discusses and makes specific recommendations for teaching freshman composition courses. First, the teacher must introduce the subject matter of the course to the students in an interesting way. Next, the teacher must instruct students in the basic language skills, such as spelling and grammar. Finally, the teacher must instruct the…

This paper discusses the inadequacies of elementary and college education, stating that since teachers expect students to write poorly, they do. Four risks which college writing teachers must take are: offering to help teach writing in grade schools and high schools; encouraging their colleagues to relax their standards; encouraging the acceptance…

The first part of this paper discusses the general decline in reading and writing ability in the United States and suggests several methods for improving literacy education, including teaching students the reading process several times a year from kindergarten through grade twelve. The second part of the paper makes two positive assumptions: that…

This paper discusses the rationale and teaching methods for a six-week unit, for a high school freshman English Class, on perception, semantics, and writing, which places special focus on developing tension in student writing. The first four objectives of the course focus on perception and the next two focus on semantics. The seventh…

After five years of research, the English department at St. Cloud (Minnesota) State University created an internship program for English majors. The philosophy behind the program is that the typical experience of the English major in college is excellent preparation for what the college graduate will be doing in most careers in business,…

In a response to the Minnesota Conference on the Future of Doctoral Study in English, discusses the necessary attributes of a two-year college English teacher, and examines how those attributes can be attained in graduate school. (MM)

Demonstrates that, in order to introduce students to literature, language must be examined as to the way it conveys messages. Relates the use of literary language to more normal uses. (NKA)

Calls for a rethinking of the literary canon and a reflection on the order of culture's discourses and the relations among them. (CRH)

Argues that composition instruction should not be irreversibly separated from the study of literature in the college English curriculum. (AEA)

Offers a lesson in educational history as the first step in discussing the core curriculum in contemporary higher education and "unity in diversity," the theme of the 1980 convention of the National Council of Teachers of English. (RL)

Attempts to suppress and even censor various texts used by English teachers often are led by members of fundamentalist Christian groups. These activists charge educators with depreciating Christian moral values and instigating a religion of "secular humanism" in the schools. Various examples of recent legal cases show how prominent the…

The period immediately following the second World War is important for the history of the preparation of teaching assistants in this country because English instruction changed dramatically due to the enactment of the G. I. Bill in 1944. However, the long-term effect of the Bill on curriculum and pedagogy has not been documented. The G. I. Bill…

Although many educators consider the teaching of the research paper in high schools old-fashioned, this aspect of the English curriculum remains important for helping students master inquiry and reasoning skills. If carefully presented, the research paper develops skills indispensable for today's complex, information-based society. A review of the…