The need for empirical validation of a specific set of second language proficiency descriptors for the four skill areas- -reading, writing, listening, and speaking--provided the impetus for the work described in this report. The University of California at Los Angeles Center for the Study of Evaluation developed a validation plan and undertook…

Hypothesizes that organizational problems in second-language (L2) writing may result from the employment of first-language (L1) drafting strategies. The article maintains that research in L2 writing processes has not paid attention to the conditions for the transfer of L1 composing strategies into L2 writing. Pedagogical implications are…

Presents an overview of the variables that contribute to the complexity of English-as-a-Second-Language writing assessment design. (63 references) (Author/CK)

An attempt was made to improve the argumentation skills and scientific thinking skills of 24 Swedish college students through argumentative on-line (computer-mediated) studying. Comparison with about 200 students studying in traditional ways reveals better learning outcomes for the traditional group but better argumentation by the on-line group.…

In an effort to link information literacy and resource-based learning to cultural pluralism, faculty and librarians at Seattle Central Community College (Washington) revised an English composition course and a library skills course, linking their content of documented writing and literary research methods. Students must enroll in both courses.…

This article reports on a critical discourse analysis of Japanese English as a foreign language (EFL) students' written reflections on their experience of a simulated racial inequality exercise at a university in Japan. Initially, the reflections were compared thematically with previously published narratives by people who had experienced racism.…

Essays for the Graduate Management Admissions Test must be written with a word processor (except in some foreign countries). The test sponsors, the Graduate Management Admissions Council, believed that this is fair because some word processing skill is a prerequisite for advanced management education. Furthermore, it might also be unfair to…

The paper describes four major patterns that emerge in studies of college student intellectual development. Quotations from students' writing about their epistemological beliefs and quotations from professors' writing concerning their courses and students are related to the four patterns. Characteristics of student writing associated with each…

Writing instruction programs have become particularly important at American colleges and universities in recent years, but it is noted that most college faculties and their administrators need advice about providing useful help to the writing programs. An examination of how to develop successful writing programs is presented. Three sections are as…

Twenty linguistic features found in essays of Creole-speaking students taking remedial writing courses at Hunter College are discussed and illustrated. The students spoke a creole or post-creole language as their mother tongue. The language varieties, which are those most frequently encountered in East Coast urban centers from Boston to Miami, are…

THE FIRST OF THE THREE REPORTS ON TEACHING LOADS, A BRIEF STATISTICAL REPORT OF FINDINGS FROM THOMAS WILCOX'S NATIONAL SURVEY OF UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS IN ENGLISH, IS ARRANGED ACCORDING TO GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION, SIZE OF INSTITUTION, AND KIND OF INSTITUTION. NATIONAL PERCENTAGES AS WELL AS OTHER FACTORS RELATING TO GRADUATE PROGRAMS AND REDUCED…

A DISCUSSION OF THE SITUATION AND PROBLEMS OF TEACHING ENGLISH IN THE JUNIOR COLLEGE BEGINS WITH A CHAPTER ON THE JUNIOR COLLEGE AS A UNIQUE INSTITUTION AT A CRITICAL POINT IN ITS HISTORY AND EMPHASIZES THE NEED FOR AN ENGLISH FACULTY WITH A FIRM PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY. A CHAPTER ON THE SEARCH FOR A VIABLE DISCIPLINE DISCUSSES WHAT CONSTITUTES A…

A STUDY OF THE SPECIFIC BACKGROUND CHARACTERISTICS OF WRITING GROUPS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI WAS CONDUCTED IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE BACKGROUND PROFILE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CONSIDERED POOR WRITERS, I.E., STUDENTS WHO RECEIVED D OR E IN WRITING FOR THE SEMESTER PRIOR TO THIS STUDY. DATA OBTAINED FROM STUDENT ANSWERS TO A QUESTIONNAIRE ARE…

This study, conducted by the San Diego Community College District in fall 2002, aims to answer the following research questions regarding student preparedness for courses in writing, reading, study skills, and composition: (1) Is there a relationship between instructor perception of preparedness and student performance? (2) Is there a relationship…

The present study examines college students' English contact, which is one of the individual difference factors in foreign language learning. Exposure to a foreign language has been emphasized as one of the crucial conditions in order to achieve proficiency in that language (Dornyei & Skehan, 2003; Freeman, 1999). On the other hand, the lack…