In this description of two antithetical opinions concerning freshman English program objectives, cases are presented for the language skills improvement and literature appreciation points of view. Such factors as (1) class size, (2) instructor work load and research potential, and (3) student and teacher interests are considered. A discussion of…

Traditions and emerging trends in the teaching of linguistics and composition are examined in this collection of papers. Joseph Mersand predicts a future emphasis on the subject of English as a discipline, leading to a more adequate preparation and increased supervision of English teachers and a greater stress in the classroom on written…

This book is an introduction to the "new" English which utilizes knowledge gained from studies and basic research to achieve practical, intelligent goals for instruction in English. The first chapter defines the new English as a study that leads students to a critical appreciation of all forms of communication, that provides them with insights…

In order to determine the extents to which a small rural community agreed with and had implemented the recommendations of the 1966 Anglo-American Conference on the Teaching of English (Dartmouth Seminar), five questions were formulated: (1) What is the community view of the recommendations? (2) Do differences in perception of curriculum exist…

This guide describes the nongraded phase-elective curriculum employed in the Cedar Falls (Iowa) High School. All students are required to take tenth grade English, which provides them with a relatively uniform background in the language arts. After that, the phasing classifies the courses according to difficulty and complexity of skills and…

This document reports on a project on changing and improving the teaching of English, Project Insight. This project aims to improve the instruction of English on the secondary level through an organically unified English program. Initiated by the Board of Catholic Education, the project included participants from both public and Catholic high…

This volume contains the recommendations for improving English supervision which were formulated at the USOE Conference of Supervisors of English. James R. Squire discusses the present state of supervisory procedures and inservice teacher education, and Helen F. Olson reports the findings of the 1962 National Council of Teachers of English Survey…

Argues against direct formal grammar instruction in middle school. Notes that even students with high IQ's frequently score low on cognitive development measures, with children in the concrete stage of thinking usually unable to identify simple subjects and verb phrases. Recommends that until students achieve a level of formal reasoning they…

Discusses the impetus towards social relevance among educators in the 1960s and 1970s, then assesses the resulting interdisciplinary orientation of elementary and secondary school English curricula in the 1980s. Surveys ways that English classes address the social consequences of science and technology. (JG)

Examines the trend of community colleges to narrow the language arts curriculum to meet a restricted definition of "literacy." Argues for a wider definition that calls upon students to become familiar with the various uses of language through reading and writing. (FL)

Examines the present crisis embodied in the illiteracy impasse and advocates making instruction in the critical reading of literature the foundation of an integrated literature and writing curriculum that would help develop a working model of the imagination's real relation to language as a guide to the cultivation of literacy. (NKA)

Describes action research through which systematic improvement in both practice and understanding occurs through planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. Then, applies this research to the Kewdale project, focusing particularly upon the kinds of knowledge that were generated by the participants and the sorts of actions that took place in their…

Looks at English departments, English curricula, and the activities of professional organizations in the field, and concludes that bureaucracies, with their vested interest in the status quo, prevent effective action against a range of major problems faced by English teachers. (RBW)

To alleviate current instructional and curricular problems, college English departments should cooperate with secondary schools in such areas as teacher training in writing instruction, reduction of teaching loads, and grading of papers of college-preparatory students. Colleges should also consider establishing admission requirements of four years…

Discusses how a unit using a Russian novel helped students experience a sense of glasnost in their classrooms and allows teacher/researchers to examine how middle school students respond to literature. Finds that using literature from other countries forces students to examine their own values in contrast with those of the characters. (MG)