Traditionally writing is taught in three segments: discourse, syntax, and grammar. Research in the 1970s questions this and shows that formal grammar study does little to improve student writing. Some educators are now showing that students learn English structure and grammar best as they find they need it through their own writing experiences.…

Fifteen teaching suggestions are offered for elementary language skills activities. The focus is on developing proficiency in sentence completion, alphabetizing, story telling, writing, describing, listening creatively, spelling, and expanding language comprehension. (JD)

The author's plans for Kinesthetic Initial Training (KIT), a system of interrelated subjects designed to teach handicapped and gifted students basic reading, writing, arithmetic, and grammar skills through the use of concrete materials, are described. KIT components are reviewed, and implications are considered for areas of psychomotor,…

Discusses classroom assessment techniques (CATs), formative assessment tools that require knowledge of one's discipline and a clear desire to increase student learning. Examples are provided from a Spanish grammar and composition course. (Author/VWL)

Explores research relating parts of clauses to the communicative roles they play. Proposes that M. A. K. Halliday's system of analyzing sentences into one or more kinds of themes and a rheme is a useful system in conducting such research. Discusses implications of this system for understanding discourse production, structure, or reception. (RDS)

Explains how teachers might go about equitably and fairly teaching standard written English when African American students in the class speak black English. Argues that black English, which has been 400 years in the making, is worthy of tolerance and respect for all its richness. (TB)

Auxiliary selection in L1 German is sensitive to the degree of transitivity of a clause. This study focuses on the most basic parameter of transitivity, number of participants, and shows that as students become more proficient in German, they are more accurate in auxiliary selection. First year students do not reflect in their writing that they…

This article outlines a lesson plan which contains four activities based on the cultural content of quilts. It includes activities for teaching vocabulary and grammar, speaking, writing, and a dicto-comp activity (in which there is both dictation and composition).

This article revisits a question posed by Hyland [(1997). Is EAP necessary? A survey of Hong Kong undergraduates. "Asian Journal of English Language Teaching, 7," 77-99] in the Hong Kong higher education context: Is EAP necessary? The article presents the overall findings of a large-scale, multi-faceted investigation into the language…

Designed as a criterion-referenced scale to describe levels of writing skill development for basic essay elements, this instrument provides separate six-point rating scales for general competence of a narrative essay and the levels of development of focus and organization, support, and grammar/mechanics. The mechanics scale includes a brief guide…