This eighth-grade language unit stresses developing the student's sensitivity to variations in language, primarily the similarities and differences between spoken and written language. Through sample lectures and discussion questions, the students are helped to form generalizations about language: that speech is the primary form of language; that…

This unit for grade 12 is intended to provide an introduction to the criticism of persuasive discourse. After a brief discussion of the definition of criticism, the unit proceeds to the establishment of standards for evaluating persuasive discourse, standards involving Kenneth Burke's pentad: act, scene, agent, agency, and purpose. The unit then…

FOR A REPORT ON COLLEGE PROGRAMS IN FRESHMAN COMPOSITION, THE ASSOCIATION OF DEPARTMENTS OF ENGLISH OBTAINED SYLLABI, AND COURSE DESCRIPTIONS FROM DIRECTORS OF FRESHMAN COMPOSITION AT 66 COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. AMONG THE DATA ASSEMBLED FOR THE FULL REPORT (AVAILABLE AS TE 500 190) ARE THE DESCRIPTIONS OF FRESHMAN ENGLISH AT THREE INSTITUTIONS,…

The tendency of modern English and speech teachers to turn away from vital issues has resulted in the present "undistinguished state" of rhetoric teaching and its lack of relevance to life. The proper subject matter of rhetoric is "the thought, opinion, and information revealed in the great, persisting, and unresolved problems of a…

This publication contains practical suggestions for the teacher of high school students who are not enrolled in college preparatory programs. A list of character traits common to these students and general suggestions for appropriate curriculums, teaching methods, and scheduling precede (1) a literature unit involving a sequence of lessons on…

Background information on the composition curriculum prepared by the English Curriculum Study Center at the University of Georgia is given in this book. Specific subjects covered include the theoretical basis, objectives, and structure of the curriculum in written composition for grades K-6; the contributions of anthropology, sociology, and…

Today, the content-centered curriculum in English--emphasizing the in-depth, rational study of the nature and structures of literature, language, and rhetoric--is changing under the influence of a "new" English--emphasizing the student's experience and involvement with literature. Thus, although the content-centered reforms of the past decade have…

The guide, developed as part of an exemplary program for junior high school students, is a ninth grade English unit designed to use contemporary literary materials which deal with occupational situations and attitudes of both employers and employees. The emphasis is on the relationship between on-the-job and leisure time activities. Three pages of…

A questionnaire designed to assess student awareness of their abilities to perform particular English skills, and student interests in activities using these skills, was administered to 160 students at the College of DuPage (C/D); 138 (86 percent) responded. For comparative purposes, similar questionnaires were administered to local high school…

Harold Allen states that language study will become an integral component of the college English curriculum when English departments recognize that a professional knowledge of the nature and function of language, of current theoretical studies in it, and of the geographical, historical, and social variations in language is vital to understanding…

After the needs of secondary students were assessed realistically, an English program was designed at Katella High School, Anaheim, California, to provide all students with more challenging, in-depth learning experiences and to equip college-bound students with the kinds of capabilities they will need in college. The program disregards traditional…

In this study, English departments in colleges affiliated with the United Presbyterian Church (USA) were surveyed to determine the opinions of departmental chairmen on matters of faculty responsibility and training, required English courses, English programs for future English teachers and liberal arts English majors, and the general role played…

As a sequential and cumulative curriculum for grades 7-12, this program--printed in chart form--suggests for English study an inductive approach in which students are led to explore, evaluate, and organize their experiences for new insights and skills. In addition to the curriculum chart, contents include (1) a glossary of terms used in the…

An approach to a language, literature, and composition curriculum designed to help students develop both an ability to think and an appreciation of themselves is summarized. Materials include (1) a listing of the main features of a communications curriculum from elementary through secondary school, (2) a rationale for the curriculum, which…

To develop students' abilities in independent literary interpretation and thus to foster in them a deeper enjoyment and appreciation of literature, teachers should attempt to impart an understanding of three basic structural areas in literature. The first of these is an awareness of man in relation to his physical, social, and cultural…