Presents a review of the literature on reader-focused text evaluation. Gives an account of the document characteristics that can be evaluated and considers the possible functions of evaluations making a distinction between verifying, troubleshooting, and choice-supporting research. Presents an overview of methods appropriate for the various…

Analyzes the results of using focus groups for the evaluation of a safety manual for a large chemical company. Discusses the main advantages and disadvantages of focus groups. Describes how this method was applied in the specific situation and discusses the value of the method. (SG)

Investigates French and German undergraduate engineering and computer science students' comprehension of phrasal verbs. Concludes that phrasal verbs may make texts less accessible to non-native speakers of English. Indicates there are features of Plain English that are less applicable when the intended audience consists of non-native speakers of…

Tests widely-held associations among script types, genres, writers, and target readers via statistical analysis in popular Japanese fiction. Subjects texts to lexical analysis to see whether choice of vocabulary can account for variability in script selection. Finds that Japanese writers fashion their script type choices to specific contexts, as…

States that participants in a qualitative case study of nonacademic R&D authors thought their reports were more informative than persuasive. Describes how three definitions of "persuasion" emerged. Concludes that most of the participants felt they owed a greater debt to their subject matter rather than the audience; some participants…

Describes the author's approach to a MBA writing course functioning to connect the writing and oral presentation assignments to the students' current jobs. Notes that most international students lack an understanding of American business practices. Develops the assignments around what the students do know. Notes three assignments including a…

Discusses the incorporation of cases to help students understand the issues inherent in corporate communication. Finds that the cases significantly improve the quality of education gained by the students. Concludes that cases provide a variety of contexts and examples for professional writing that enlighten students as to the range of documents,…

Discusses worldwide Web-based training (WBT) and cautions that WBT is not good for all training goals, not all audiences are technically prepared, and not all organizational cultures are ready. Describes a variety of WBT delivery methods and recommends a cross-functional international team to design and implement international WBT. (LRW)

Analyzes three novels by three authors and conducted interviews to gain insights about their work. Explores with the authors their perceptions of their protagonists as role models or heroes. Discusses with the authors whether or not they would describe their protagonists as conformists or non-conformists. Gains insights from the authors regarding…

Discusses how language arts skills are prerequisite for nearly every occupation. Considers the problem that many prerequisite skills remain hidden until the worker is actually on the job. Notes that for students, the link between school and work is unclear. Looks more in-depth at the language arts demands of police work. (SG)

This study is a modest attempt to use three Korean primary school children and their English diaries as go-betweens to mediate in an apparent dispute between the founding fathers of socio-cultural theory about the nature of language and language awareness. According to Bruner, Vygotsky holds that mediation by others and self-mediation of written…

Classrooms are filled with students with confident and vibrant voices, and most educators encourage them to use these voices in their writing. Many of the strategies of the process-centered classroom (peer editing, conferences, workshops, in-house publishing) also encourage students to write in real voices to real readers; however, there is still…

Cartoons are generally regarded as "kids' stuff," unworthy of scholarly study. As an aspect of popular culture, television cartoons do not attract scholars who are interested in being part of the "critical elite." Some scholars believe, however, that less time should be spent discussing how TV might be used to teach children…

As with commercial stations, the underlying premise of the college radio station is to serve the community, whether it be the campus community or the community at large, but in unique ways often geared to underserved niches of the population. Much of college radio's charm lies in its unpredictable nature and constant mutations. The stations give…

Written for Canadian public servants and written with their help, this handbook presents principles and tips to make official writing clear, concise, and well organized. The handbook defines "plain language" writing as a technique of organizing information in ways that make sense to the reader--using familiar, straightforward words. The…