Mikhail Bakhtin's literary theory, particularly his voice-oriented term, "heteroglossia," can easily be brought to bear on the teaching of voice in the composition classroom. Bakhtin not only likes the concept of voice, but at times even seems obsessed with it. The notion of heteroglossia suggests a diversity of discourses or voices, and…

A series of papers dealing with the development of writing abilities, focusing on: the child and his reader, the functions of writing, genuine communication, the importance of writing differently for different purposes and audiences, and the growth from the expressive to more specialized and differentiated kinds of writing. (EH)

This booklet is one of a series of teacher-written curriculum publications launched by the Bay Area Writing Project, each focusing on a different aspect of the teaching of composition. Introductory sections discuss writing fluency and the goals and procedures of a high school writing workshop for noncollege preparatory students. The work of three…

This paper argues that provocative questions can be used by teachers to help students write. Described are a series of questions drawn from rhetorical theory, such as "How many times can I change focus so as to get the most complete understanding of a topic?""When does X occur?""Why does X occur?" and "What does X cause or prompt?" Several…

Imitation can be a useful method of teaching students to write well. Imitations may be "loose" or "close." Loose imitation aims for faint resemblance; it requires a perception of a particular model that looks at its most conspicuous features, such as tone, arrangement of ideas, and the general character of the diction. Close imitation aims at…

The intention of this book is to introduce college students to the genre of poetry from the writer's point of view by presenting them with the same problems that aspiring poets encounter as they develop into accomplished poets. The book proceeds from some general observations to simple exercises, and then to more complex exercises, with many…

The five approaches to the teaching of writing presented in this article represent different assumptions and different views of writing; it is suggested that the teacher may select one or more of these theories as appropriate for use by individual students. (JD)

Describes a method of writing about literature in which "major detail sentences" (sentences which make generalizations about the point of the paragraph) help students combine their observations and the facts of the story into an analytical form. (MM)

Presents an instructional unit, "Literary Lifeboat," a purposeful writing exercise in which students write character justifications for familiar stories. Describes the unit's implementation in a Year 5 class, and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the exercise. (MM)

The author describes a writing course which represents an effort to break away from the conventional programs. (Editor/RK)

Sets forth specific questions for detecting plagiarism in student writing such as unusual titles, irrelevant topic, professionalism of typing, bibliography, footnotes, and an unusual approach to subject. (DS)

To dramatize the need for logical organization and precise definition, students are asked to write essays describing specific everyday objects (e.g., screwdriver, nutpick). After the essay is read aloud the class tries to guess the item and comments on the effectiveness of the description. (DS)

Describes the use of anonymous daily journal entries (edited and graded at the end of the semester) in a literature survey course to nurture individual inquiry without sacrificing coverage. Maintains that anonymity encourages students to take risks, raise questions, and evaluate and shape the course. (SR)