Two groups of freshman students participated in the experiment. They were enrolled in their first ESL writing course. Before instruction, both groups were pre-tested. They wrote an essay. T-test results showed significant differences between both groups in writing ability. The experimental group made too many errors and had many writing problems.…

This lesson plan for teachers to use with students in junior English (American Literature and pre-college writing) seeks to span the gap between American Revolution-era literature and today's teenagers. The lesson plan advocates using music to span the gap. It presents a rationale, educational objectives, materials needed, and background…

This document consists of online instructional materials designed for adult education use. It is a seven lesson course designed to help the student develop better spelling and grammar skills, write with greater purpose and focus, and exercise better word choice through an enriched vocabulary. Detailed lessons, complete with worksheets and…

Strategies which can be used to help students learn to write lab reports are suggested. An example of an activity is provided including materials, procedures, discussion, and follow up. (CW)

Presented are the results of an extra-credit assignment to a group of intermediate-algebra students, which entailed the writing of word problems in poetic form. Included is the history of such writing from the trivial pursuitlike games of the Middle Ages in India. (JJK)

Five teachers of English as a Second Language describe activities used in their classrooms, including topical student journals in an intensive language course; current events journals; postcard-writing to promote authentic, communicative expression; student-designed bumper stickers; and a fashion show to teach adjective use. (MSE)

This publication shares three "best teaching practices" as identified by the Ohio Literacy Resource Center from responses from Ohio's adult literacy programs. "Identifying Errors in Writing" (Mary Cupilary) is a writing improvement strategy/lesson that involves selecting one sentence from a paragraph written by each student,…

The guide, intended as working materials for a teacher workshop, introduces second language teachers to principles and practices of student dialogue journal writing. It begins by outlining nine principles to follow concerning second language writing at all instructional levels. It then offers two sample journal entries with spaces for teachers to…

This booklet contains model lessons developed to familiarize students with the features of CD-ROM encyclopedias and to serve as a springboard for collaboration between media coordinators and classroom teachers. The lessons focus on integrating the skills needed to access information from electronic encyclopedias into social studies, language arts,…

This document was compiled to help keep science and mathematics teachers in Australia abreast of the results of important research endeavors in education. The monograph is divided into 12 chapters. Chapter one, "Exemplary Science and Mathematics Teachers," (Barry Fraser and Kenneth Tobin) describes a study focusing on examples of…

A survey of students of English as a Second Language at the University of South Florida found most ranked listening and/or speaking skills as most important to learn, and reading and writing skills much lower. They also perceived the inverse to be true of teachers. The challenge is to create a curriculum that provides for listening and speaking…

With each issue focusing on a different theme, volume 19 of "Inside English" looks at the cultural diversity in the community college curriculum, teaching literature at all levels, teaching writing at all levels, and the challenge of teaching English in the 1990's. In addition to regular columns on the English Council of California Two-Year…

Designed primarily for English faculty at community colleges in California, "Inside English" includes articles on instructional innovations in teaching remedial writing, literature courses, and freshman composition, and on major curricular, administrative, and employment issues in the field. The first issue of volume 15 focuses primarily on…

Focusing on the effects of three interventions on students' reading and writing of persuasive discourse, a study investigated (1) whether the writing of persuasive discourse can be improved by instruction, and (2) the effect of reading on writing and of writing on reading within the persuasive mode. Subjects, 100 Canadian sixth graders stratified…

Noting that teachers sometimes fail to draw on students' prior knowledge, this guide focuses on helping teachers both to think about the cognitive processes involved in learning and to design activities that provide students with a solid introduction to various learning tasks. The first section briefly discusses current theory and research in…