Question: What can be learned from professional educational journals about teaching and learning to write?
Answer. Note from RayS: I will shift my Q & A on Writing column to summarizing the more interesting ideas from professional educational journals on the teaching of writing. While these articles will be primarily of interest to teachers from kindergarten through college, they might also be useful for the general reader.
What are the differences between writing and speaking? 1. Writing is learned behavior; talking is natural behavior. 2. Writing is an artificial process. 3. Writing is a technological device; talking is organic. 4. Most writing is slower than talking. 5. Writing is stark, barren, naked; talking is rich, inherently redundant. 6. Talking is based on environment; writing must provide its own context. 7. With writing the audience is absent; with talking the listener is present. 8. Writing produces a visible product; talking does not. 9. Because writing produces a product, writing is more responsible and committed than talking. 10. The written word is permanent; talking is ephemeral. 11. Writing is a source of learning with its product; talking is easily forgotten. J Emig. College Composition and Communication (May 77), 123-124.
…people read about twice as fast as they speak, which means that you can read something in about half the time it will take a speaker to tell you the same thing. TM Sawyer. College Composition and Communication (Feb. 77), 45.
How do writing and speaking to an audience differ? “The speaker can relate to the audience with a fairly certain knowledge of its response, while the writer can never know for sure what his or her readers are like or what they next expect.” RJ Connors. College Composition and Communication (Oct. 79), 286.
Thomas Sawyer points out that ‘because the listening audience is sure to miss portions of live speech and cannot preserve it for review…communication must be redundant—repetitious—to be memorable.’ RJ Connors. College Composition and Communication (Oct. 79), 288.
Writing also has the advantage over speech in the precision it allows in word structure…. RJ Connors. College Composition and Communication (Oct. 79), 289.
What should we look for when revising? We’re all guilty of padding (“at this point in time” vs. “now”). Each of us uses certain phrases without thinking. The trick is to identify them so we can eliminate them. Start by searching your copy…. Once you know your pet phrases, get into the habit of using your computer’s “find-and-replace” function to eliminate them. GA Workman. The Writer (Sept. 04), 10.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Professional Journals on Writing 02
Question: What can be learned from professional educational journals about teaching and learning to write?
Answer. Note from RayS: I will shift my Q & A on Writing column to summarizing the more interesting ideas from professional educational journals on the teaching of writing. While these articles will be primarily of interest to teachers from kindergarten through college, they might also be useful for the general reader.
What is the difference between a synopsis and an abstract? Synopsis defined: chronologically ordered summary of the main events of a novel, short story or play. DM Guinn. College Composition and Communication (Dec. 79), 380. Abstract defined: Summarizing a sequence of ideas. Two types: descriptive and informative. Descriptive concentrates on topics covered by the writer. Informative concentrates on what the original says. DM Guinn. College Composition and Communication (Dec. 79), 380-381.
How help students develop sentence variety? Have students select individual sentences from their writing and try to reorder the words in them in a more interesting way. R deBeaugrande. College Composition and Communication (Oct. 77), 240-246.
Why teach grammar? The goal then of learning the rules is to render them invisible. A reader does not see correct punctuation; only mistakes show. Correct spelling is an invisible conduit through which the writer’s point of view flows to the reader…. A misspelled word, rendered visible, draws attention to itself, invites a judgment and distracts the reader from the writer’s point of view…. I tell my students…I want you to know that I lost sight of your point of view because what I was seeing was the errors in spelling. If it’s OK with you that your point of view goes down the drain…. If it’s not all right with you, then in your next paper do whatever you have to do in order to make your spelling invisible and thereby supportive of what you wish to communicate. BJ Mandel. College Composition and Communication (Dec. 78), 368.
What does research tell us about teaching grammar? Reports of grammar’s uselessness in improving writing are based on research that is neither thorough nor completely convincing, with generalizations usually drawn from one study—the Harris study in 1962. The Elly study (1976) draws the conclusion that the study of grammar does not help students in editing, an interpretation that goes beyond the data. Suggests that maybe one valid conclusion from the Elly study might be that grammar should be introduced at the later junior and high school levels. J Neuleib. College Composition and Communication (Oct. 77), 247-250.
How practice sentence combining? Students “deconstruct” professionally written sentences as they would for sentence combining, then reconstruct them. J W Ney, 1976. College Composition and Communication (May 77), 189.
Answer. Note from RayS: I will shift my Q & A on Writing column to summarizing the more interesting ideas from professional educational journals on the teaching of writing. While these articles will be primarily of interest to teachers from kindergarten through college, they might also be useful for the general reader.
What is the difference between a synopsis and an abstract? Synopsis defined: chronologically ordered summary of the main events of a novel, short story or play. DM Guinn. College Composition and Communication (Dec. 79), 380. Abstract defined: Summarizing a sequence of ideas. Two types: descriptive and informative. Descriptive concentrates on topics covered by the writer. Informative concentrates on what the original says. DM Guinn. College Composition and Communication (Dec. 79), 380-381.
How help students develop sentence variety? Have students select individual sentences from their writing and try to reorder the words in them in a more interesting way. R deBeaugrande. College Composition and Communication (Oct. 77), 240-246.
Why teach grammar? The goal then of learning the rules is to render them invisible. A reader does not see correct punctuation; only mistakes show. Correct spelling is an invisible conduit through which the writer’s point of view flows to the reader…. A misspelled word, rendered visible, draws attention to itself, invites a judgment and distracts the reader from the writer’s point of view…. I tell my students…I want you to know that I lost sight of your point of view because what I was seeing was the errors in spelling. If it’s OK with you that your point of view goes down the drain…. If it’s not all right with you, then in your next paper do whatever you have to do in order to make your spelling invisible and thereby supportive of what you wish to communicate. BJ Mandel. College Composition and Communication (Dec. 78), 368.
What does research tell us about teaching grammar? Reports of grammar’s uselessness in improving writing are based on research that is neither thorough nor completely convincing, with generalizations usually drawn from one study—the Harris study in 1962. The Elly study (1976) draws the conclusion that the study of grammar does not help students in editing, an interpretation that goes beyond the data. Suggests that maybe one valid conclusion from the Elly study might be that grammar should be introduced at the later junior and high school levels. J Neuleib. College Composition and Communication (Oct. 77), 247-250.
How practice sentence combining? Students “deconstruct” professionally written sentences as they would for sentence combining, then reconstruct them. J W Ney, 1976. College Composition and Communication (May 77), 189.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Professional Journals on Writing 01
Question: What can be learned from professional educational journals about teaching and learning to write?
Answer. Note from RayS: I will shift my Q & A on Writing column to summarizing the more interesting ideas from professional educational journals on the teaching of writing. While these articles will be primarily of interest to teachers from kindergarten through college, they might also be useful for the general reader.
How help students become better interviewers? Interviewing influences improvement of oral expression through formulating worthwhile questions; speaking in a clear and easily understood voice; developing listening skills; expressing appreciation for the information given; developing poise and self-confidence; summarizing what was learned. EG Cowe. Language Arts (Sept. 76), 633.
Why do teachers give the grades in writing that they do? The most significant influence proved to be the strength of the content of the essay. The second most important influence proved to be the strength of the organization of that content. The third significant influence was the strength of the mechanics. SW Freedman. College Composition and Communication (May 79), 163.
How teach formal expression to students? Give students exercises to help them translate spoken dialect into formal writing. P Silber. College Composition and Communication (Oct. 79), 294-300.
How cut your word count—and improve your writing?
1. Outline your article—preferably before and after your first draft. 2. Examine the length of your lead. Excessively long leads can cause readers to lose interest. 3. Is all your background material really needed? 4. See if you can lose some summary or description. 5. Study your transitions. 6. Save only the best anecdotes and quotes. 7. Go sentence by sentence. 8. Assign priorities. JK Borchardt. The Writer (Apr. 06), 36-38.
How teach students to write letters of application? Letters of application are often written for jobs that do not clearly match the educational background of the student. Students must be shown how to relate the job to the educational background and personal experience of the applicant. EM Walsh. College Composition and Communication (Dec. 77), 375.
Answer. Note from RayS: I will shift my Q & A on Writing column to summarizing the more interesting ideas from professional educational journals on the teaching of writing. While these articles will be primarily of interest to teachers from kindergarten through college, they might also be useful for the general reader.
How help students become better interviewers? Interviewing influences improvement of oral expression through formulating worthwhile questions; speaking in a clear and easily understood voice; developing listening skills; expressing appreciation for the information given; developing poise and self-confidence; summarizing what was learned. EG Cowe. Language Arts (Sept. 76), 633.
Why do teachers give the grades in writing that they do? The most significant influence proved to be the strength of the content of the essay. The second most important influence proved to be the strength of the organization of that content. The third significant influence was the strength of the mechanics. SW Freedman. College Composition and Communication (May 79), 163.
How teach formal expression to students? Give students exercises to help them translate spoken dialect into formal writing. P Silber. College Composition and Communication (Oct. 79), 294-300.
How cut your word count—and improve your writing?
1. Outline your article—preferably before and after your first draft. 2. Examine the length of your lead. Excessively long leads can cause readers to lose interest. 3. Is all your background material really needed? 4. See if you can lose some summary or description. 5. Study your transitions. 6. Save only the best anecdotes and quotes. 7. Go sentence by sentence. 8. Assign priorities. JK Borchardt. The Writer (Apr. 06), 36-38.
How teach students to write letters of application? Letters of application are often written for jobs that do not clearly match the educational background of the student. Students must be shown how to relate the job to the educational background and personal experience of the applicant. EM Walsh. College Composition and Communication (Dec. 77), 375.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Web Picks on Writing 07: Business Letters
Question: How should I organize a business letter?
Answer: Written by Kenneth Beare for people whose English is a second language. However, even native speakers will appreciate the concise outline of the basic parts of business letters and the styles needed for different purposes, with key words to establish tone. I think this Web site is well worth reviewing. The URL is listed below. RayS.
http://esl.about.com/cs/onthejobenglish/a/a_basbletter.htm
Answer: Written by Kenneth Beare for people whose English is a second language. However, even native speakers will appreciate the concise outline of the basic parts of business letters and the styles needed for different purposes, with key words to establish tone. I think this Web site is well worth reviewing. The URL is listed below. RayS.
http://esl.about.com/cs/onthejobenglish/a/a_basbletter.htm
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Web Picks on Writing 06: Business Writing Q & A.
Question: Where can you find good information on business writing?
Answer: RayS: An excellent resource on the Internet is Lynn Gaertner-Johntson’s Q & A on business writing. She’s good. In this collection of newsletters, she answers questions about how to write clear, concise FAQ’s with good examples. Should you or shouldn’t you send e-mails ending in quotations? The uses of verb tenses in “minutes,” that is for meetings. Communicating with customers on airline flights to make them most comfortable. The principles are the same for all your customers. Don’t use emoticons—do use written expressions of emotion; includes many examples. Use the expression “sweating bullets”? Yes, if the reader is a native speaker of English. No, if the e-mail will be read by a person in a foreign country who will not understand its literal meaning. Capitalize “sales department”? Reflections on how she writes her column. Capitalizing salutations. A list of questions she has answered. Response to an intrusive question—how to frame the question tactfully. And all written in clear, smooth English. A good business writing Web site. The URL is listed below.
http://www.businesswritingblog.com/
Answer: RayS: An excellent resource on the Internet is Lynn Gaertner-Johntson’s Q & A on business writing. She’s good. In this collection of newsletters, she answers questions about how to write clear, concise FAQ’s with good examples. Should you or shouldn’t you send e-mails ending in quotations? The uses of verb tenses in “minutes,” that is for meetings. Communicating with customers on airline flights to make them most comfortable. The principles are the same for all your customers. Don’t use emoticons—do use written expressions of emotion; includes many examples. Use the expression “sweating bullets”? Yes, if the reader is a native speaker of English. No, if the e-mail will be read by a person in a foreign country who will not understand its literal meaning. Capitalize “sales department”? Reflections on how she writes her column. Capitalizing salutations. A list of questions she has answered. Response to an intrusive question—how to frame the question tactfully. And all written in clear, smooth English. A good business writing Web site. The URL is listed below.
http://www.businesswritingblog.com/
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Web Picks on Writing 05: Revising Business English
Question: What should I look for when I revise?
Answer: The writing lab at Purdue University discusses how to revise business correspondence, beginning with establishing purpose for writing and expectations of readers, avoiding wordiness, using tact and concluding with a review of organization and the mistakes you are most likely to make in grammar. Fundamental stuff with good reminders for how to polish your business writing. The URL is listed below. RayS.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/648/02/
Answer: The writing lab at Purdue University discusses how to revise business correspondence, beginning with establishing purpose for writing and expectations of readers, avoiding wordiness, using tact and concluding with a review of organization and the mistakes you are most likely to make in grammar. Fundamental stuff with good reminders for how to polish your business writing. The URL is listed below. RayS.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/648/02/
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Web Picks on Writing 04: Myths about Writing
Question: What are some myths about writing and teaching writing?
Answer: National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE): Ten Myths about Writing.
RayS: My reaction to these 10 myths about writing is that they are half-truths. It’s true that kids have interesting ideas. It’s also true that some kids at some time run dry and have no ideas that strike them as interesting. It’s also true that real writers most of the time do not get it right the first time. But in writing memos, for example, they often do. They have a mental formula for what they want to say and they say it without spending a whole lot of time revising. So check out these myths about writing. What do you think? For me, every statement of a myth required a counter statement contradicting it. The URL is listed below.
http://www.ncte.org/prog/writing/updates/115419.htm.
Answer: National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE): Ten Myths about Writing.
RayS: My reaction to these 10 myths about writing is that they are half-truths. It’s true that kids have interesting ideas. It’s also true that some kids at some time run dry and have no ideas that strike them as interesting. It’s also true that real writers most of the time do not get it right the first time. But in writing memos, for example, they often do. They have a mental formula for what they want to say and they say it without spending a whole lot of time revising. So check out these myths about writing. What do you think? For me, every statement of a myth required a counter statement contradicting it. The URL is listed below.
http://www.ncte.org/prog/writing/updates/115419.htm.
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