According to Li¡¦s (1992) study, the majority of high school students in Taiwan consider English writing their most taxing subject. After ten years, it seems still a difficult task for most of them, which is shown by the results from CEEC in 2001¡Xthe percentage of examinees who have scored higher than 12 points in writing is below 8%. This undesirable fact causes trouble and frustration not only to students but also to teachers. After a literature review of three dimensions¡Xresearch on English composition, empirical studies in Taiwan, and English teachers¡¦ beliefs and their pedagogical practices, the researcher adopted a qualitative methodology to do the research. The methodology is composed of an interview and a questionnaire. In this study, it is concluded that writing teachers¡¦ prior learning experiences had an influence on their current teaching practices. What¡¦s more, as for the explanation of why writing instructors have adopted these different methods, there are many possible reasons to give, such as time limit, students¡¦ numbers or a test-oriented trend in education. Teachers¡¦ beliefs and practices may also differ significantly due to their students¡¦ different backgrounds and needs. Moreover, the difficulties that teachers face are indeed serious problems the authorities concerned have to fix and some relevant suggestions should be proposed. Last but not least, the results of this study have shown some of teachers¡¦ beliefs about their writing instruction, including the opinions on principles of compiling writing materials and the teaching points they stress. Therefore, the relevant authorities and other researchers can refer to these results in this study when they implement language education reforms or conduct related studies. It is hoped that such a study would help people have a thorough comprehension of senior high school writing instructors¡¦ beliefs and draw much more attention to the importance of their needs, and difficulties.

This study investigated the validity of excusing students from composition courses based upon an objective examination. Utah State University (USU) students who had taken freshman composition courses during the 1970-71 school year when these courses were required of all entering freshman students were divided into two groups: one group was composed of those who had received an "A" or "B" for three freshman composition courses, while the other group had received a- "C" or "D" for the same courses. USU students who had been excused from taking freshman composition courses based on the CLEP General Examination in English Composition (CLEP) during the 1971-72 school year when all entering freshman students were required to take the C LEP were divided into two groups: one group had scored above 449 on the CLEP and the other group had scored from 390-449. In addition, students who had been excused from the same composition requirement based on a score above 2 on the Advanced Placement Test in English Composition (AP) were included in the study. A random sample of 25 from each of the above groups participated in the study. All subjects completed an essay test (CLEP Subject Examination in English Composition--Essay Section) and an objective test (CLEP Subject Examination--Objective Section). The essay test was rated independently by three members of the USU English Department, and an inter-rater reliability coefficient of . 83 was obtained using analysis of variance techniques. Results showed that on the bases of both the essay test and the objective test there was no significant difference in the writing ability of the two groups of students who had completed freshman composition courses and the two groups of students who had been excused from freshman composition courses based on the C LEP. On the bases of both of these tests, the students who scored above 2 on the AP test scored above all other groups in the study; the students who scored above 449 on the CLEP scored second to the AP students and very much like the students who had received an average of "A" or "B" in freshman composition courses; the students who scored 390-449 and those who received a "C" or "D" in composition courses received virtually identical scores on the essay and objective tests. Based on multiple regression analysis, the objective test was found to be a much better predictor of freshman English grades than the essay test. In addition, the essay test was found to add little to the prediction of freshman composition grades provided by the objective test alone. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that the C LEP had been accurately applied at USU. Based upon the assumption that freshman composition grades are a valid measure of writing ability, it was also concluded that the objective test used in the study was a more valid measure of writing ability than the essay test, and further concluded that the objective test could predict writing ability quite accurately independent of the essay test. In consideration of the previous conclusions, it was concluded that a strictly objective test can validly be used to excuse students from freshman composition courses.

Given recent calls for university composition policies that are informed by the actual practices and populations of students at a given institution (Tardy, 2011), this study investigated student and instructor perceptions and attitudes toward using online translators (e.g., Google Translate or Babelfish) for composition assignments. The study analyzed interview data from four international students and three English composition instructors to understand how the use of online translators was explained, justified, and contextualized by these two groups. This study revealed that although both students and instructors believed that online translators afforded an opportunity for language learning, the participants still aligned with dominant ideologies of plagiarism and were wary of the use of these services. In conclusion to the study, recommendations were made for instructors to moderate more in-class discussions about the use of technology during the writing process and to define the appropriate and inappropriate uses of such technology more clearly.

The objective of this dissertation is to explore the process of teaching English Composition in the asynchronous online format and to make recommendations for the best possible approach for continued student success. The teaching of English Composition is a complex subject and no two teachers will have the same approach. This matter is further complicated when online instruction is explored. An instructor cannot transplant an in-class course into the online format and expect the same results. This dissertation explores the best possible approach to teaching English Composition in an online environment with the use of multimedia applications. This exploration will address current methods of teaching English Composition online, will evaluate what seems to work well, will explore the concerns highlighted by educators and practitioners involved with English Composition online, and will highlight additional recommended advancements, both in methods of approach and technological innovations, that can bring to light instructional practices for further evaluation. This study will lead to an understanding of what these new emerging technologies are and the specifics of their use by both instructors and students alike online, and it will identify best practices in teaching English Composition online for the immediate future.

This study was designed to determine the differences in achievement, critical thinking, and attitude toward English composition of community college students which may be attributed to two approaches to the teaching of first-semester freshman English composition. An ancillary purpose of the study was to provide factual information which could be used as a basis for administrative and instructional judgments in determining the expansion or discontinuance of an experimental English program.

The problem with which this research is concerned is a comparison of two methodologies in the teaching of high school senior English with regard to their relative effectiveness in developing certain composition skills believed to be important in college academic success. The two methodologies compared in this study are (1) a traditional approach and (2) an experimental approach consistent with certain recommendations of the National Council of Teachers of English.

The problem of this study was to determine the differences in achievement, critical thinking, and attitude toward subjects of junior college freshmen which could be attributed to two approaches to the teaching of English composition and American history. The purpose of the study was to yield information for use as the basis for administrative and instructional judgments concerning pupil deployment, and plant and staff utilization.

This study was planned to investigate the effects of written comments on the expository compositions of eleventh-grade students using a cross section of ability groups. Data for combined groups and data for high-, middle-, and low-ability groups were used to determine whether one type of comment was more effective than another in improving the quantity and quality of student compositions and in improving student attitudes toward composition. Teachers may use the findings as a guide to what kinds of comments are most effective in reinforcing good writing skills and attitudes.

This study is concerned with the history of the Student Use of English examination at North Texas State University in Denton, Texas. Conceived in 1944 and implemented in 1946, the examination serves as a measure to insure that marginal English students demonstrate a minimal proficiency in composition evidenced by a three and a half page essay written in topics related to their major fields.

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