Topic: Goals for Writing Instruction

10-second review: Says succinctly that learning to write takes a life time. One course will never do it.

Title: “Arizona State University Writing Programs Course Goals….” Appendix in EM White. College Composition and Communication (June 2005), 596. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

Quote: “Since learning to write effectively is a complex task that requires lifelong practice, any composition class should never be seen as ‘the’ course that will make the student an effective writer. Rather, any writing class, including our first-year courses, should be seen as a step toward gaining the strategies necessary to engage in that practice.”

Comment: My experience has been that every time I take on a writing task, I learn new skills and gain new understanding of what it takes to accomplish that particular task. I never stop learning to write. RayS.