CFP (Call for Papers): I’m seeking papers in order to propose a panel for the upcoming 2016 MLA in Austin, TX.  The subject is “Teaching Writing, Rhetoric, and Composition to Online/Distance Students.”  I am particularly interested in (but not limited to) papers that explore the primacy of written language as instruction compared to oral, t…[Read more]

Hello everyone,

I’m please to let you all know that the RCWS Literacy Studies Forum was approved in Nov. 2014 by the MLA Program Committee. We are in the process of putting together a CFP for Literacy Studies papers at MLA 2016.

The executive committee members are listed below and we will be holding an election this year for the 5th exec…[Read more]

Motion 2015-1:
Proposers of record: John Maerhofer and Margaret Hanzimanolis on behalf of the Radical Caucus in English and the Modern Languages

Whereas Part-Time Faculty (PTF) constitute over 50% of the faculty in the US, and presumably a similar percentage of language and literature faculty;

Whereas PTF are presumably and anecdotally…[Read more]

Dear Forum Members,

For anyone who might be interested in pursuing a Ph.D., with the aim of teaching at a two-year college, I wanted to draw your attention to the Idaho State University Ph.D. in English and the Teaching of English, which is program that prepares students for this type of job.

The Ph.D. is a distinctive program that integrates…[Read more]

46th Annual NeMLA Conference
April 30 – May 3, 2015
Toronto, Canada

Submission Deadline: September 30, 2014

Growth in Writing, Teaching, and Learning

In his classic composition text Writing Without Teachers, Peter Elbow asks us to consider the metaphor of growing as a way to encourage and teach fluid, flexible writing. The idea of growth…[Read more]

Forgive me for cross-posting, please.

The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) adopted the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education in 2000. Frequently, as you know, information literacy has been combined with English or writing courses. The ACRL Board of Directors has appointed a task force to significantly…[Read more]

Hello:

I recently observed a colleague making disparaging remarks about the language skills of an ESL student. While my colleague believed the student’s English was weak, I thought there was noticeable development. The difference in perception made me wonder if U.S. minority students and/or students in the U.S. from abroad experience problems in…[Read more]

Hello:

I recently observed one of my colleagues make inaccurate assumptions about the language skills of an ESL student. My colleague thought the student’s English was weak, but I disagreed. In mulling over this situation, I began to wonder if U.S. minorities and/or students from abroad encounter problems in writing classrooms distinct to these…[Read more]