In a message dated 8/16/2001 4:30:38 AM Pacific Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes: << This then provides the teacher and student understanding of why students have such a hard time learning to WRITE Standard English -- they are putting on paper their accustomed conversational patterns, and the syntax of conversation and the syntax of Standard Edited English are quite different. >> Rebecca, This sounds fascinating! What a great way to draw attention to the differences. Every year I struggle to help my kids understand the concept of voice in writing, and they have a very difficult time finding a more formal voice for their writing. One or two a year never "get it," and I send them off to seventh grade writing gems like "I really, really liked lit circles this year - soooo cool! I hope we get to do them next year (even though our teacher is new and might be an ax murderer for all I know - JOKE, Mrs. Lee!" in a year end reflective essay (actual quote, mind you!). I would posit that there is a new pattern emerging due to technology - email. Email writing seems to be a curious mix of conversation and formal writing. My students email me frequently, and the style is different from either their writing in class or their speech. It may be a function of the shortcuts available (numbers and letters in a shorthand "c u latr" or "brb" for be right back) and the graphics they have embraced so quickly (emoticons, colors, and jpegs abound). I'm just as bad - I found to my horror that I had sent off welcoming emails to our new teachers with a winking emoticon in the close. Sigh. Fascinating subject! Thanks, Rebecca. I know how I'm opening my writing workshop this year. Now to round up some tape recorders! Gretchen in San Jose [log in to unmask] To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/