Scott,

    I think there is pretty good evidence that putting students in classes that mainly focus on “remediation” is not effective.  You might want to check out the ALP (Accelerated Learning Program) for some description of an alternative to that at the college level. Alp-deved.org. They have a delightful annual conference scheduled for June.

   I would also check out the Exeter research program (mostly Debra Myhill) at http://education.exeter.ac.uk./projects.php?id=419. They look directly at ways in which a focus on language improves writing and have definitely demonstrated that it does.

    I would also deeply recommend Language Education throughout the School Years: A Functional Perspective by Francis Christie for a description of the programming going on down in Australia. (2012, Wiley-Blackwell. Mary Schleppegrell, from the University of Michigan,  is the series editor and has a forward.)

    My own rule of thumb is that you can’t teach writing by remediating deficiencies. You do it by constructing competence, and that includes competence in the use of the resources of language for the production of effective text.

 

Craig

 

 

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