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Composition studies

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Composition Studies (also referred to as "Composition and Rhetoric," "College Composition," or simply "Composition") is the professional field of writing instruction, especially at the college level in the United States. In many American colleges and universities, undergraduate students must take freshman — sometimes even higher — composition courses. For example, in California, all public colleges and universities have 1A, freshman composition, and 1B, sophomore composition, requirements.

Many composition scholars study not only the theory and practice of postsecondary writing instruction, but also the influence of different writing conventions and genres on writers' composing processes. As written conventions and genres change over time, compositionists continue to learn how these changes affect writers, and how writers work to change the conventions within which they work.

First-year composition

Many universities have a required freshman, or first-year, composition course. This is not always the same as a literature course, which focuses on literary analysis; rather, composition courses are often intensive instruction in writing non-fiction, expository texts using academic discourse conventions.

Second-language writing

Second language writing is the practice of teaching writing to non-native speakers of English.

Writing across the curriculum

Because academic discourse is not monolithic, many compositionsits have created a writing across the curriculum (WAC) movement that situates writing-intensive instruction in specific academic discourse communities.

Writing center

Many colleges and universities have a writing center, which offers supplementary tutorial support for writing specifically in English classes and/or across the curriculum. Many universities in North America and especially elsewhere only offer writing instruction via writing centers.

See also

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