The CATESOL Journal

Each term teachers of academic writing, either for native speakers of English or nonnative speakers, must determine what topics to assign and how best to help students acquire the skills needed for college writing. In making these determinations, instructors often overlook or underestimate student preferences. This paper reports the results of a survey of student preferences regarding the type of topic assigned and the amount of freedom allowed in choosing a topic. The survey was administered to 168 ESL students enrolled in composition classes at the University of San Francisco in 1984, 1985, and 1987. The results suggest that students prefer controlled assignments based on previous classwork.