ABSTRACT
The main conclusion that must be drawn from the analyses of writing and learning in previous chapters is that the role of teachers is central in the development of writers. But the part teachers must play is subtle and different from the way it is widely perceived. There is very little that beginners can be taught directly, through the memorization of rules and imposition of exercises, that will transform nonwriters into writers. There are few “facts” of writing that students might usefully be required to memorize, in the way that they might be taught the nomenclature of geography or geology, nor do there appear to be relevant exercises that learners might be required to practice, in the way that they might rehearse mathematical skills (although the value of drills in learning mathematics has also been questioned). 1
