ABSTRACT
The importance of teaching written communication is a well-established
tradition in both the United States and Canada, in parts of South America, as
well as throughout northern Europe, including Germany, the Netherlands,
Denmark, Scandinavia, and Great Britain. However, while writing instruction
in France is heavily emphasized in primary and secondary school education,
it has until recently received only very limited attention at the postsecondary
(or university and college) level. This situation, of course, has important con-
sequences for potential French degree programs in technical communication
since written communication skills are among the most essential for entry into
the professional community.
