Berlin, James A. “Contemporary Composition: The Major Pedagogical Theories.” Cross-Talk in Comp Theory, edited by Victor Villanueva and Kristin L. Arola, National Council of Teachers of English, 2011, pp. 235-250.

In the article, “Contemporary Composition: The Major Pedagogical Theories,” James A. Berlin argues that “writing teachers are perforce given a responsibility that far exceeds this merely instrumental task” (237). Berlin substantiates his claim through an analysis of four different categories of pedagogical theory. His purpose is to show the strengths and weaknesses of different pedagogical theories in order to show that the New Rhetoricians have the best approach to teaching composition. His argument is directed at teachers. As a student and a possible future teacher, I found his explanations and definitions extremely helpful and his conclusion a strong one.