Reply to Mr. Wilburn

but also for the ways in which language and the individuals who use it are approached in the classroom." With this and several other oblique references to the classroom, one suspects that Nystrand has intended this anthology for teachers of language arts, although he never explicitly says so. His purpose in collecting this anthology may have been to encourage teachers to reconsider "the general efficacy of instruction in composition" or "the significance of informal talk in the classroom." On the other hand, his purpose may have been more general: "it is hoped that the reader will come to some understanding of the framework which is relevant to the everyday uses of language such as talk and some forms of writing." It is impossible to determine with assurance the purpose of this work, but one thing is clear: it could not be intended as a general introduction to linguistic thought. It is too nonrepresentative. The scope of the collection is a curious thing. Although he alludes to structure frequently, Nystrand does not elaborate on the Saussaurean leitmotif running through his collection: the focus on paradigms and on the distinction between la langue and la parole. Nor does he mention that many of his selections represent the General Semantic school of thought. In fact, he reveals very little about the intended linguistic context of the collection at all.