1. As a means Writing is widely used within foreign language courses as a convenient means for engaging with aspects of language other than the writing itself For example: learners note down new vocabulary; copy out grammar rules; write out answers to reading or listening comprehension questions; do written tests. In these examples, writing is simply used either as a means of getting the students to attend to and practise a particular language point, or even more frequently as a convenient method of testing it: providing information as to how well something has been learned in a form which the teacher can then check at his or her leisure.