This paper distinguishes Skill I, the ability to communicate with the lay audience, from Skill II, the ability to communicate with the technically expert audience. It also discusses the origins of the misunderstanding of the role of these two skills in the technical writing classroom and demonstrates how this failure works against an efficient and successful technical writing program. Some suggestions are offered to remedy this situation which, if followed, would not only remedy the existing problem but would form the base for a comprehensive technical communications curriculum.
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