Abstract
In 1969, Robert Zoellner proposed that the "think-write" metaphor for composition be replaced by a "talk-write" metaphor and, further, that Skinnerian behavioral psychology be used to construct and evaluate the resulting pedagogy. This suggestion, while controversial in its time, deserves the attention of contemporary writing instructors, who will find that developments in psychology, linguistics, rhetoric, and composition theory provide a strong foundation for Zoellner's ideas. As discussed here, the talk-write pedagogy has much to recommend it, not least of which is its attention to dialogue and dialectic, to the role of the audience, to the social nature of heuristics and discourse formation, and to the development of the individual's language skills.