Comment by Cyranix

If I ever go back to language teaching, I think I've just come up with an engaging and rewarding lesson:

  * assign students the task of writing an N-word or -page paper and explicitly instruct them to use as much fluff as possible (creatively, i.e. not using "really" x100)
  * allow them to read each other's papers and vote on the most vapid essays
  * assign a follow-up task to ruthlessly edit a partner's paper to distill the real content
  * never attach a word or page count to any future assignment, preferring complete coverage of assigned topic, and hold students accountable for use of fluff

Hands-on experience is a great learning aid. A frank acknowledgement and analysis of filler content (instead of just discouraging it in the abstract) coupled with an educator's willingness to forgo artificial targets or limits could go a long way in improving this aspect of writing style.