The Discipline Of Academic Writing

When I first entered english composition 1101, I expected this course to be manageable. As an outstanding english student at Clarke Central high school, I believed that I had enough knowledge to excel in this course with no challenges. Dr. Catherine Rogers was able to knock me off of my high horse and make me realize that I has a lot more to learn about reading and writing. She is very comprehensive and analytical, which caused her to give me a c average on my midterm assignments. I put the blame on myself because I believe that I should have been more open to Dr. Rogers’ methods with pre-writing and revision. Now I think highly of reading and writing.

Our cohort is nearing the end of its secondary education and therefore it is important that we reflect on the ways in which it has shaped our attitudes, values and beliefs. For example, over the past five years, we have read, analysed and evaluated various literary works such as novels, plays, poems and films in our English studies. These texts have expressed various ideologies, explored interesting themes and introduced us to fascinating characters. These elements have left a lasting impression on our attitudes, values and beliefs. In addition to this, English literary texts have provided us with historical knowledge as well as a thorough understanding of the role that aesthetic devices

It’s hard to imagine that just ten short months ago I was sitting in a classroom building a spaghetti tower with no idea what a rhetorical analysis essay was or what the word anaphora meant. Now, just a couple of months later, I have read and analyzed six different novels, learned to write an argument, synthesis, and rhetorical analysis essay, expanded my lexicon of literary terms, and sat through a three hour AP exam. This class has not only given me the skills to master the AP exam, but it has also given me knowledge to succeed in future English courses and in life. Through this course, I have experienced unparalleled growth in my reading comprehension and writing abilities.

Good afternoon everyone, I’m Jordan Zelenak and today I’m here to talk to you about how my past 5 years of English study have affected my overall attitudes values and beliefs. Although English isn’t my best subject nor the most enjoyable, I can’t deny that it has been extremely valuable when it came to teaching key attitudes and beliefs and reinforcing ones which already existed. To highlight this, I have selected the play, The Crucible, the movie, The Lord of the Flies, and the novel, The book Thief. For each I will analyse how each have affected my attitudes values and beliefs, how each have affected how I view the world and how each successfully use impactful aesthetic devices.

During the first semester of English 1301, I have learned so much that before I hadn’t comprehended. This class has teached me to write what is my passion and explain my thoughts thoroughly. The classes I took before were mostly teaching the arts of writing essays in which the not much was learned. This class made an exception for me to challenge myself and try to succeed in becoming a better writer. I feel as I have learned more in these 16 weeks than have in the last two years of highschool english.

In literary education, from childhood to maturity, individuals are taught how to write not to improve themselves as critical thinkers, but to fulfill the requirements given to them in a prompt. Whether to analyze or argue, this form of writing has led to a cease of literary improvement in students today, making many question the effectiveness of writing classes. Mike Bunns, in his article “To Read like a Writer”, explores this topic and stresses the necessity for young readers to critically examine the author’s choices in order to improve their own pieces of work. Bunns effectively argues to his audience of college students that improved comprehension comes from focusing on the rhetorical choices authors decide to make in their compositions by tying personal narratives with repetitive questioning throughout his article.

Throughout English 1010 thus far, I can certainly say that my writing skills have been tested and tried. Writing for fun and composing rhetorical essays for a college-level English class are vastly different styles and require contrasting attitudes, voices, and points of view for each. Before writing essays of the former diction, I must admit that I did not understand the rhetorical strategies and had no idea there even was a rhetorical triangle. The assignments included in this portfolio show the advancements I have made in my writing with an academic tone.

In English 131 we are expected to meet four outcomes that will help improve our writing. Outcome One aims to demonstrate us how to adapt to various forms of audiences and styles of writing. Throughout this course, I have been oblivious on how to meet Outcome One, but with time I became more comfortable in meeting it. One of the key factors in meeting Outcome One is being able to adapt to an audience which can be done by utilizing the correct vocabulary, tone and style. Another factor to meet is to know to write in various forms of writing by using the components stated above, but also the organization of the text.

In the beginning, I felt as this English course was just another typical course with the purpose of allowing students to write more essays without the use of creativity and acuity. However, as I ventured deep into the course, I found my original opinion to be biased. Throughout my spiritual journey in ENGL 1304, I not only learned many concepts and new ideas along the way, but I was also able to connect with all my readings. From researching my online sources to constructing a coherent argument, I grasp the process of communicating my voice for each assignment through careful observation and visualization. As a result, I was able to write my essays in a more personal manner. It also led me to stray away from the concept of “just writing anything

In my freshman year of highschool, I can without a doubt say that I have been pushed beyond my limits when it comes to writing. Not only have all of my previous English teachers ensured me of literary success, but I’ve always been rewarded in numerous ways for my writing prowess. So, it may seem odd for me to say that I very much enjoy this test of my abilities, and I greatly appreciate this opportunity to push myself to become even better. I’ve always been both physically and mentally bored with the numerous amount of teachers who have attempted to reel me into their lesson plans. Their desperate searches were in vain, for I never truly felt a tug on my mind until I stepped into Mr. Thoma’s class. The material isn’t exactly hard to grasp, but it forces your mind into a plane of insightfulness;

Prior to attending Mrs. William’s English Comp 1 class, I felt marginally confident about my writing, however, I knew I needed improvement. You visually perceive, I’ve been out of school for proximately thirty-three years and honestly, not knowing what to expect these questions arose, “Can I genuinely write”? “What type of writing will be required”? “How well will I do”? When I stepped into the classroom and gazed about the room, I felt out of my element. The students were much younger and more keenly intellective than recollections but, I was here for a reason and that was to improve my writing. During my childhood, reading was a passion of mine, reading often and reading more books than I can recollect. As I reflect, reading a great deal

‘Helping students meet the challenges of academic writing’ by Fernsten and Reda is an interesting study how reflective writing practices can be useful for marginalized students, who are struggling with “negative writer self-identity. The possible causes according to Fernsten & Reda are, “issues such as race, class and gender that are marginalized factors for many basic writers”, in addition to the expectations of the dominant academic culture. However, even though Fernsten & Reda illuminated the ‘potential conflicts’ within the academic world, they have failed to provide conclusive evidence that supports their argument regarding their solution. Their reliance on dated research that provides a one sided historical perspective, may

Studying English 1301 has been both an interesting and learning experience. The lessons and practical work learned from the course have sharpened my skills in communicating, learning and analysis. The numerous passages and case studies we did have sharpened my critical thinking skills. The diverse literature I was exposed to has made me learn to appreciate different types of literature and to accept that everyone is unique and gifted in his or her own special way. I have been forced to be creative and authentic in the forms of writing I do. With the knowledge gained, I intend to be among the well-polished writers in the world today. This will be effected through the basic lessons I have received in outlining, brainstorming,

Although this insight may not apply to analytical writing, it certainly applies to persuasive writing. Perhaps if I wanted to persuade someone in a letter, this course helped me realize the tone I would need to establish in that letter to have him or her come to the realization that they should do what I would like.

Over the course of this past semester, my ability to write has improved tremendously. Prior to undertaking this course, my expertise in writing was not as fine-tuned as it should have been. I had never previously been enrolled in a class specifically tailored to writing-- which was quite clear. Upon reading my past works, it becomes apparent that my writing style consisted of fluff, small words, and inconsistently structured sentences. These problems have, for the most part, been remedied with the coursework I have tackled in College Writing. Rather than long, drawn out papers that take an eternity to reach the primary point, my recent work is much nicer in terms of composition and grammar. I credit these improvements to the three primary