Learning how to write in the correct discipline is a necessity for any student wishing to successfully advance within their career. Patricia Linton, Robert Madigan, and Susan Johnson, professors at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, in their essay “Introducing Students to Disciplinary Genres: The Role of the General Composition Course” (1994), argues that undergraduate students who are enrolled in English classes that explore different disciplinary genres benefit more than students who are enrolled in classes with a general approach. The authors develop their point by explaining the unique characteristics of the different genres, and then narrating the loss in writing that is had by students who are uninformed of the separate characteristics that act to communicate an author's point with clarity. The authors' purpose is to describe the different components of each genre in order to inform the reader about the benefits of a multidisciplinary English curriculum. Linton, Madigan, and Johnson effectively display the importance of an undergraduate multi-disciplinary english course by acknowledging opposing arguments, presenting evidence of cross-disciplinary differences, and explaining the benefits of having experience in different genres of writing.
To start the essay, Linton, Madigan, and Johnson address multiple arguments opposing the need for the multi-disciplinary english course, which helps them establish an even stronger counter-argument. This provides various reasons why the course is unnecessary for their audience, so that the rest of the authors’ analysis can address and disprove each doubt in the audience’s mind. For example, one of the opposing arguments include, “Furthermore, it may be the case that even within the dis...
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... formulate their argument by first explaining the differences between the genres and acknowledging the opposing arguments. The author does this to answer any general questions the reader may have about such an english class and also provides the benefits. The author’s purpose to writing this piece was to persuade people that the way english classes are taught needs to be changed from covering general english subjects to introduction to different types of writing. The author believes students would benefit more from these classes and prepares them better for future classes and also writing in their professional careers.
Works Cited
Linton, Patricia, Robert, Madigan, and Johnson, Susan. “Introducing Students to Interdisciplinary Genres: The Role of the General Composition Course.” Language and Learning Across the Disciplines 1.2 (1994): 63-78. Print.
The purpose of Baker’s essay and its placement in The Prentice Hall Guide for College Writers is to encourage young writers to realize that writing truly is a privilege. It is also placed in the book to show college English students that writing does not have to be a grim task and that thinking of it in that manner will only make the student average.
However, their critical analysis of FYW and strong points for other teaching methods, one’s takeaway from the article is the question, “why even teach FYW”? It’s evident that content and context are the key points in academic writing, so why then do we even make the FYW a mandatory class? A student doesn’t need a semester to understand what content is, for some they already understand what it is, and for those who don’t they should still be able to learn it, in a week. The misconception of writing being universal is very true, but for a student to improve on one’s writing, the easiest solution is to have him or she participate in that discipline. In a realistic world, the more probable solution to most of the problems Down and Wardle bring up is eliminate the course and replace it with a class that allows a student to see and understand the writing in their field without the repercussion of grades. Thus students get more experience within their field and get to learn firsthand what academic writing in their discipline consist
In Patricia Limerick’s article “Dancing with Professors”, she argues the problems that college students must face in the present regarding writing. Essays are daunting to most college students, and given the typical lengths of college papers, students are not motivated to write the assigned essays. One of the major arguments in Limerick’s article is how “It is, in truth, difficult to persuade students to write well when they find so few good examples in their assigned reading.” To college students, this argument is true with most of their ...
To possess the ability to read and write, is to be educated, is it not? It is a plausible argument that can be made, but we must ask ourselves what limitations and obligations drive this argument. One can counter that there are none and that literacy is simply not black and white, but a spectrum of many shades and colors. Dennis Barron argues that English, a language prevalently used by people in approximately 61 countries around the world, should be banned instead of formalized in the US. He states that it is not what it used to be and that it places too many stigmas on languages that are not itself or a part of its eminent division. The essay that follows is a continuation of the argument that Barron has made; that English as a whole should be banned instead of formalized. We all possess the ability to be literate, English is not and will never be an instigator or inhibitor of that.
Academic writing is a very discouraging topic that most young writers do not even want to begin to think about or imagine doing. Throughout college everyone will be asked to write multiple academic essays regardless of their major. We have read two sources in class that have helped clear up some common myths and also helped make academic writing not seem so foreign. The two sources we read were “What is Academic Writing?” and the first chapter of the book “From Inquiry to Academic Writing”. Many young students seeking a college degree are fearful about the amount of work needed to be done in order to survive their college courses. Academic writing is a challenging topic that many young people struggle to get a grasp on. Once the skill of
As a student, I have learned many different skills that I will take with me throughout my journey from this course. We have traversed many different types of writing styles, which any college student, or any person for that
In English 1102, I was exposed to a variety of different genres, including, argumentative research paper, an annotated bibliography, an analytical paper, and a workplace specific piece. Entering this class the majority of papers I had written were all analytical, and in this class we went above and beyond the basic 5 paragraph essay. Though each paper had a different genre and style, I learned that each project was similar in composition.
English Composition II has unexpectedly improved my writing into an academic level. As I studied various English reading and writing courses, this class “English Composition II” did not immediately caught my eye. However as I researched about the concepts of this class, the decision to make was not so difficult since I was lacking in critical thinking and the interpretation of works. Also as a Business Major, it made sense that the subject of English would be of interest to me and as a career requirement. During the first weeks, I thought that I would be fully prepared for this course after taking an accelerated course in English during the spring semester. However, after attending class for about a month, I certainly did not expect to learn an entirely new process of writing
Gitlin, Todd. "The Liberal Arts in an Age of Info-Glut." The Language of Composition. By Scanlon, Lawrence, and Robin D. Aufses and Renee H. Shea. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 155-57. Print.
In Sandie Friedman’s “This Way for Vampires: Teaching First-Year Composition in ‘Challenging Times,’” she opposes Adler-Kassner’s claim that popular culture should not be used in a composition classroom. Throughout the article, Friedman presents colleagues in agreeance with her beliefs. She explains that the use of popular culture could boost the interest of students leading to them actually being engaged in what they are learning. Friedman believes that a non-traditional topic could not only entice students, but also encourage teachers to adapt to a new form of teaching. Based on the text, Friedman feels that the hint of freedom in a required course could help students feel less pressured and give them a new view on their educational ventures.
Bawarshi, Anis S. “The Genre Function.” Genre And The Invention Of The Writer: Reconsidering the Place of Invention in Composition, Urban Institute / University Press of Colorado, 2003, pp. 16-48. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46nxp6.5.
Writing is an important part of everyone’s life, whether we use it in school, in the workplace, as a hobby or in personal communication. It is important to have this skill because it helps us as writers to express feelings and thoughts to other people in a reasonably permanent form. Formal writing forms like essays, research papers, and articles stimulates critically thinking. This helps the writer to learn how to interpret the world around him/her in a meaningful way. In college, professors motivate students to write in a formal, coherent manner, without losing their own voice in the process. Improving your writing skills is important, in every English class that’s the main teaching point; to help students improve their writing skills. Throughout my college experience I have acknowledge that
Sharma, B., 2008. “World Englishes, English as a Lingua Franca, and English Pedagogy”, Journal of NELTA 13 (2), pp. 121-130. Available from
The nonfiction genre allows the reader and writer to learn about a topic they particularly enjoy or one that they know nothing about. I learned that the nonfiction genre can become an enjoyable, hands-on experience. Our classroom environment opened my eyes to various ways to have a writer make nonfiction writing their own. Writer’s have the ability to find a topic they want to learn more about and it gives them an outlet to teach others. Student are able to use prior knowledge to develop an idea about a certain topic and create a piece with factual information. I learned that factual information can easily sound like it comes straight out of a textbook, but after learning about the different ways it relates
Shea, Renee, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Scanlon. The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford St. Martins, 2013. 525-529,546-551. Print.