Date:    Wed, 8 Apr 1998 13:58:57 -0700
<br>From:    "A. Vine" <avine[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ENG.SUN.COM>
<br>Subject: Re: freshman composition--again
<br>
<br>Devon Coles wrote:
<br>>
<br>> Further to Peter Richardson's comments:
<br>>
<br>> As it was in the beginning, is now, and likely ever shall be, I am a
<br>> student. I happen to write (mostly) A papers, and cringe when I see courses
<br>> that evaluate solely by quizzes and exams. Generally, I avoid them like the
<br>> plague.
<br>
<br>As someone who has the opposite viewpoint, i.e. quizzes and problem sets are
<br> ideal,
<br>writing is too fuzzy and so to be avoided, I think it might be useful to share
<br> my
<br>perspective.
<br>
<br>The writing training I received in high school and college never really gave me
<br> anything
<br>concrete to work with.  Many of the books I was required to read were not
<br> interesting to
<br>me at all.  Having to write about these uninteresting, sometimes repulsive books
<br> was
<br>decidedly uninspiring (for me, _The Red Pony_ and _Pentimento_ spring to mind as
<br> 2
<br>examples).  The grading of these papers may have provided some instruction, but
<br> it was
<br>haphazard.  To make a programming analogy, it would be like writing a program
<br> based on an
<br>incomplete specification, then having the user test it and tell you piece by
<br> piece what
<br>was wrong.  This lengthens the time it would take to come to the same end as
<br> that if the
<br>spec were well written in the first place.  In addition, I found I have no
<br> natural
<br>aptitude for reading between the lines, nor was it interesting to me to learn
<br> this skill.
<br>This is not to say I don't enjoy reading and using my imagination to fill in the
<br> gaps of
<br>the story.  What I am saying is, I don't enjoy trying to determine what the
<br> writer was
<br>saying which wasn't actually written.  And I don't think I'm alone in this
<br> regard.  Still,
<br>I needed to learn how to write.
<br>
<br>In my junior year of college, I asked my roommate (who was an English major and
<br> made A's)
<br>what is required for a literary critique.  She gave me a few rules; these were
<br> the first
<br>concrete descriptions I ever had heard.  I've never had to use them, because
<br> after 1st
<br>semester freshman year I vowed never to take another English class.  I write all
<br> the time;
<br>I just don't write literary critiques.  Instead, I write technical papers
<br> describing
<br>programming procedures, and memos discussing business issues and schedules.  In
<br> this
<br>context, I would say Devon Coles rules are particularly poignant; I don't really
<br> know
<br>about the world of literary criticism.
<br>
<br>Maybe it would be useful to some students to learn how to write outside the
<br> context of
<br>literary criticism.  I think learning how to write procedural descriptions would
<br> be
<br>incredibly useful to students once they get out into the business world.  It may
<br> also help
<br>them to focus on the points they are writing about.  From there, if they so
<br> desire, they
<br>can take those skills to the more complex world of literary criticism.
<br>
<br>Andrea
<br>Software internationalization
<br>Sun Microsystems
<br>avine[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]eng.sun.com
<br>
<br>P.S.  To repeat the words of my freshman year roommate (in the History of Arts
<br> and Letters
<br>program at Yale) upon receiving a B on her paper, "I don't appreciate her [the
<br> prof]
<br>telling me that I'm a B thinker."
<br>
<br>
<br>> I believe the reason many students don't write excellent papers is that they
<br>> have never been taught an essential aspect of the process.
<br>> I see an essay as my turn in the conversation. I have been granted the
<br>> floor. Along with the privilege of speaking, I am charged with the
<br>> responsibility of not wasting everyone else's time. I am expected to speak
<br>> on topic, and not simply repeat what the previous speaker has already
<br>> addressed. If I disagree with what has been said I am expected, first, to
<br>> demonstrate that I understand clearly what has been said, secondly, not to
<br>> misrepresent the previous speaker's ideas, and thirdly,  to make clear my
<br>> reasons for taking exception. I am expected to speak in a register
<br>> appropriate to the conversation and to contribute something worthy of
<br>> mention. Sadly, I am yet to hear any MA teaching assistant, doctoral
<br>> candidate, PhD or tenured professor address this essay writing in these
<br>> terms. Pity.
<br>>
<br>> Devon Coles
<br>> dcoles[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]horizon.bc.ca
<br>