Why would we have Freshman Composition? Someone in class the other day wondered if it was because Harvard did it, and that only. For the sake of logic, I hope not. Much as I esteem Harvard.
Freshman Composition classes serve to teach the students how to express their ideas, and often, how to form a good idea. Not only is basic level grammar and essay construction taught, but the cognitive process that goes into the ideas needed for the expression are taught. Freshman Composition is needed for every field/major because there are no majors that need students who do not know how to think. Maybe underwater basket weaving. But... In the meantime, learning how to confront an idea, analyze it, dissect it, represent it, and recontextualize it, is pretty important in just taking a deeper look at life. It helps to learn to think at multiple levels if you are asked to do it for class all the time. People depend too much on heuristics, the easy answers, sometimes. Hopefully our classes teach people how to avoid that. The class should be not only teaching students how to sound professional, to avoid awesome AIM language, and how to read more than 5 pages a night, but it should also be teaching the thought process that goes into creative, analytical thinking.
I had some 'English Majors' nights last semester, and it was hilarious to see how pathetic and nerdy we all were. Not that we talked only about books for the entire night, but our conversations tended to be very focused. We would present ideas to each other, and then argue them, searching for evidence. Turns out we were playing apples to apples. That game is awesome when you get a chance to make up random nonsense, and then try to defend it. I think we were all better at that game because we would offer a thesis statement of "why you must secretly love toasters more than anything else" and be able to come up with innovative, discerning ways of coming up with further nonsense. Who ever knew you could think critically about apples to apples.
So... hopefully people don't take this as further evidence of why English is a major of 'making up stuff' and 'bs'. I'm just saying... it's good to learn how to think creatively, and to be able to legitimize any kind of point. Because, I honestly do think that toasters are one of the best inventions of mankind.
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4 comments:
1. I like what you think freshmen should learn in class way more than what I think they should learn. I graded a bunch of papers and got sort of amazed by the bad grammar before writing my entry. It makes me sad to think I'm frowning on under grads. I was one 9 short months ago, and surely I haven't gotten that old, that fast.
2. Completely agree with what you say about learning how to think on multiple levels. Analyze, people! Dissect! High school writing really doesn't make you do that.
3. You are the third person I've heard use the term "underwater basket weaving" in my life, the other two being my dad and my middle school band director. Awesome.
I agree with what you said about learning ideas as opposed to just learning the hows. I do not think that Freshman Composition is only about learning how to write or the fundamentals of writing, but also encouraging students to develop their own ideas (albeit, appropriate and intelligent ideas, hopefully).
I also agree with your point of why we teach it to everyone. I encountered an awkward situation (where I played my cards right, I think) at the bar the other day. My boyfriend and his coworkers were there, and one of them was complaining about having to take English 1302 as a Hotel and Business Management major. I had my golden opportunity to explain it to him: They need to learn how to be effective in their communication, and composition will teach this to them.
I agree one hundred percent. As a matter of fact I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone, in the English field that would disagree with you. Learning to present a sound argument is, indeed one of the most important features of Freshman Comp.
I like what you say, Stephanie. But be careful about BSing w/o knowing (for instance, not sure you're using the term "heuristic" correctly....).
That said, I DO think we should be pushing students to THINK. To reflect. To analyze. To defend. To research. To "think outside the box".
What kind of training should teachers have to teach this type of thinking? Is being a "nerdy English type" enough?
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