Summary: Finding A Voice As A Writer

Finding a Voice as a Writer

Show up to class, listen to lectures, and complete assignments; this is a typical routine for college students. Students in college often feel like they are just a face in the crowd in class with no opinion or verbal class participation. However, through English 102, students can find their voices as writers through understanding language critically through critical thinking, studying hidden meanings, and finding hidden literary terms in language that can make a difference.

A main theme throughout the class to become a remarkable writer and reader is understanding language critically. An essential tactic to understanding language critically is the use of critical thinking. One of the first lessons in English 102

A specific activity was employed to better understand a summary vs. analysis. Students in English 102 were shown a movie clip. They were first asked to summarize the clip. They first provided a brief sentence of the main points of the clip. The details that supported the main ideas were then stated. An important part of the summary was that it expressed the meaning of the scene in the students own words. After summarizing the scene, the students were then asked to analyze the clip. Students broke down the scene and explained it to gain a better understanding. They first introduced the clip and wrote the main arguments. The analysis hit all the main points with evidence surrounding it. An important part of writing an analysis is supporting the argument with evidence and using citation for quotes. After this activity, Mrs. Hixson asked students to read their summaries and analysis’s. She then questioned the students as to if they thought they correlated with the definition of summary or analysis. In this activity students voiced their opinions and thoughts pertaining to the activity. This provided a better understanding of summary vs. analysis to aide to students’ writing

In English 102 this was taught through “Language That Manipulates: Politics, Propaganda, and Doublespeak.” One article students in English 102 examined was, “Selection, Slanting, and Charged Language.” This article explained that language can act as a filter. The principle of selection determines what information people take in. The information must relate to the reader. For example, two people can view a tree in different ways. A lumberjack may look at the way the tree can be cut down, but an artist might observe the tree and how it could be painted. Another way writers filter language is through the principle of slanting. Slanting is when knowledge is put into words in a way that can be portrayed the same way negatively or positively. For example, an example of favorable slanting is, “Although Bob is slow, he is very strong.” An example of less favorable slanting is, “Bob may be strong, but he is very slow.” These examples show what is important and what is not important by the order of the writer’s