The Department of English in
any university is predicated on the idea that writing is a skill that can be
studied, learned, taught, and to some degree, mastered (at the undergraduate
level, at least). We have innumerable
theories on how to teach writing, and each teacher does his or her variation on
some of these approaches, funneling their ideas into at least two core classes,
Freshman Composition 1 and 2. The goal
of these courses is that students leave with a knowledge of writing critical
essays using sources, and are able to understand how to write for various
audiences by employing different rhetorical strategies to make his or her
argument coherent and, perhaps, persuasive.
Sounds simple enough, but it’s a pretty tall order considering students have
a very tenuous relationship with writing. Sure, most have a passing acquaintance with
the basics of writing an essay, and if pressed, some will admit that they have
at least heard of MLA documentation.
A few even know the difference between primary and secondary sources
(but only a few). However, the idea of
making an argument and responding to other ideas and conversations out in the
world is completely foreign to most students for one simple reason: the vast
majority of students don’t like to read.
They didn’t read as high school students, and they don’t magically read
once they come to college. Sure, they (usually)
dutifully read assigned pages in a textbook or a novel assigned for class, but reading
is seen as an artificial activity, something remote and academic. It’s not something “real” that occurs in an organic
form out in the world...and if it does, it primarily takes the form of Harry
Potter or something they would consider “fun reading.”
