[Teaching_Composition] Academic Discourse
Phyllis Ryder
teaching_composition@mailman.eppg.com
Mon, 20 Nov 2006 15:47:20 -0500
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
----934c1c0c12e7ddc24e1f
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Disposition: inline
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Bernard,
You ask an interesting question. I have not seen empirical evidence about teaching academic literacy. As I see it, the argument is less based on the idea that Academic Literacy is more transferable than other forms of literacy, and more that we know that the students will be taking other courses that will expect them to demonstrate this literacy. The approach is to see composition courses as preparing students for those upper division writing assignments. I wonder
a) will the students really have upper division writing assignment that extend what they learn in my classes?
b) why is it more important to devote a first-year writing sequence to preparing them for upper division courses rather than preparing them for other kinds of public literacy (which, we would hope, they will also continue after college.)? I suppose that if the upper division courses were making an explicit link between their course work and how to code switch between academic writing and public writing in the discipline, then I would not feel such pressure to consider public writing in a first year writing course. But I fear that if they don't get it with us, they won't have a chance to consider and practice the rhetorical abilities they will need as public citizens.
A book I'd recommend is Christian Weisser's Beyond Academic Discourse
Phyllis.
----- Original Message -----
>From "Bernard Gallagher" <bernardg@lsua.edu>
Date Mon, 20 Nov 2006 14:01:40 -0600
To <teaching_composition@mailman.eppg.com>
Subject RE: [Teaching_Composition] Teaching Comp--On line comp & Info Literacy
Colleagues,
I apologize for this E-Mail (it is off the topic) but I would appreciate some help. I am interested in knowing what research shows about limiting the teaching of writing to academic discourse. The conventional argument is that academic discourse requires transferable critical thinking skills and that matters of style and form can be learned quickly. My intuition tells me that the conventional argument is wrong. I need to find out if my intuition is wrong, right, or partially right.
Could you steer me toward some references that offer empirical evidence about the claims and counter-claims about the efficacy of various approaches to teaching composition?
----934c1c0c12e7ddc24e1f
Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii
Content-Disposition: inline
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
<BODY><P>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD colSpan=2>
<P><FONT face="'PrimaSans BT,Verdana,sans-serif'"></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT face="'PrimaSans BT,Verdana,sans-serif'">Bernard,</FONT></P>
<P>You ask an interesting question. I have not seen empirical evidence about teaching academic literacy. As I see it, the argument is less based on the idea that Academic Literacy is <EM>more</EM> transferable than other forms of literacy, and more that we know that the students will be taking other courses that will expect them to demonstrate this literacy. The approach is to see composition courses as preparing students for those upper division writing assignments. I wonder<BR>a) will the students really have upper division writing assignment that extend what they learn in my classes? <BR>
b) why is it more important to devote a first-year writing sequence to preparing them for upper division courses rather than preparing them for other kinds of public literacy (which, we would hope, they will also continue after college.)? I suppose that if the upper division courses were making an explicit link between their course work and how to code switch between academic writing and public writing in the discipline, then I would not feel such pressure to consider public writing in a first year writing course. But I fear that if they don't get it with us, they won't have a chance to consider and practice the rhetorical abilities they will need as public citizens.</P>
<P>A book I'd recommend is Christian Weisser's <EM>Beyond Academic Discourse</EM></P>
<P>Phyllis.</P>
<P><FONT face="'PrimaSans BT,Verdana,sans-serif'">----- Original Message -----</FONT></P></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD align=right><B><FONT face="'PrimaSans BT,Verdana,sans-serif'">From </B></FONT></TD>
<TD><FONT face="'PrimaSans BT,Verdana,sans-serif'">"Bernard Gallagher" <bernardg@lsua.edu></FONT></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD align=right><B><FONT face="'PrimaSans BT,Verdana,sans-serif'">Date </B></FONT></TD>
<TD><FONT face="'PrimaSans BT,Verdana,sans-serif'">Mon, 20 Nov 2006 14:01:40 -0600</FONT></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD align=right><B><FONT face="'PrimaSans BT,Verdana,sans-serif'">To </B></FONT></TD>
<TD><FONT face="'PrimaSans BT,Verdana,sans-serif'"><teaching_composition@mailman.eppg.com></FONT></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD align=right><B><FONT face="'PrimaSans BT,Verdana,sans-serif'">Subject </B></FONT></TD>
<TD><FONT face="'PrimaSans BT,Verdana,sans-serif'">RE: [Teaching_Composition] Teaching Comp--On line comp & Info Literacy</FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE>
<TBODY></TBODY>
<TABLE>
<TBODY></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE>
<P><FONT face="'PrimaSans BT,Verdana,sans-serif'"><SPAN xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<P>
<META content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)" name=Generator>
<STYLE>
v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</STYLE>
<?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName"></o:SmartTagType>
<STYLE>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }
</STYLE>
<STYLE>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</STYLE>
</P>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD lang=EN-US vlink="blue" link="blue">
<P>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Colleagues,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I apologize for this E-Mail (it is off the topic) but I would appreciate some help. I am interested in knowing what research shows about limiting the teaching of writing to academic discourse. The conventional argument is that academic discourse requires transferable critical thinking skills and that matters of style and form can be learned quickly. My intuition tells me that the conventional argument is wrong. I need to find out if my intuition is wrong, right, or partially right. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Could you steer me toward some references that offer empirical evidence about the claims and counter-claims about the efficacy of various approaches to teaching composition?<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></SPAN></FONT></P></TABLE></P></BODY>
----934c1c0c12e7ddc24e1f--