<p>We need superior writers more than ever.</p>
<p>My daughter’s AP English teacher didn’t recognize the word “mores” when D used it in an essay to refer to moral attitudes. She asked my daughter to explain, and, when she did, the teacher said “I don’t need you using $20 words when $10 words will do” (!) She also warned the class how much they’d hate reading A Tale of Two Cities, like she did, and that T.S Eliot wasn’t a genius, “just nuts”. </p>
<p>My youngest’s 6th grade Language Arts teacher (heralded as one of the strongest teachers in a very competitive, upper middle class, NY metro area district that sends a lot of kids to the Ivies) misuses “whom” and told the kids they could never start a sentence with “but”, “so” or “and” – even though the head of the district’s Language Arts department recognizes that as nonsense, and a local English professor at the CC has to un-teach that silly rule when students reach his classroom.</p>
<p>So, with those as examples of adults who majored in English, I worry about how the rest of the population is doing in written communication. My husband, an exec with a PR and lobbying firm, says he can’t find people to hire, even at very attractive salaries, who can write. I teach sociology at a state college and many of my students (first generation) write below 5th grade level. Most aspire to become (or already are) police officers or social service workers and I shudder to think of the written reports they are submitting in their highly important fields.</p>
<p>Why do we need superior writers? This website is not what I thought it was.</p>
<p>Oh, your husband is a lobbyist and your a college professor. Makes perfect sense now.</p>
<p>^^ ??? So we DON’T need superior writers? What kind do we need?</p>
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<p>Oh the irony.</p>
<p>^^ LOL!! Made the point quite nicely!</p>
<p>romani - you get the prize of the day. </p>
<p>BTW, a lot of kids who a couple of decades ago would have been English majors now study comparative literature or American Studies with an emphasis on American literature. I myself opted out of English in favor of comp lit because at my (prestigious) university it was easier to focus on American literature in the comp lit department. The English department didn’t consider American literature literary enough, I guess. Some of those dinosaurs sort of heard of a rumor about someone named Edith Wharton…</p>
<p>In many programs, English majors are rewarded for learning to write jargon-laden theoretical analyses. They are not necessarily rewarded for learning how to write clearly and concisely. </p>
<p>My department requires English majors to demonstrate a reading knowledge of a second language (Latin, Greek, French, German, Italian, or Spanish). That is another reason why students are now avoiding the major. I can’t tell you how many students complain about being forced to gain a reading knowledge of a second language.</p>
<p>FWIW I also do not like to see students begin a sentence with a coordinating conjunction in a formal essay.</p>
<p>^^ How about in creative writing? Or an editorial essay?</p>
<p>LOL. Y u think know won nose English?</p>
<p>When I was in grad school at Northwestern, our profs would stop reading after five pages on most papers. If you couldn’t say it in five pages, unless it was your dissertation, or some really major paper, you really were just talking to hear yourself blather.</p>
<p>Now, in the undergrad programs, they require ten page papers, sometimes more than once in a marking period. It’s ridiculous. In an age of shorter and more concise communication, the professors now ask for ten pages on subjects which should be coverable in 3-5 pages by an excellent writer.</p>
<p>I hate page requirements. Give out the assignment, and let the student cover the material. If the student is allowed to cover the material, without this artificial page requirement? They will write quite well. They will write what they have to say and hand it in.</p>
<p>The decline of the English professor, more like it.</p>
<p>Oh dear. Someone didn’t proof read what they posted on the internet. You people need to get a grip.</p>
<p>Many people simply do not write coherently, even if the assignment is 2 pages. I give weekly, 2-page assignments and many are written in texting or elementary school language, with awkward syntax and incomplete sentences. My husband, as a lobbyist/PR exec, looks for people who can write concise press releases, and finds the majority of potential hires from big-name schools can not.</p>
<p>You’re the prof. What do you DO about it? How do you teach them to write better?</p>
<p>I had amazing professors in undergrad. They taught us how to write. What do you do?</p>
<p>I am a sociology professor. It is not my job, nor is there enough time in a 16-week semester, to address writing skills that should have been mastered before 8th grade, as well as teach my subject matter. I do not grade my students on their writing abilities. However, since almost all are future or current police officers or social services workers, I know they are/will be writing many important reports, the credibility and integrity of which are compromised by unintelligble writing. I refer them to our Writing Lab, where they can get remedial help, but most have jobs, children, and a full course load, so do not necessarily avail themselves of this help. I try to model straight forward, accurate writing, and assign reading material that is interesting and direct.</p>
<p>And I give brief, clearly outlined writing assignments, which you seem to think would address any writing problems.</p>
<p>The best writing teacher I ever had was a History prof. He was so fantastic. My daughter’s best writing teacher was a Philosophy prof. The best profs teach writing all the way through and the very best ones do not grade for the writing, they just teach it as they go, naturally.</p>
<p>Ah, I see you edited your post.</p>
<p>I’m glad you are doing something. why wouldn’t a prof want to be a great teacher, too? Good for you.</p>
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<p>Not everyone can be taught to write well, but everyone can be taught to write competently and better than they do when they arrive.</p>
<p>If you see a problem, be a part of the solution.</p>
<p>I volunteer at our local community college to assist the kids who received an unfortunately subpar education in the K-12 and get them up to speed as writers. I’ve had great success with these kids and adults. Some have gone on to the state flagship, which is highly ranked and tough to get into.</p>
<p>If there is a problem? Find a solution.</p>
<p>Poetgrl, I obviously do not know you from Adam, but from these few posts, you seem like a really quarrelsome person. Bye.</p>
<p>I liked this part:</p>
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<p>Let’s consider that a student body of 1,560 students means that there are around 390 graduated seniors. This means five percent of the class had English as a major. He not only gives no context regarding how popular English is as a major (he does state the two most popular ones in a later paragraph), but also gives misleading information to make it seem like a microscopic number of students major in English at Pomona.</p>