Catalog Description

Writing based on reading, interpreting, analyzing, critiquing, and synthesizing texts; writing as a means of expression, learning and critical inquiry. Offered every semester.

General Course Information

English 111 is the required Basic Skills College Reading and Writing course in the WSU University Studies Program. The program is designed to provide a broad base of skills and knowledge to equip students for informed, responsible citizenship in a changing world. This four-credit course fulfills the College Reading and Writing requirement in the University Studies Program. All WSU students are additionally expected to complete at least two "Writing Flag" courses in their major or minor program, and individual departments and programs may have additional further requirements. The purpose of English 111 is to help WSU students increase their critical reading, thinking, and writing skills. The course will help students develop a mature writing style and an ability to integrate material from multiple sources with their own writing. The course will further emphasize writing as essential to academic learning and intellectual development. This class is designed to establish a foundation for the reading and writing done in later college courses, supporting a larger writing-across-the-curriculum educational experience.

Rationale
USP Course Objectives:

1. Students will read challenging texts that reflect important cultural themes and demand critical thinking.
   

Unlike some composition courses, English 111 provides a rigorous reading experience, one intended not only to help students read critically but also to inform their writing. Most of the reading is non-fiction prose: some readings serve an illustrative purpose, as models of a specific prose genre; others provide a range of perspectives on classical and/or contemporary issues. On a regular basis, students will read selections from an anthology of thematically or rhetorically selected essays, or, alternatively, a series of selected books. Although selections will vary from section to section, course readings are typically chosen for their thematic relevance, rhetorical mode, and intellectual challenge.


2. Students will analyze the rhetoric and structure of (their own and others’) arguments.
   

Good writers need to understand the structure of argument, and they need practice in identifying and using rhetorical strategies for argumentation and development. Both in class and in their writing, students will study the rhetorical structure of argument, evaluate arguments for their effectiveness, and critique their own arguments.

3. Students will summarize and critique examples of mature expository and argumentative prose.

The ability to write an accurate summary of a prose piece is integral to writing in college, as is the ability to articulate a judicious critique, whether that critique is based on the accuracy of evidence, the structure of the argument, or the rhetorical approach. Students will write formal summaries of selected readings in different genres. Students will also write formal and/or informal critiques of those readings.

4. Students will revise through multiple drafts and critical readings to create and complete successful essays.

Contemporary scholarship suggests that students can produce their best work when provided the occasion for revision based on critical reading. In a writing course, students need to write frequently, and their writing needs to be read. Aside from their informal writing, students typically compose between four and eight papers through multiple drafts, consisting of 20-30 pages (5000-7500 words) of polished prose. Students can expect prompt feedback on their work: most instructors report a turnaround time of one week for formal papers and require personal conferences with students. Students can also expect regular informal writing activities and exercises.

5. Students will formulate intelligent claims and make purposeful, appropriately documented use of authoritative sources as supporting evidence.

Successful academic writing is dependent upon the ability to evaluate and use appropriate evidence in support of well-constructed claims. And every discipline expects appropriately documented use of sources in students’ research writing. Students’ formal writing will require the use of intelligent claims supported by evidence documented in one or more commonly recognized documentation formats, such as MLA, APA, or Chicago style. However, since English 111 provides only an introduction to, and practice in, documented writing, the course does not provide in-depth training in the use of any single documentation style.

6. Students will make use of basic tools of research, such as general indexes, periodicals, and on-line databases.

Successful academic writing is dependent upon an ability to find, locate, evaluate, and use information relevant to the subject matter. Students will use WebPALS (including the online catalog, ERIC, EAI, etc.) and other current databases (such as Lexis–Nexis, FirstSearch, J-Stor, Project MUSE, and Encyclopedia Britannica) for their research writing. Individual course sections typically include an introduction to, and practice in, using the WSU Library for research.

7. Students will construct coherent essays based on reading, interpreting, analyzing, critiquing, and synthesizing texts.

Successful writing depends upon being able to formulate an argument that is coherent—that is to say, one in which evidence is used to support claims or reasons that support a thesis, and one in which appropriate organizational cues are used to signal the essay’s structure to the reader. Additionally, since much academic writing is based on the close reading of texts, most writing projects assigned in the class will be based on students’ reading, and classroom activities will include advice and guidance in methods of critical reading, from interpretation and analysis to critique and synthesis.

8. Students will adapt the structure, content, and tone of their writing to the knowledge and attitudes of their audience.

Successful writing is contextual: good writers strive to accommodate the needs of their readers when structuring their arguments, when adapting their tone, and when evaluating their content. Critical reading assignments will include the study of different authors’ approaches to adapting structure, content, and tone to an audience. In the process of writing in different genres and for different audiences, students will practice these strategies for adapting their writing to varying rhetorical situations.

9. Students will use vivid, concrete language; concise, varied sentences; unified, cohesive paragraphs; gender-inclusive English; and a college-level vocabulary.

Although successful writing is context-bound (in that "what works" in one context might not in another), certain features of successful writing are nonetheless germane to nearly every rhetorical situation: concrete language, varied sentencing, cohesive paragraphs, correct English, and appropriate vocabulary. Through a series of formal writing assignments, in-class exercises, and handbook review, students will be taught and encouraged to use these features of formal prose style.

10. Students will proofread, edit, and correct their final copy for common errors of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and usage.

While research suggests that college-level writing is no more error-free (nor more error-ridden) than that of previous generations, the kinds of errors made most frequently do change from one generation to the next. Successful writing, however, needs to be carefully proofread, edited, and corrected in order for it to have any kind of persuasive function in most formal situations. Through in-class and other exercises and activities, students will study common errors typical to college-level student prose; they will further practice proofreading and editing strategies for finding and correcting these errors. Formal papers will be held to a high standard of correctness.

English 111 can not by itself prepare students for the rigors of upper-division writing-intensive courses in specific programs and departments, but is intended as a general introduction to college-level writing. The Department of English encourages all departments and programs to build on this preparation by helping students learn …