Well, here I am again, writing another assignment. It’s ironic, since it’s getting close to that time of year, when we all reflect on where we used to be, and where we are now. This course has really changed me. On the first day of class, I thought it would be a simple English course that I could breeze through without any problems. However, I was gravely mistaken. This class has been the second most stressful class of my entire college career (well, I’m still a freshman, so maybe I’m just venting out my complaints). But this course has been very engaging and very fun at the same time, which is a rare combo that I don’t really see often. That being said, the ultimate question at the end of the day is, “To what extent have I achieved the course learning objective this semester?”. Hopefully, I’ll be able to answer this question with this essay. So, let the self-assessment begin!
Now that I’m thinking about it, we did a lot this semester, didn’t we? Using the Course Learning Objectives, I learned a lot of new literary skills that will help me in the future. One of those objectives was recognizing and practicing key rhetorical terms and strategies when engaging in writing situations (Course Learning objectives, Class Binder). I had already learned about rhetorical terms like Ethos, Logos, and Pathos from past English courses in middle school and high school. But this semester, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of what they actually mean in literature. I learned that Pathos wasn’t just the emotions of the writer, but of the audience that the writer is trying to reach out to. I also learned that Ethos is used in many more ways than just authors building up credibility; it’s used in real life situations as well. Logos showed me the importance of logical evidence, so that the reader can understand the rationality of what is being written. When re-reading Amy Tan’s “Mother’s Tongue”, I saw that she used both Ethos and Pathos, in order to write about the language barrier that her mother struggled against, which her target audience could relate to. I also saw in June Jordan’s text that she used Logos in order to describe certain aspects of Black English. Learning more about these terms reminded me of an old saying my dad would always tell me: “Pen a abubu ye sen nkrante a ano yɛ nnam”- “A broken pen is better than a sharp sword”. I feel confident that I can use these rhetorical terms properly now, and in the future with my writing.
Examining how attitudes towards linguistic standards empower and oppress language users, locate research sources (including academic journal articles, magazines and newspapers) in the library’s archives and on the internet and evaluate them for credibility, accuracy, timeliness, and bias. Composing texts that integrate a stance with appropriate sources, using strategies such as summary, analysis, synthesis, and argumentation and practicing systematic applications of citation conventions. All of these Course Learning Outcomes that I have learned have helped me understand language and literacy more than I could have ever imagined. Over the course of 4 months, I was able to incorporate these course learning outcomes into my writing, and it has made me a better writer. Not just for English, but all my other subjects as well. I am grateful for being in Professor Wiggins class, and grateful to her for educating me.
