Read, Think, Write - Approaching the College Essay

Course Description

This course is designed specifically for English Language Learners interested in further developing their English skills in a challenging college-level academic setting.

Despite our increasing reliance on screens in our 21st-century lives, reading and writing remain crucial skills in any discipline. This course is designed to prepare students to write at the university level, and the readings for this course have been chosen with the goal of stimulating critical thinking, acquainting students with the conventions of American academic writing, and providing students with models for effective writing. Students will be familiarized with the process of writing (and rewriting) through pre-writing activities; outlining; writing and editing a first draft; and finally, producing a final, proofread essay. Grammar and syntax are discussed as needed. Students will learn to produce thesis-centered essays in which they demonstrate an ability to read critically, analyze an argument, and engage with that argument by making use of their own critical voice. We will focus not only on developing critical reading, thinking, and writing skills, but also on how we can apply the lessons found in the texts we read to our lives today.

Course readings from the textbook are designed to provide building blocks that students will use in structuring their own essays. These readings are grouped with secondary texts that exemplify the skills covered by the textbook. Assignments include a personal essay (one which may be used as the basis for a college application essay) and an analytical essay. Class time will be devoted to discussing readings, in-class writing activities, small group work, and writing workshops. In addition, through field trips, students will become acquainted with university resources that are designed to help them with their writing (such as the Writing Center and the university libraries).

During this course, students will:
• Develop skills that will allow them to write effectively in English at the university level in a variety of disciplines.
• Hone their ability to read, write, and think critically.
• Practice the craft of writing as a multi-step process, including pre-writing, drafting, and revision
• Become acquainted with the conventions of American academic writing.
• Practice different genres of writing, including the personal and the analytical essay.
• Produce a personal essay that may later be used as part of their college applications.
• Compose a cogent, thesis-centered analytical essay in which they engage with and evaluate an author's argument, experimenting with counterarguments and other rhetorical tools.
• Workshop and constructively critique their own writing and their classmates' writing.

Prerequisites: None