Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking

V. READING, WRITING, LISTENING, AND SPEAKING

All the skills listed above are essential for good written and oral communication, which is how an individual takes his or her own ideas and interacts with others on an intellectual level. This is the first step toward creating and affirming a community in and outside the classroom. In the seminars of Western Heritage, we apply this process to the great works of Western thought by focusing our reading, writing, speaking and listening on those books, which in turn form the basis for our conversations in the course. Over the millennia, thinkers in the Western tradition have built up a bank of intellectual currency by responding to each other's ideas in what is termed the "Great Conversation". In Western Heritage, instructors and students together engage in this process and make fresh contributions to our cultural capital. This work requires active participation and respect, not only for the texts we read, but for the opinions we articulate in class. Each student must feel free to express his or her ideas openly and with trust that students will receive them with shared respect.

Reading

Active Reading

You will be reading some challenging texts in Heritage. As such, you will need to be anactive reader. Reading is an art that rewards the patient student. As you read, you should underline, make notes in the margins, write out questions, use question marks to indicate where you find that text interesting or problematic, or read the text aloud. Empty margins in a text under study are suspect; they suggest browsing the material instead of engaging the text. That's right, mark up your text. The more senses you use in reading, the more you will remember!

Finally, try to make connections to aspects of your own life or to issues that interest you. Critical, active reading is the foundation of better papers and improved critical thinking.The Writer's Reference, pp. 77-85, offers some useful tips on the evaluation of arguments. If you need help in understanding what you have read, in addition to your instructor there are three ways to receive assistance.

  1. First, the Heritage Program has several Fellows available to help you with the course material. Talk to your Heritage instructor or contact the Heritage office (x5742 or go to Lentz Hall 235) to find out more about the Fellows.
  2. Second, call the Director of Tutoring, Professor Annette Duncan (x5883), or send an e-mail to tutors@carthage.edu. Arrangements will be made for you to meet with a qualified student tutor who can help answer your questions and suggest ways of interacting with the material more effectively.
  3. Third, contact Carthage's Learning Specialist Dr. Diane Schowalter (x5802), who can give you specific tips on how to adapt your style of learning to the classroom. Professional testing is available through the Advising Center (South Hall) and may help you gain a window into the way you learn.

Make sure you do not wait too long into the semester if you need assistance. It is important for you to get help early, so make sure you talk with your instructor. Remember: Challenge yourself. The material may be difficult at times, but you will feel victorious having mastered it and reading will be easier the next time around. Ask yourself, "How can I apply what I'm reading to my life and the world in which I live." Write in your books.

16th-century writer and philosopher Francis Bacon wrote, "Books are meant to be consumed," so dig in. Write your emotional reactions to what you have read, the other thoughts that emerge as you go through an author's work, reminders for class discussion or a paper. Write in the margins, circle and underline. The bookstore says that writing in your texts does not affect the resale value. Take notes on other sheets of paper when you run out of room and staple them to the appropriate pages. Make connections! Ask yourself, "Who or what does this reading remind me of?" Read it again. Sometimes what seems impossible to understand on the first reading makes perfect sense on the second. Choose a distraction-free zone. Read when and where you may give the work your full attention. Accept that you will not understand everything you read.

Writing

Writing is a way to learn. You will be writing frequently. The more you practice the better you will become. Professional writers agree: to write better one has towrite, write, write. By the end of each semester you will have generated an impressive portfolio of your own writing. And you will be a better writer in your other classes. By the time you have to sit down and write your senior thesis, you will be a pro. Your valuable, and required, texts during your sojourn at Carthage includeA Writer's Reference, a resource you will find useful throughout your college experience. In addition to the texts discussed above, you may also have other readings chosen specifically by your instructor for this class.

Writing in Heritage

Papers:
You will be writing at least two formal papers in each seminar. Heritage I focuses on analytical papers and Heritage II on research papers.

Drafts:
You will be required to submit drafts before the final draft of any particular paper. The final grade on a paper may be at risk if you have not submitted any drafts. A first draft is a work that has already been organized, revised, rewritten, and proofread. A rough draft is a gathering of ideas on paper. SeeThe Writer's Reference, pp. 3-18 on what a first draft is. Heritage instructors usually insist on a first draft, not a rough draft.

Revision:
When your drafts are returned to you, you will be asked to do arevision. A revision of a paper is a "re-visioning" of your work. That is, you look at your work from a distance and consider how to improve what you have written. A revision does not mean simple corrections of grammar and syntax. For a more complete understanding of what your instructor is going to expect, go toThe Writer's Reference, pp. 18-23. Other useful sections inThe Writer's Reference for help on composing and revising papers are: Writing Paragraphs, pp. 24-37 Constructing Reasonable Arguments, pp. 67-73 Evaluating Arguments, pp. 77-83

The Writing Process, or Process Writing.
As you read, you should mark down your reactions, ideas, thoughts, and notable passages of every work you read. You will soon discover that you have the elements of a paper in your notebook. Your instructor may collect your notebooks/reading journals on a regular basis.Papers and Grades. You may be wondering what the difference between an "A" paper, a "C" paper, and an "F" paper is. An "A" paper has the following features: Unusually high level of competence Clear and even persuasive Ideas appear well thought out, informed, delineated Organization effective: contents well paced and sequenced Illustration/support--persuasive and detailed Sentence structure graceful and varied; writer shows command of complex structures Vocabulary sophisticated, showing a wide range of choices Very few or no mechanical errors A "C" paper has the following features: Demonstrates minimal competence Usually clear Ideas may need refining, rethinking, narrowing, or better information Organization adequate for understanding. May have unity/coherence weaknesses Illustration/support--present (but perhaps too general or largely repetition) Sentence structure may show limitations, occasional confusion, and punctuation errors Vocabulary usually adequate. May be limited or repetitive at times More frequent mechanical errors, but a majority of sentences are error free An "F" paper has the following features: Frequently unclear Ideas conspicuously trite, vague, uninformed, or oversimplified Organization weak to non-apparent Illustration/support--inappropriate, nearly absent or absent Sentence structure very limited or often confused. Sentence boundaries not well signaled Vocabulary exceptionally limited or inappropriate. Does not communicate ideas effectively Mechanical errors numerous. May show patterns. Many sentences have at least one error.

Writing Center
If you are having any problems with writing, do not understand the assignment, and/or need help getting started, make sure to talk with your instructor. You should also go the Writing Center located on the second floor of the Hedberg Library. The center has student tutors who are available at specified times and by appointment. These writing fellows are accomplished, upper-level writers who can help you with any stage of the writing process, from creating a compelling thesis to polishing a final draft. In order to make an appointment for a time slot either go to, or call, the Writing Center at552-5536

Writing in Western Heritage I

In Heritage I you will be asked to write multiple short, informal pieces and two analytical papers in response to the texts you read in class. Look at the writing objectives under the Writing Goals section of thisGuide.

Target
Ten pages of informal, personal writing and eight pages of formal writing. In both forms of writing you will focus on providing vivid detail and illustrative example. The essays will be based on the texts you have read.

Analytical Essay #1:
The first essay will be about 3 pages in length; it will emphasize the use of a clear thesis (a main point that takes a stand) and logical supporting points. The assignment will consist of a first draft and a revised draft and the essay will support a point about one of more of the texts you have read for the class. You will also be asked to notice and correct your own most frequent error(s) in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Analytical Essay #2:
The second essay will be an expanded textual analysis, perhaps a compare-contrast essay, of about 5 pages. In it, you will practice developing your own, carefully-focused thesis. You will be required to provide more detailed support than in the first essay, including quotations from the text and numerous examples that you discuss in detail. Here, too, you will be asked to demonstrate that you can identify and correct your own most frequent mistakes in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. The assignment will consist of a first draft and a revised draft.

Writing Tips

Remember:

  • Write to be read! Consider your papers more than fodder for a file. Remember that most writers hope that others will read and act on their work, so consider your reader when you write what might be better described as articles. Your instructor can even help you submit your best work for potential publication. Many publishers, including our own student newspaper,The Current, pay writers for their work!
  • Embrace the challenge rather than dreading it! You will do lots of writing during your college career, not only in Heritage, but in many of your other classes as well.
  • Plan ahead! Do not wait till the last minute. Go to the Writing Center if you suffer from writer's block.
  • If you do not save copies of your work you invite disaster. Furthermore, you will not find an instructor on campus who will accept the excuse that your hard drive crashed.Save, save, save your work on the hard drive, on disk, on CD, on a flash drive and on paper. Keep extra copies and file your originals. If you are unsure about how to save your work on a computer, contact the Hedberg Library Help Desk at x5950 for assistance.
  • Go ahead and write a book. You will compile a complete portfolio of your Heritage writing each term. This writing-sample collection will serve you well when you apply for Heritage scholarships, which offer substantial amounts of money to winning entries. Moreover, graduate schools and your earliest employers likely will want to see writing samples before you are hired.
  • Proofread your work! Have someone else proofread it as well. You might have brilliant thoughts, but typos and misspellings can tarnish even your best writing. SeeThe Writer's Reference, pp. 23 for proofreading strategies.
  • Draft and rewrite. The good news is, they are only words and they can be undone. Get an early start and write several drafts. Consult your instructor for directions on rewriting graded work. Also seeThe Writer's Reference, pp. 14-26 for details on writing drafts.
  • Hate to write? Ask your instructor for help getting over your aversion. Possible solutions include a technique called "free writing" (The Writer's Reference, p. 9), simply talking through your subject with a friend, taking the time to mull over your topic, drawing an outline of your thoughts and formulating an argument based on a personal passion.
  • Ask an expert! Contact the Carthage Writing Center in the Hedberg Library at 552-5536. Student and faculty tutors are ready to assist you.
  • Write with style! Your teacher will explain which of the styles (MLA, APA, CMS) included inThe Writer's Reference will apply to your work. These styles require you to use specific notations, bibliographies and other elements.
  • Attribute everything you get from somewhere other than your own mind. Avoid plagiarism. See the section on avoiding plagiarism in theHeritage Guide and in The Writer's Reference.
  • Find your niche, or voice. You will write many different pieces for various occasions - from narratives to analytical and research essays. Some papers will be written for class presentations. Use the opportunity to find or burnish your preferred style.

Listening & Speaking

  • Understand that hearing and listening are different. Listening is an active endeavor. Hearing is a passive response to sound.
  • As you listen to your instructor and classmates consider, "Do I agree with their position? Why or why not? What is my position? How can I support it? What might I say in response?"
  • Take a moment to consider before you respond. Deliberate silence gives everyone in the group time to digest what has been said.
  • Listen for evidence. Opinions alone carry little power. Think about what evidence you might offer -what data, personal experience, examples, expert opinions or comparisons - that might illuminate the issue. Then use your listening skills to your benefit and speak up!
  • Be socially adept. Listening is a key element of being an active community member. Those who fail to listen at work or in various social situations elicit uncomfortable responses from friends, colleagues and other associates.