I just opened a new writing classs for a student who is going to Oklahoma Uni. The traditional goal of our school's sylabus aims at passing the entry English exams for Korean Universities and a possible chance at entering a foreign institution.
The new student, a 19 year old girl, was born in America and speaks perfect English (almost). She needs the same type of education which teaches a native speaker to write an academic essay. This leaves me with absolutely no help from my school. They gave me books to teach this student that would be worthless or repetitive for her.
So being the nice guy I am I have made my own course in academic writing using a selection of books that I found on Amazon. I hope it goes well. It centres around reading numerous newspaper an academic articles, checking for comprehension, and then writing an analytical essay. This is coupled with some in depth (for non-native speakers) look into sentence and paragraph formation and academic necessities such as citation an bibliographies. I also included an English guide book on writing better essays which I might actually benefit from too.
I hope it works.
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I know that your essays were good (from the few I read) have to ask if it's difficult to teach given your spelling was never the best? I trust you won't be offended by my asking, not taking the piss am genuinely wondering how you found devising something like that.
ReplyDeleteHa, actually my spelling is something I work on everyday now like a kid trying to take in new words. ha. I actually think you have to work on your writing style your whole life and teaching a writing class helps review your foundations. It is a mix of things that you have probably never heard of like 'compound-complex sentances', reflexive pronouns, and collocations. Things that we use everyday but never realised there are words for it. On top of that there is writing style, and academic techniques such as bibliographies, and citation. I think I will enjoy teaching writing. I am interested in education and will enjoy preparing someone for uni life.
ReplyDeleteU gonnae prepare her for 'real' uni life? I have no doubt u have other motiffs, she a bit of a looker?
ReplyDeleteYou are filth! You think I would seriously take my role as a teacher and abuse it by taking advantage of a young student???
ReplyDeletei think you would yes. if past is prologue it's a fair assumption that you'll continue to identify a target and launch a strategic effort to get in her pants... And for the avoidance of doubt (since you've adopted various Americanisms) I don't mean getting in the comparatively innocent 'American' pants. I mean British pants, Commonwealth pants, knickers... to get yer Nat King as it were.
ReplyDeleteYou know this is a free blog and she could actually read this, as well as my mum!
ReplyDeleteSuch a low opinion of me.