Paper 1

Lea Simmons

September 13, 2012

Paper 1

Dr. Young

A Case For Literature: Is Literature Appropriate for Collegiate Writing?

First year writing is a requirement for all college students, and the purpose of the course is to introduce and prepare students for collegiate writing. However, the appropriateness of literature in first year writing is being debated. Is literature effective in preparing students for collegiate writing? Are there more effective methods to prepare students for academic writing?

In her essay for the National Council of Teachers of English, Dr. Erika Lindenmann argues that literature does not properly prepare students for academic writing. Lindenmann’s argument is that literature does not contain the content necessary to properly prepare students for writing in other subjects in college. These courses include, but are not limited to chemistry, psychology and sociology. The purpose and goal of a first year writing course is to properly equip students with the tools necessary to write successfully in college. Lindenmann’s argument is based on four factors: class structure, the process of knowledge, literature’s effect on academic writing, and the various writing styles used in college.

Lindenmann argues first year writing classes must introduce students to the various writing styles they will encounter. The time that students spend in class, should be used to learn the writing process and the critical skill of rhetoric. In order for students to successfully approach and compose academic writing is by learning about “audience, purpose and structure” (313). First year writing courses must contribute to the “process of knowledge”, which includes “evaluation”, “planning”, “drafting” , “revising”, “us[age] of data”, “critical reading”, “interpreting, understanding and analyzing rhetoric” (313). Rhetoric is necessary because students will be required to approach writing based on its rhetorical and subject requirements. Lindenmann’s next argument...