Semester after semester, year after year, high school and college students set out on a course to learn the correct way to compose an English sentence. After those lessons, they must then focus their attention on paragraph structure and the proper way to form an essay or composition. In this seemingly endless quest, the students will be faced with the task of finding the ideal writing class. This class would involve creating the perfect form, selecting the best content and reading grammatically and structurally correct English literature.
In his essay which appeared in the New York Times titled Devoid of Content, Mr. Stanley Fish states that, “Most composition courses that American students take today emphasize content rather than form…” and that “Content is a lure and a delusion,…”. He insists that “Form is the way.” These statements made by Mr. Fish are twofold. Most English composition classes do focus more on content than on form, however, composition courses should not focus solely on content or form. When composing an essay, the two must be used simultaneously. This gives you a greater chance of connecting with your audience and holding their attention.
Barry Feldman of Social Media Today writes, “The content you’re about to write is based on an idea, but it can’t be arbitrary.” “Each chunk of content you create should be an ingredient in a big picture recipe”, Feldman states. Selecting the best content should be one of the highlights of composition. Sadly, it is often seen as one of the most difficult steps in the writing process. In the end, it comes down to knowing your audience and having a working knowledge of the information you are attempting to bring forth.
The final piece of the puzzle when selecting the ideal writing class is reading. Reading is truly fundamental. Reading is the basis of writing. In order to learn to write a coherent statement, we must first aspire to read. Reading should be used as a guide for anyone attempting to understand and become fluent in writing English compositions. In fact, according to the article entitled Importance of Reading Skills, Vicki Hoss of Demand Media writes, “Students with the necessary reading skills can later develop writing and language skills necessary for academic and professional success.” Reading should be considered a life skill and not just used for English composition. We should all read to live, then we may be able to write and understand the basics of English Composition.
Today, American high school and college students are tasked with making life altering decisions in their educational paths. One of those decisions could become a bit easier if the proper approach is taken. When selecting English writing classes, students will be better served if they can select a class that offers a combination approach to writing. The course must combine not only content and form, it must highlight the importance of reading. Reading, and comprehending what the author has written, provides the foundation for the ideal writing class. But good luck finding that class. Students will most likely have to take multiple classes to satisfy this requirement. So, until we have one class that will encompass all of these needs, we must strive to find a balance between content and form, while we make it our mission to read as much as possible. With that said; reading is the key. Happy Reading!
"Life" 