DAILY: What are the conventions of academic writing in America? How is academic writing different from other kinds of communication -- like journal writing, creative writing, or speech?
Discuss the daily. Get students to brainstorm the kinds of conventions they are familiar with. How are they different? Why? What purpose does it serve? (lead into a discussion of purpose and audience here).
- What are some of the purposes of academic writing? (list)
- Who are some of the audiences in academic writing? (list)
- How do audience expectations influence our writing and other forms of communication? (discuss an audience of peers or family members vs. an audience of professors or classmates)
What are the differences between the Western and Chinese view of the self according to Shen?
Do you think that Shen is correct to claim that the concept of a topic sentence is "symbolic of the values of a busy people in an industrialized society, rushing to get things done..."?
- What are elements of writing valued by your culture? (try to solicit response)
- Do you find that cultural differences make it difficult to understand American discourse?
- Is it important to understand a culture somewhat before you can understand its discourse? Why or why not?
- What are aspects of American culture that are very different from what you're used to? What is similar?
HOME WORK: Write a short (one page, typed, double spaced) response to the following question:
In what way does a group or community you belong to shape (mold, form, change) your identity? This group can either be broadly cultural (Japanese, Mexican, etc.) or it can be smaller -- like a club, fraternity, sorority, etc. Read PHG 172-187 by Friday.
absences:
notes:
Return to Unit One:
MWF