| College students across the land are required to | | | | clear and persuasive writing. |
| take at least one English composition (ENC 1101) | | | | The ability to be able to write perceptively and |
| class. More often they have to take at least two | | | | persuasively will be extremely important as |
| full semesters of English comp at most colleges | | | | students progress towards their degree. Nearly |
| and universities. However, this will likely not apply | | | | every class that is taken in college requires a |
| at vocational or technical schools. The reason | | | | written communication from the student to the |
| English composition is so important is because | | | | instructor. This is necessary to show that the |
| everything else a student does in college is based | | | | student understands the material and can critically |
| on the skills they learn in this class. | | | | analyze the material that has been presented. |
| As a matter of fact, it isn't just in college that we | | | | Additionally, English composition classes also teach |
| use the lessons we learn in English Composition. | | | | students to reason carefully so that their |
| We use the skills from this in real life for the rest | | | | argument will stand up to scrutiny. Professors and |
| of our lives, because written communication is so | | | | instructors will carefully read and criticize their |
| important. Imagine trying to write a letter to the | | | | student's papers to make sure they can logically |
| editor or a complaint letter to the electric | | | | show evidence to prove their thesis. Proving a |
| company without writing or literacy skills. It would | | | | thesis is generally the ultimate goal of most |
| be impossible. | | | | college essays and papers, although creative |
| The goal of an ENC 1101 class is to teach a fluent | | | | writing classes will be more concerned with |
| level of literacy in reading and writing. However, | | | | creating a narrative or storyline. |
| reading and writing is not all a student will do in | | | | Classes in composition also help students with |
| such a class. Students in a composition class may | | | | proper grammar and punctuation. Although this |
| also read poetry aloud, to better understand the | | | | may seem basic, it is imperative that written |
| nuanced differences in communication in written | | | | communication not only convey an idea, but in a |
| and verbal forms. They might even be asked to | | | | structurally correct manner. Another skill that |
| write a poem using traditional poetic techniques. | | | | students learn in this class is the ability to write |
| Students in an English comp class might be | | | | according to a certain required style. Usually MLA |
| required to watch film adaptations of classic | | | | style is used in English composition, but other |
| novels like Jane Eyre or Romeo and Juliet. They | | | | degree areas will use APA style. Composition |
| may be required to write essays on the | | | | classes will teach students to use the correct |
| adaptations and what affect the adaptation has | | | | stylebook for whichever class they are taking and |
| on the original, if any. This type of critical analysis | | | | to adhere to its guidelines to create properly |
| helps students to better understand the need for | | | | formatted papers. |