English 111 – 112
Composition I and II
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
English Department
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Lynchburg College
The following guide is intended for students entering the college, to introduce them to the rationale, goals and objectives of English 111 and 112: Composition I and II as two parts of a larger learning process in composition, research, and textual analysis. We hope that it will answer many of the questions about Freshman English which students may have. Let us know if you have additions or other ideas.
To the Student
Welcome to Composition I and II at Lynchburg College! In your first two semesters here, you will be required to take English 111 and 112, two parts of a year-long course offered by faculty teaching in the English Department. Ordinarily, you will remain in the same section for both semesters so that you continue under the guidance of one instructor.
Each of these courses is a step along the way toward meeting the learning goals of Freshman Composition. Course requirements and standards are consistent across sections. Following are the goals which establish that consistency:
Freshman English Goals
The following goals and objectives apply to the year-long sequence, ENGL 111-112:
GOAL:
Students will communicate clearly in written English, demonstrating their comprehension, analysis, and critical questioning of texts and issues from various disciplines.
OBJECTIVES:
Students will
- develop, support, and organize a topic fully and effectively;
- comprehend and objectively analyze in writing their own compositions and the written work of others;
- use basic research methods for searching, applying, and referencing electronic and written sources;
- show an awareness of their intended audience and the ability to address it purposefully and effectively
- Use writing mechanics (grammar, punctuation, spelling) effectively
English 111
English 111 introduces you to the writing process. In high school, given the high number of students assigned to each English teacher, students may not always get as much writing practice as they need to meet college requirements. Teachers may require papers, which are marked up, graded, and returned, but the students rarely get a chance to revise, which is a good way to improve writing. In English 111 you experience writing as a process, in which you have opportunities to discuss your work in progress with your professor, others in the class, and the Writing Center tutoring staff.
By the end of this course, you will understand how to write, revise, and edit papers using a variety of expository forms, in preparation for the research and analytical writing which you will do in the second semester. You will use evidence to support your ideas, including reading, observation, interviews, and memory. If you are having trouble with standard English grammar, your professor will help you with comments on your papers, and tutors in the Lynchburg College Writing Center will assist you in reshaping your writing habits to bypass errors. However, the responsibility for seeking help and revising your papers is yours! Don't waste it! Work hard, for this course will help you with writing across the curriculum.
English 112
In English 112 you will develop techniques of writing research papers using argument and analysis with multiple sources. While you may have been introduced to the basic technique of writing a research paper in high school, many of you will recall that it was mechanical and difficult. The practice and guidance that you will receive in the second semester of Composition will enable you to integrate sources into your writing, take command of an argument, and support it effectively. You will also learn to read and interpret texts that contain language with multiple levels of meaning, often difficult for students just entering college, but important for success in sophomore and junior level courses. Multilayered meanings are essential for understanding written texts in all disciplines, but English, given the emphasis on poetic language in this field, is the ideal place to start.
Attendance Policy
More than three absences may affect your course grade at the discretion of the instructor. Students missing more than 20 percent of the course (more than six absences for a T/R class or more than eight absences for a M/W/F sequence) for any reason will fail the course. Exceptions to this policy may only be granted by the Director of Freshman Composition, Dr. Chidsey Dickson.
Writing Requirements
The first semester of Composition requires a minimum of approximately 15 pages of graded, finished prose, not including preparatory drafts. The number of papers assigned in each section may vary, but the total amount of writing which you will actually do is about the same in all sections. The style requirement used by the department is Modern Language Association (MLA).
The second semester of Composition requires the same amount of writing, though the complexity and length of individual papers will be greater than in the first semester. Hence, you may have fewer papers in the second term, to allow you more time for required research. The style requirement used by the department is Modern Language Association (MLA).
Reading Requirements
In each course, you will also be expected to do a significant amount of reading related to your writing, such as essays across the disciplines, classics, and modern literature, plus the writing guide and handbook for your course. Reading aids writing in two ways: 1) it gives students models of good writing, and 2) it gives students ideas for writing.
Speaking Requirements
Some professors will require oral presentations, particularly in Lynchburg College Symposium Readings (LCSR) courses. These courses are part of a program which integrates readings used in the Senior Symposium courses at earlier stages in the curriculum, so that students become familiar with the texts and ideas before they take the capstone course in their senior year. LCSR courses emphasize the classical model of instruction, which integrates reading, writing, and speaking. At least 20 percent of a student’s grade in an LCSR course is based on activities involving LCSR designated texts.
Writing Standards
Paper grading standards are listed below. They are uniform throughout the English Program and conform to the grading standards of the college, which are listed in the current catalogue.
| GRADING SYSTEM FOR ESSAYS |
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Essays are graded according to the following scale: |
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A+ Writing suitable for publication or upper-division courses; Original and in-depth treatment of topic; considerable sophistication in style and vocabulary. [rarely given] |
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A Excellence at a level to be expected of first-semester college freshmen but lacking the polish of an “A+” paper; Original and interesting treatment of topic (development of your own idea not just a summary of the problem or text to be discussed); specifics (dialogue, description, detailed examples, reasons) supporting all general statements; balanced introduction and conclusion; transitions between sections and paragraphs; varied sentence patterns; appropriate word choice; no problems with grammar, mechanics, or usage. |
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B Some originality of thought; some voice; adequate control of organization; support of generalizations by details, but by fewer or less appropriate details than in an “A” paper; perhaps a few cliches; perhaps some problems in grammar, mechanics, or usage, but not problems which distract from meaning. |
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C Some structure, but superficial content; unsupported generalizations common; or some good content, but disorganized arrangement of ideas; connection between thesis and specific examples not fully elaborated; some distracting problems with grammar, mechanics or usage; wordy or choppy sentences |
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D Some sense of opening and closure, but lacking in real organization; ideas disconnected; many distracting problems with word order, grammar, mechanics, or usage. |
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F Assignment not done or short and undeveloped; ideas disorganized; serious errors in word order, grammar, mechanics, and usage. |
Citation Style: Modern Language Association (MLA)
Assessment
The most common methods of assessing your progress are graded papers, tests, and examinations. LCSR courses also include graded oral presentations. Before they turn in a paper, many students get assistance from friends, tutors, and professors. Such learning is important as part of the mastery of the writing process. However, if you always depend on assistance to catch problems in your writing, you will never be free to write effectively in advanced courses or on the job.
The college also has a two-part assessment system for Freshman Composition: ( a) a computerized diagnostic test, and (b) a writing sample scored by your English instructor. The test and the essays are each given in the fall and in the spring of your freshman year. The test is designed to determine your ability to recognize common grammatical errors in sentences. This skill is useful for editing and revising your papers. The writing samples show your level of skill in relation to the departmental standards.
Your diagnostic test and writing sample scores assess how well you are progressing in writing. Each semester, both diagnostic test and writing sample grades count (approximately 5 percent or 2.5 percent each) toward your course grades, so be sure to pay attention and work hard all year long!
Diagnostic Test
The computerized diagnostic test is self-scoring. It measures your ability to recognize Standard Written English. The test contains 60 items and is organized in two sections. Note that this test does not measure your ability to write. That assessment is accomplished by the writing samples done in the fall and in the spring, in addition to course work. However, the test is a valuable tool for determining how well you can edit your work by recognizing common grammatical errors in writing. This skill is needed for the final polishing of papers.Writing Sample
The writing sample is one of the course writing assignments on a topic which tests your ability to draw on prior knowledge and experience to produce a clear, well-organized response in prose. It is to be written out of class.
Writing Sample Grade Scale (see above under Writing Standards)
Writing Center Website!
For information about the Writing Center, visit our website. Go to the Lynchburg College homepage, click on Academics, next on Academic Support, and finally on Writing Center.
For helpful hints about writing at Lynchburg College, have a look at the Writing Center Guide, compiled by our own student tutor staff. Here is the address:
http://www.lynchburg.edu/writcntr.xml.For more information, feel free to contact Dr. Chidsey Dickson, Director of Freshman Composition (544-8110), office at Carnegie 222. E-mail address: Dickson.c@lynchburg.edu.
The Web site www.plagiarism.org gives the following definition of plagiarism:
"What is Plagiarism? Plagiarism is the improper use, or failure to attribute, another person's writing or ideas (intellectual property). It can be as subtle as the inadvertent neglect to include quotes or references when citing another source or as blatantly unethical as knowingly copying an entire paper verbatim and claiming it as your own work."
This definition applies to all types of sources, electronic and print.
The ENGL 111-112 courses provide instruction in defining, recognizing, and avoiding plagiarism.
Two broad categories of plagiarism:
- Plagiarism of ideas occurs when the writer represents the ideas of others as his/her own. Plagiarism of ideas can be easily avoided by including an acknowledgement of the original source in the writer's text. Any standard citation style, such as MLA, APA, Chicago style, may be used. The essay writer should choose the citation style that is relevant to the discipline.
- Plagiarism of language occurs when the student writer paraphrases the language of the original source incorrectly or misquotes by omitting the quotation marks or by failing to quote verbatim. Student writers must use quotation marks to indicate that the words in the student's essay are precisely the same as those used in the original text. It is important that the student writer fulfills his/her responsibility to the original source by being precise and accurate when quoting. When a student writer is summarizing or paraphrasing the language of a document, quotation marks are not needed; however, the citation must be included to avoid plagiarism of ideas. Plagiarism of language can be avoided either by quoting accurately or by rewording. It can be further subdivided:
- Plagiarism of words occurs when the writer copies three or more consecutive content words (not function words, such as the, and, or is) from the original source without any quotation marks and/or acknowledgement. Plagiarism of words in a paraphrase can be avoided by summarizing the original text and by substituting synonyms.
- Plagiarism of sentence structure occurs when the writer substitutes synonyms for words in the original text but repeats the same sentence structure as used in the original document. Plagiarism of sentence structure in a paraphrase can be avoided by changing the grammatical structures of the original text's sentences.
Note that any ideas in the public domain, which are considered common knowledge, can be mentioned without citation, provided that the language of the original document is not plagiarized in any way. Public domain information involves facts and ideas that every reader in a particular field would be familiar with, facts that are easily available in reference sources, and well-known sayings.
The process of teaching composition to our students means that we are trying to prepare these students to be ready to do whatever writing tasks they need for any college class—in other words, to become competent college writers. We are also preparing these students to become graduates of a liberal arts college who are expected to be able to think critically and communicate clearly. Having a year-long sequence for this work that will benefit the students during and beyond their college years is essential because of the time involved in getting to know where each student is and what each needs in order to improve as a writer.
Composition is a technique course rather than a content course. It is vital that the student practice writing in addition to acquiring information about writing. Although students of writing benefit from reading texts and learning about the principles of good writing, those activities do not fully materialize as relevant pursuits until the students practice them in their own writing. Since many of the principles of good writing build upon one another, this practice takes place over time. The more time a writing instructor and a student have together, the better able they are to work together in improving the student's skill level. An effective writing teacher comes to recognize each student's writing. By engaging in on-going conversations with students, the writing instructor offers individualized and specific instruction to EACH student. This is why it is crucial to have small sections of composition and why extending the dialogue between writing teacher and composition student beyond a single semester is beneficial to the students' pursuit of excellence in writing.
It takes at least several weeks to figure out appropriate strategies for each student, and when that whole evaluation has to start over in the second semester, valuable time and learning momentum are lost. When we have two semesters for this process, we are able to push the student further along than if we have to begin anew each semester. There are a few unavoidable situations (scheduling, for instance) that require students to switch sections from fall to spring, and occasionally teaching schedules prevent an instructor from carrying a section through both semesters, but we try to keep these interruptions to a minimum. Therefore, maintaining the integrity of the Composition I and II sections is an important component in our doing the best job we can in improving student writing.
Composition I and II are designed for students in their first two semesters at the college, and students who do not pass these courses need to stay in them until they successfully complete the requirement.