English Composition

Course Description: This course is intended to help students develop their English-language writing skills in a variety of specific contexts with the aim of preparing them to complete written assignments in undergraduate-level academic courses as well as to complete other writing-related tasks in their everyday lives. The main focus of the course is on improving students’ abilities to write essays using a number of different approaches on a variety of different subjects, including both literary texts and nonfictional topics, but other forms of writing, such as traditional English-language poetry and professional resumes, are also emphasized. Students are expected to produce original written material in response to class assignments on an approximately weekly basis; these written assignments are combined with in-class participation and readings to serve as a basis for the course grade.

Course Objectives: By the end of the course,

The student will be familiar with various forms of written expression, including the standard academic essay, traditional forms of English-language poetry, and the professional resume, as well as a variety of approaches to the task of writing, including outlining, summary, journaling, and peer feedback.
The student will be familiar with and able to use a commonly accepted citation format, such as MLA or Chicago style.
The student will be able to produce original academic writing of an appropriate quality for college-level coursework in a variety of forms, such as the narrative essay, the literature review, and the argumentative essay.
The student will be able to produce and revise his or her own original writing over a period of several weeks to improve the quality of the material in response to feedback.
The student will be able to apply his or her writing skills beyond the academic context, such as by producing an original poem or prose narrative.

Prerequisites: None

This course is typically offered each semester and is taught by Dr. Hobbs.