A student writes on a blackboard in a classroom at the Loyola Cultural Center in Agoe-Nyive, a suburb of Lome, April 15, 2013. |
Today we welcome a return visit from Jennifer Ahern-Dodson, assistant professor of The Practice in WritingStudies at Duke University in North Carolina. Ms. Ahern-Dodson serves as outreach director and language artsand media program director for the university’sThompson Writing Program. She helps many studentsand professors organize writing groups.
Jennifer Ahern-Dodson says that probably everyonehas had difficulty writing an essay or paper at sometime. She says when writing seems easy, it is usuallybecause he or she has something important to say.Today she provides some tips about how to get thoseimportant points into the computer.
Suppose you have done some research for your paper, but you still have more research to do. Ms. Ahern-Dodson says try some writing before you’re ready towrite the completed paper.
“Don’t wait until you’ve done all the research for theresearch paper or you’ve figured out in your headexactly what you want to say before you get started.Sometimes just stopping in the middle and writingsomething about where you are at that moment, youcan discover your ideas and think about what you wantto express or understand.”
The teacher advises that you note what information other people have alreadypresented about the subject. And she urges you not to get discouraged if youfind that others have seemed to have used a lot of that information.
”There’s so much research that’s been done already that it can beintimidating once you start figuring out, well, what have other people saidabout my topic (subject)? And so I might just keep researching and neverstop, and say, ‘Well, What do I have to contribute? People have saideverything already.’ “
Instead, she suggests taking some time to think about what you’re noticing in the research. What points and thoughts of your own might you develop?
“You don’t have to be an expert on everything. What is it you find interesting in the middle of this process?”
This should help you decide what you want to write in response to what othershave said. Or it can help you decide what additional research you might needif you are dealing with the subject in a different way from others.
As you progress, Ms. Ahern-Dodson strongly advises working with otherwriters.
“Who can give me good feedback (reaction) on my ideas as I’m developingthem – and to not make me feel like I’m alone in the universe? So much ofour anxiety about writing stems from sharing our writing in high-stakes(extremely important) situations like submitting to a college or turning it in at the end (of a school term). And we cannot really do anything about it once wesubmit it.”
She spends a lot of her time helping students and professors form writinggroups. She says the reaction of others can tell you if you are communicatingyour ideas. It can show if your writing is interesting.
“Better to find out that no one is interested in that one paragraph before yousubmit it than after you submit it.”
And that’s the VOA Learning English Education Report for today. Comingsoon, all about writing groups. I’m Jeri Watson.
Words in this Story
essay --n. an analytic or interpretive literary composition usually dealing witha subject from a limited or personal point of view
tips -- n. suggestions
discourage -- v. making someone less determined, hopeful or confident
intimidate -- v. to make (someone afraid
application -- n. a formal and usually written request for something
experience -- n. skill or knowledge that you get by doing something
universe -- n.all of space and everything in it including stars, planets, galaxies
dormitory -- n. a room for sleeping
figure out -- v. discover, determine, solve
anxiety -- n. feeling of nervousness about what might happen
submit -- v. to present or propose for another for review, consideration ordecision
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