What topics will I learn about in English Language and Composition?

The core of the English Language and Composition course is writing and reading for analysis, synthesis, and argument. Through immersion in a variety of sources, students will learn:

To think critically about a written text’s purpose, particularly in relationship to the Christian worldview,
To analyze a written text with rhetorical understanding for content legitimacy, context, audience, and purpose,
To synthesize ideas and integrate personal experience within a unique writing piece, for a specific purpose,
To analyze and synthesize arguments, including their appeals, with the purpose of demonstrating effective written communication skills while constructing effective arguments, and
To produce documents that effectively communicate with mature readers.

The purpose of the course is to acquire college-level rhetoric and composition skills for clear, effective writing, including:

Proper use of English grammar, vocabulary, and writing conventions,
Increased stylistic development through use of sentence structure, organizational techniques, illustrative detail, syntax, diction, tone, voice, and style,
Effective use of analysis, synthesis, and argumentation,
Ability to analyze and synthesize arguments, including their appeals, with the purpose of demonstrating effective written communication skills while constructing effective arguments, and
Integration of the dynamics of mature writing for effectual communication of the Christian faith.

Course activities will focus on:

Writing essays in several forms, proceeding through several stages with feedback from instructor and course peers,
Writing in informal contexts (journaling, imitation exercises),
Assignments in effective sentence and paragraph construction, literary techniques, figures of speech/devices, organization strategies, and writing contrasts,
Analyzing visual media in relationship to written texts and as alternative forms of text (advertisements, streaming media, photographs, political graphics/cartoons),
Reading and analyzing a wide variety of prose forms, styles, and genres for the author’s use of rhetorical strategies and techniques,
Writing expository, analytical, and argumentative assignments based on readings representing a variety of prose forms, styles, and genres,
Researching library and internet sources using specific strategies,
Citing sources using the Turabian/Chicago style of citation, and
Rewriting text based on feedback.