Spring, 2013
English 98: English Fundamentals, Sec. 3816
T Th 8:00-9:50 AM, Room 505
Lecturer: David Schwankle
E-mail: dschwankle@msjc.edu
Course Overview
English 98 is an introduction to college writing that will develop your competence in rhetoric: how to write well and persuasively in specific ways for specific purposes. As part of the process, we will review relevant bits of English grammar in order to improve our editing skills; we will read a variety of essays that we will respond to in writing; and we will practice the art of argumentation, an art that no college writer can afford to ignore. Because it is useful to research information relevant to our topics of argument, and because much of our writing will in some measure respond to what we read during the term, we will also practice proper citation and documentation of those sources according to MLA style guidelines.
Course Description
This course provides practice in English composition with emphasis on the multi- paragraph essay, with a review of mechanics and paragraphing. The course also introduces students to using library resources. Successful completion will prepare students for English 101.
Course Learning Outcomes
By successfully completing English 98, you should be able to: • Use critical thinking skills in creating compositions. These essays (cumulatively) will total at least 3,000 words/12 typed pages. • Demonstrate the impact of audience on a composition. • Use the appropriate rhetorical mode(s) for a given writing situation. • Organize short essays in a clear, unified, and coherent manner. • Create effective thesis statements. • Create topic sentences that clearly support thesis statements. • Read critically and respond constructively to written texts. • Demonstrate competence in standard American English: grammar, usage, and spelling. • Explore library and alternative research methods. •