Read, read, Read and read some more

Cartoon taken from ToonPool.com. Cartoon created by AlexFalco Cartoons

. Web. 1. Feb. 2013.

   As an active learner of two languages other than my native tongue of English, I am well aware of the challenges that come to adult learners of a second language. I make progress but wonder if my methods are the most efficient, worried that I will realize after too much wasted effort that I haven’t climbed as far up the mountain as I would have liked.

Writing proficiency is a big concern both for native speakers and for those seeking to write in an acquired language. As a tutor at the writing center, I meet with many students who fall into both of these categories. So what’s the answer? How do we become better writers? Let me offer three important truths:

1. Learning to write well takes time—lots of time

Becoming a proficient writer isn’t something that can be made possible overnight—it takes lots of time and experience with language spoken and written before a comfortable professional style can be developed. This is a process that ultimately takes years.

2. You learn to write by reading

Of course, the long process of learning to write involves consistent effort—what kind of effort? It may make sense that writing every day would make you a better writer, just as swimming every day would make you a better swimmer. While it is important to spend time every day writing, it is perhaps more important to spend a significant time every day READING. When you read good books, essays, or other articles, you see writing in context and learn how writers creatively weave words together. You need to see how the game is played before you can play it yourself.

3. Lots and lots of reading

Reading just once in awhile isn’t going to cut it—you’ll have to read a lot. I would even suggest reading and re-reading articles that you like. Again. And again. And again. Repetition and memorization is undervalued in the U.S., but it has huge benefits. Repeated readings of a text allow structures and methods of thought progression to sink deeply into your mind allowing you room for higher-order thinking and analysis. The skills you acquire will improve not only your writing, but your reading comprehension as well as you are more fully equipped to process more types of writing.

So what should you read? The Internet is full of free resources. I recommend opinion pages of respected newspapers like the Wall Street Journal or New York Times, though great writing can be found all over the world wide web. You may not agree with the views expressed, but your focus as a writer-in-training is not on what is expressed, rather how it is expressed.

Peggy Noonan’s Opinion Blog for the Wall Street Journal

http://blogs.wsj.com/peggynoonan/

Opinion Page for New York Times Online

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/opinion/index.html

--- Jonny, ASU Tempe (Tutor)

Dissonance--the path to discovery

“Good writing disturbs: it creates dissonance.

Students need to seek the dissonance of discovery…”

Sommers 178

My tutoring and TA experiences this week reminded me of the importance of Sommers’ words. After a semester away from tutoring and a not quite long enough winter break, it was easy to forget that tutoring (and even grading) is not about finding the gross grammatical errors of students or berating them for poor phrasing, but rather about leading students towards the making of meaning. By nature, writing is (or should be) an act of discovery, and revision can play an important role in this process. Sadly, students often misconceive revision to be simply a rewording activity, and our comments as tutors can greatly reaffirm this misbelief or challenge them to discover and create new meaning within their work. Sommers argues that students lack “strategies for handling the whole essay,” and I believe that is where we as tutors enter the picture. Our job is not to concentrate upon grammar, but rather to address the “whole essay,” as Sommers phrases it, concentrating first upon meaning and last upon style and grammar. So, I will challenge myself over the coming weeks to ask the following questions. Does this paper follow the assignment requirements? Does it have a clear and strong thesis? Does the student focus upon that thesis or get distracted? Is there adequate support for their thesis? Is the paper properly organized? It is these questions that will prompt the student towards an act of discovery; even if such questions create a temporary “dissonance,” this “dissonance” will make meaning in a way that fixing grammar never could.

Nanette--West writing tutor

Procrastination: Break the Cycle

Cartoon taken from

http://iwastesomuchtime.com/on/?i=33936

Don't be part of the cycle. 

Come visit any of the Writing Centers across ASU's campuses.  We're here to help you at any stage of the procrastination process. 

What I've Learned from Long Writing Projects

What I've Learned from Long Writing Projects

I've been in school for a long time. I've also lead students through 6 week long research papers. The idea of writing a long paper is daunting. However, there are a few things I've learned about taking the time to work on a long project. 

Time management is key. If you're like me, you freak out and wait until the last minute to write under pressure. "I do my best work under pressure." How many times have you said that to yourself out loud? Unfortunately, this practice takes a toll on your well-being. So, here are my tricks:

1. Get a Blank Calendar. I love the free printable ones from calendarsthatwork.com. You can choose from a handful of different styles. I like the 2 month versions. You can print that particular one for up to 4 months. The calendars download to Microsoft Word, so I copy and paste the calendars and change all the dates if I need more. 

2. Brainstorm "To Do's." This may require brainstorming my project, researching articles, reading these articles and taking notes, writing a rough draft, getting a second opinion, rewriting, getting a third opinion, etc. Break down those steps to the SMALLEST pieces. Smaller pieces are easier to work with than large, daunting tasks.

3. Set Time Frames & Completion Deadlines. Keep in mind that you will only complete the things you think you can do. Ask yourself, can I read this article in a day? What other obligations do I have? Do I really want to work on this project every day? I wouldn't want to work on my paper on my birthday. Be realistic.

4. Best Advice. The best advice I've received about writing is something that I have heard from multiple people in academia: Write every day. I am still trying to figure out how it works for me. I once made a resolution where I wrote and read something every day. I kept a calendar (using that calendarsthatwork.com website) and I marked that I read something and wrote something every day. That lasted me for the first half of the year. Being conscious about reading and writing every day and marking it on the calendar made me commit to it. 

5. Reward Yourself. In order to maintain some balance, I like to reward myself when I hit a milestone. I finished all the readings. I wrote my rough draft. I sent it off to someone to read it and I'm waiting to hear back. It's time for "me time." This was as simple as treating myself to a movie out or dinner with a friend.

6. Find a Buddy or Group. Get a writing buddy, someone who will check up on you, or use your digital calendar and get alerts for the milestone tasks. A writing buddy should be there to write with you. When my friend was writing her take home written exam, I sat with her while she wrote and I graded papers. I have asked my best friend in the past to email me and check up on me to see if I'm on task (and make sure I eat!) I set my calendar on my phone to alert me the day before I wanted to have something due, so I can be sure to complete it.

With everything, it is truly up to you to make the time and make it work. And when you get stuck, I suggest reading this blog: http://unstuckcommunity.tumblr.com/

Unstuck is an app for iPad that I just downloaded and started working on. I answered a bunch of questions and it told me I was an Avoider. It is 100% correct, and it made me feel like I need to reread all the words I have written in this blog and take my own advice.

 

Melissa - Graduate writing tutor @ Tempe

Confused about commas?

Do you have a difficult time figuring out the placement of commas? One of the most common mistakes writers make is the improper use of commas. It is important to remember that a comma in writing is like a pause in a sentence when speaking. See the link below for great tips on how to use commas. Multiple quizzes are also included so that you can test your knowledge!

http://www2.ivcc.edu/rambo/eng1001/commas.htm

Overcoming Procrastination

Assess the Task. Spend a few minutes thinking through everything that needs to be done, then, if possible, segment the task into various smaller pieces. It’s much easier to tackle smaller chunks than one huge task.

“Once begun, it’s half done.” Yes, a cliché inspirational poster quote, but quite true. Don’t shoot for completion in one sitting. This will overwhelm you every time. Just begin. Getting started is the key, and incremental progress will follow.

Schedule “Action Sessions.” Progress, even a little bit each day, adds up, and over time increases your confidence that you can, that you will, finish. Schedule 15- to 30-minute “action sessions” with realistic goals in mind, and set your mind to completing these goals.

Eliminate Distractions. Find a quiet place, and try to make your “action sessions” count, all 15-30 minutes of them (or whatever amount of time you designate).

Reward Yourself. This can help seemingly painful projects become more pleasurable. After completing an “action session,” take a nap, buy a latte, call a friend, round up a game of ultimate Frisbee. The point is to have something to look forward to, so that you begin to associate hard work at school with pleasure.

Find a (Good) Study Partner. And not just anyone, either. Find someone that cares about their performance even more than you do. The old adage, “If you want to be a good student, hang out with good students,” is not only true, but imperative.

Be Reasonable. Don’t beat yourself up about getting everything perfect. Remember, you will take on—and likely complete—hundreds, possibly thousands, of projects throughout your college career. The goal of making every one of them perfect is not only impossible, but silly. Remember, it’s more important that every project gets finished, not that every project be perfect.

Source-

"Overcoming Procrastination." Web log post. College View. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2013.

The Little Things

A lot of first-time writers make the mistake of believing that they have to write about Big Important Concepts (life, society, religion, politics, death, etc.) in order to be a successful writer. This is not necessarily true, and tackling big subjects right away (whether it's for a school paper, a blog entry, a short story or a novel) can be intimidating. Sometimes the best inspiration comes from the little things in life: a conversation with a friend, the way sunlight filters through the windows in your room, a glance from a stranger. When you pay attention to the world around you, you'll begin to realize that everything in your life can be a source of inspiration. There's nothing wrong with tackling big subjects, of course, but the little things are often more immediate, real, and easy to relate to :)

Jess
(writing tutor)