Class Thus Far

I think that rhetoric and composition could have a positive effect on the classroom. I think that it is interesting and essential to challenge the way that students think, and to get their opinions on topics. I believe that language has a major impact on people and culture, but I do not believe that language has the power to change people or culture on its own. I think that there is too much credit given to language on its own in this class. I think that more credit needs to be given to the people that create and preserve language, rather than what it can do on its own, since I feel that language cannot do anything without a medium to transport it.

I also think that not enough credit is given to oral language in this class as well. Without stories, language would not expand or transfer through generations. Children first learn to understand language, then to speak it, and finally to read it. Therefore, the spoken word is just as important, if not more so, than that of the written.

I do think that written language is absolutely essential to modern society, especially since I plan to teach English. But for people to be able to write well, they must first be able to think and speak well.