Teaching thinking is a "working from the inside" approach to liberation and empowerment
"The chief reason for teaching rhetorical grammar in writing classes is that doing so is central to teaching thinking." Laura R. Micciche, "Making a Case for Rhetorical Grammar."
Coupled with my review of Writing Conventions by Min-Zhan Lu and Bruce Horner, which also emphasizes analytical thinking, Micciche's discussion on the importance of teaching rhetorical grammar as a means to, "learning how to recognize and reflect on language as made and made to work on people's lives is central to being able to use language strategically," has convinced me that as a professor of composition my most important work is not to teach my students "grid-walking" or to become a 5-paragraph essay zombie, but to actually think critically. The "good" writing will follow.
I am convinced that Micciche is correct when she writes, "rhetorical grammar analysis can form the basis for wider analyses of civic discourse, enabling students to hone in on the specific grammatical choices that give shape and meaning to content." Why, am I so quick to adopt this way of thinking?
Her assertion, "language constructs and reproduces oppressive cultural discourses that naturalize inequality," is consistent with my experience as a writer, as a poet and my understanding of the history of African Americans in the United States. As a writer I have felt separate from this language for a long time - first, because I know that language imperialism (the annihilation of the "mother tongue,") is the one of the first acts of colonization; and, secondly, because on an intuitive level this language does not feel comfortable in my mouth, but foreign.
Prior to entering this program I worked for 20 years as a communications professional and I am more than familiar with the way organizations and the media use language to manipulate public opinion and drive behavior. I thank Micciche for helping me to realize how even grammar skills could be used as a "force for liberation," and empowerment.
When I was a teenager, my uncle who was my father figure told me there are two ways to change a system, from the inside or the outside. These words have been my guiding principal. So I got it when Micciche wrote, "Grammar competency has always been linked with social power or the lack thereof." To teach my sentences how to analyze language, including grammar, and to use it effectively is a working from the inside action.
"The chief reason for teaching rhetorical grammar in writing classes is that doing so is central to teaching thinking." Laura R. Micciche, "Making a Case for Rhetorical Grammar."
Coupled with my review of Writing Conventions by Min-Zhan Lu and Bruce Horner, which also emphasizes analytical thinking, Micciche's discussion on the importance of teaching rhetorical grammar as a means to, "learning how to recognize and reflect on language as made and made to work on people's lives is central to being able to use language strategically," has convinced me that as a professor of composition my most important work is not to teach my students "grid-walking" or to become a 5-paragraph essay zombie, but to actually think critically. The "good" writing will follow.
I am convinced that Micciche is correct when she writes, "rhetorical grammar analysis can form the basis for wider analyses of civic discourse, enabling students to hone in on the specific grammatical choices that give shape and meaning to content." Why, am I so quick to adopt this way of thinking?
Her assertion, "language constructs and reproduces oppressive cultural discourses that naturalize inequality," is consistent with my experience as a writer, as a poet and my understanding of the history of African Americans in the United States. As a writer I have felt separate from this language for a long time - first, because I know that language imperialism (the annihilation of the "mother tongue,") is the one of the first acts of colonization; and, secondly, because on an intuitive level this language does not feel comfortable in my mouth, but foreign.
Prior to entering this program I worked for 20 years as a communications professional and I am more than familiar with the way organizations and the media use language to manipulate public opinion and drive behavior. I thank Micciche for helping me to realize how even grammar skills could be used as a "force for liberation," and empowerment.
When I was a teenager, my uncle who was my father figure told me there are two ways to change a system, from the inside or the outside. These words have been my guiding principal. So I got it when Micciche wrote, "Grammar competency has always been linked with social power or the lack thereof." To teach my sentences how to analyze language, including grammar, and to use it effectively is a working from the inside action.
No comments:
Post a Comment