Hey, Just kidding, this is my real final post...lol. So I'm going to describe a scene and hopefully you guys know what I'm talking about.

It's 10:30 am and I'm taking off the layers of jacket, sweater, scarf, hat and gloves which defended me from the bitter, snapping cold outside. I sit down at my black swivel chair and look down into a desk with glass across the top protecting the computers underneath. I look up at the clock who's hands are frozen in time. Young people file into the room and as mechanical as a well oiled machine, they sit down at their assigned spots and wait...

Bye everybody, see you around next semester!!

Farewell

Hey Everybody, so here is my last post the day before Finals. I hope the rest of you have either finished or are nearly finished with your final essays and that they turn out well. I just wanted to comment on the overall experience that I've had this semester in English Comp 1. I feel that I've really learned alot and have begun to see how my writing can improve. I feel that I now pay attention to every sentence and word I write because each has to have a purpose. Not to mention that it's not just what you say but how you say it. I never thought about writing as a performance, but now I see that it is and I see the importance of thinking of writing as a performance. I've really enjoyed this class and I hope you all have too. Have a wonderful Christmas Break!

Hey Eng. Class,

Last day of class!!! YAY!!! Anyway, I hope everybody's narrative is coming along well. I just wanted to comment about dialogue really quickly... I happen to like it!! I feel that by adding dialogue to my paper, it's giving it character. Like my audience will be able to really see what I saw. I mean, while I can describe what is being said, it doesn't come accross the same way. Not to mention that it's a good contrast for all the descriptive language used. Dialogue is just great insight within a narrative, and although I was kind of iffy about it at first, I'm really starting to like it, get the hang of it, and have some fun with it.

Breaking English Barriers

Hey Everybody,

First of all, I know you are all busy studying for finals, and I just want to wish you all good luck! Secondly, I just wanted to comment about using language when learning a different language. This Friday, I have a paper due in my foreign language class and so, this past weekend, I started writing my paper. But I didn't start writing in in the foreign language, instead, I started writing it in English first. While I am capable of writing a paper without writing it in English first, I just feel like I can get my thoughts straight if I have them in English first. I know this is a barrier and I want to overcome this barrier, but I just wonder if this is possibly the reason that many people who take foreign language classes cannot speak like a native. What do you all think?

Hey All,

I'm not sure how many of you watched President Obama's Afghanistan Speech, but I think that it was a great example of how powerful a person's words can be. Whether you agree with his policies or not, what cannot be denied is that President Obama is an impressive speaker, able to put emphasis on specific words or phrases in a way that is deliberate and effective.
For instance, in this speech, he begins by reminding the American public about how the United States became involved with Pakistan, Afghanistan, and surrounding areas. Since his ultimate point is to let the general public know that he has decided to increase troop levels in these areas, by reminding Americans of the terrorist attacks which launched the War on Terrorism, he was essentially recreating the sentiments which were felt on 9/11 and thus reminding Americans of their need for safety and security.
Then, he goes on to express his empathy for U.S. troops by listing the things he has done to see how the war is affecting troops and families including writing and reading letters to and from families of fallen soldiers and going to actually see the caskets of fallen soldiers on their way back to the U.S. With each experience he adds, President Obama is given more credibility in regards to his decision.
After that, he then goes on to talk about how he feels our future actions will be different from our past by focusing more on peaceful diplomacy and creating peaceful and lasting relations with Middle Eastern leaders for the sake of their citizens as well as American citizens.
The way that President Obama wields his words, forming them in a way that utilizes Logos, Ethos, and Pathos, makes him an effective speaker capable of persuading a vast amount of people.

The value of words

Hey Everybody,
The other day, I was helping a friend write a persuasive essay about "political correctness" and it's effects in a university environment, and it made me think about the limitations of free speech and the way people use their words. While I feel it's good to be able to say whatever is on your mind because, one, it's your opinion, and two, because it might lead to an interesting discussion, debate, or new idea; I also feel that using language appropriately and thoughtfully is important, especially in an academic setting. Even though people have differing opinions and are, at times, very passionate about their opinions, the way people express their opinions can either hinder their purpose in stating it, or it can lead to positive results or feedback. Many times, people don't realize the value or impact their words have. For instance, mindlessly stating one's opinion can offend or even cause harm to other people; whereas, as Malcolm x found out, words, if well-considered and planned out, can positively effect a community.

What's "ya'll"?

So, in class we are talking about the way we wield language, and it made me thing of a childhood experience in which I was hindered by my inability to wield language. When I was younger, I lived in a small, southern town for about 11 years. In that time, I never acquired the southern accent or fully understood the lingo. For instance, I didn't realize until middle school that "reckon" meant "think" and I still don't quite understand how "fixin' to" can mean "about to."
Often times, I found that I couldn't keep up with class discussions, not because I didn't know the material, but because I didn't understand some of the language being used by the students and sometimes even the teachers in the discussions. What really made me realize just how little I knew about the place I lived in was when I took a Spanish class in high school and the teacher wrote "ya'll" on the board as one of the pronouns that we would have to learn in Spanish. For the first 10 minutes of class, I just stared at this word trying to figure out if it was a Spanish word or an English word. Then, when I raised my hand to ask what "yaee" meant, (the double "L" in Spanish is pronounced like "ya") my teacher gave me a weird look and I didn't understand why. When I pointed to the word on the board, though, he chuckled and said, "that's 'Ya'll.'" With that, I was then the one giving him a weird look as I responded, "What's 'yaaa'll'?" Thinking that I was joking he ignored my question, but after class I stayed for a few minutes to ask him again, "What is 'ya'll?'" Realizing that I legitimately didn't know, he explained it to me, but from then on, he would joke that not only was he teaching Spanish to his students, but he was also teaching English, and thus should be paid more.