2013/2014

the music room

ELLEN OCHOA LC

WHY WRITE?
Lets start with the most basic question: Why bother learning to write well? Many
students feel that new technology will decrease or even eliminate the need to study
writing. In fact, new technology and new ways of communicating through e-mail and
discussion boards make the ability to write well more important in the twenty-first century
than ever before. Few people have time to edit their e-mails carefully, and no one pauses
in the middle of an Internet chat session to look up how to use an apostrophe or comma
correctly. However, these forms of communication represent us to our peers and often to
our supervisors. It is through our writing that people form opinions of us and of our ability
to communicate clearly.
Learning to write well is important because it gives you power. Writing well
enables you to accomplish your goals, whether those goals include being successful in
school, getting and keeping a good job, or simply expressing your ideas clearly. We each
see the world differently, and language is the way we communicate who we are and how
we see the world. Learning to use language effectively may not be easy, but it can help
you share your vision of the world with others.
As any college graduate will tell you, gaining control of language is the key to
being successful in school. Learning the course material is only half the battle because
instructors award grades based on a students ability to communicate his or her
understanding of course material in writing. Most classes require essay exams, reports,
and papers, and many of these writing assignments must be completed in class.
Learning to write clearly will make succeeding in school much easier.
Writing also plays an important role in getting and keeping a good job. Employers
consistently say that they are looking for employees who can communicate clearly. They
are unlikely to hire an applicant who does not demonstrate strong writing skills. Once
hired, employees need to be able to write clearly in order to communicate with clients,
co-workers, and supervisors. Common on-the-job writing tasks include writing
directions, reports, letters, explanations, and memos. Being able to write well can mean
the difference between promotion and being stuck in a low-level job.
Robitaille, Julie & Connelly,Robert; Writers Resources. From Paragraph to Essay.
Thomson-Wadsworth. 2007

1. Read the text and HIGHLIGHT the things that you consider MOST IMPORTANT.
Write a QUESTION MARK by any words that you dont understand.
2. In your NOTEBOOK, SUMMARIZE in 4-5 lines what is said in the text.
How many paragraphs does this text have? Summarize in a couple of lines what
is stated in each paragraph.
3. Learning to write well is important because it gives you power. What do you
think about this statement? Do you agree or not? Can you recall a moment in
your life in which you felt that what you wrote was important? Describe the
situation in 4-5 lines.