Bryant Le

Professor Odgen
English 1A
16 December 2015
The Influence of English 1A

In every students life there must be a starting point for them to start from. For many
college students this comes with the class of English 101, otherwise known as English 1A in
PCC. English 1A at PCC is described to have a focus on reading, writing, argumentative essays,
and to have at least one research paper to be included through the course. This may seem to be
just another basic class to get through just like an entry level math or science would be, however
English 1A is so much more. This is the course that will skyrocket students to to new
advancements in all their other classes. English 1A is so important because it gives students a
background to be able to be competent other common fields throughout their time in college.
In all fields that require writing there is a structure that needs to be followed. The
Mayfield Handbook of Technical and Scientific Writing is written to help students demonstrate
their skills in science through their writings. It also helps students focus more as writers and less
as scientists. The handbook states that one must identify your documents purposes, objectives,
and audience. This handbook is giving what any clear minded writer should be able to identify
before they begin to write their essay. However these skills are not learned overnight, they are
taught to students in their English classes. Hence bringing the need for the English 1A class
which exemplifies these skills throughout its course. By making students write expository and
argumentative essays, it also forces them to be able to target their objectives and audiences.

With the skills to do this they are bettering themselves for a field in science. Not only will this
help them in just basic science courses but this will also be able to help them in writing academic
papers. Their papers will not always be giving an argument but instead it may just be research
that they have conducted. They will still have to be able to identify key factors and present them
to the correct types of audiences. This handbook also states that Writing can generate new
ideas. This is vital to remember when writing and is a key factor that is taught throughout the
English 1A course. The English 1A course demonstrates this through its usage of argumentative
essays and a research paper which forces students to be able to put their own ideas into a paper.
Reading between the lines is a major key to success when it comes to being able to write
a good essay, whether it be an argumentative essay, expository essay, or even a research paper. It
is also heavily used for those who plan on doing anything in creative writing, especially with
poetry. Poetry requires one to read between the lines constantly. Face value can no longer be
used when someone decides to read it. It is also impossible for one to simply take quote and just
use its face value when analyzing it for use in essays. An argumentative essay that is trying to
prove that people today are like the cave people in Platos Allegory of the Cave cannot simply
just look at the text and understand it. Sung Ohm wrote an article called English 101 First-Year
Composition, which entails the challenges an English student may face. She goes on to say
Writing is a craft, and as a craft, writing can be learned and refined. This brings people closer
to understand how poetry is written and how they should be writing their poetry. Edward Hirsch
wrote an article called How to read a Poem which describes just the basics of how to interpret
and analyze the basics of any poem. He argues that one of the first things a reader does
incorrectly is assuming that they should understand what they encounter on their first reading.
That is not something that is taught in English 1A, instead it is encouraged for students to reread

the materials they are given as it allows them to view the materials in different ways. Hirsch then
argues that another wrong assumption is that the poem is some kind of code. A poem does not
just correspond to one thing or idea but instead it can have many themes and ideas. This can be a
harder for amateur writer to understand because they have not been exposed to writing in a
multitude of perspectives. Without being exposed to this many will not be able to fully
comprehend the meaning of a poem.
English is the basis of almost every single course in a college. Just the language itself is
required to be spoken to be able to proceed through out college. Advanced understanding of the
language isnt always required but having a wide lexicon may be required in future courses. Beth
Dumbauld explores this topic with her article English Composition: The Most Important Course
Youll Ever Take which puts the Basic English courses in perspective towards other courses. In
the article it states whether youre studying Business, Nursing, or Technology, you need to be
able to pick up new words and concepts quickly and use them at a high level. When someone
has a weak background and English and has not taken the appropriate classes to improve in that
field they will definitely feel the consequences. When it comes to someone who has taken
English 1A their background will not be as weak and they will not struggle with just
understanding the basic language of the course itself. Dumbauld goes on to say that college
needs to make sure youre starting on equal footing with all other students in your class. What
this means for students is that they will be able to stay around and pass classes that they sign up
for. If students did not have the background they needed in English they would ultimately need
to spend countless hours studying for something they should already know, and unfortunately
they may be forced to drop the course.

Although it is the most commonly spoken language in America, English is not always so
simple. In Boyntons article Keys to Success for English Language Learners she describes the
struggles one may encounter with teaching english to students and how to help students. She
gives tips such as speak clearly in standard English and be as visual as possible as ways for
helping her students understanding English. It sometimes can be an intricate language and
ensuring that they really learn English here and it makes it so they will have a more comfortable
time in their other classes.
The effects of the English 1A class do not simply stop with college courses. They can go
on to the rest of ones life, including, their work, families, and the society that they choose to live
in. Lindemann Erika's Three Views of English 101 discusses the different approaches to
teaching this class and the overall effect this class has on students. She declares Until we can
say why teachers and students meet together to read and write in a place called college we cannot
address other practices: placement tests, teacher training, program administration, hiring, and so
on, meant to advance this work. Her overall message is trying to find the meaning of English
101. She does agree that it is one of the most important classes in college as she sees the course
as a writing process that helps to advance students. She also has issues with the fact that these
practices have not been completely refined. No one single way to teach the basic English course
has been determined to be the correct manner to teach it.
It is common knowledge that ones performance in college can determine their success in
the future and the overall quality of life that they lived. In the article Determining Future
Success of College Students by Paul Oehrlein he delves deeper into this issue. He understands
that this is not just some sort of game but instead understands that college is what can determine
many factors of the future. What someones major is, what sport they play, what their hobbies are

all can come from what they do in college. Oehrlein found a study that argues both GPA and
other college experiences affect income. With that knowledge we now know that English 1A
becomes even more crucial to the success of students as they have to keep both a higher GPA and
a good college experience to have a better quality of life. By having a strong background in
English a student can ensure themselves that they will be able to have a strong background in
their class that correlates to their major as they will be able to keep up with that the teacher has to
say. By also having a strong background in English a student can assume roles around campus,
whether it be in government or sports, and be able to make better connections as they are the
ones who have been able to advance more easily. By advancing easily they have more time to
socialize and have a better way to talk to their fellow students.
The importance of the basics of English have been understood by many people. Malcolm
X, a civil rights activist, wrote Learning to Read to describe his hardships in life and how he
had to learn to read and write. He writes Many who today hear me somewhere in person, or on
television, or those who read something Ive said, will think I went to school far beyond eighth
grade. This impression is due entirely to my prison studies. He was able to become such an
exemplary part of both the civil rights movement and the intellectual society not only through his
ideas and actions, but also through his use and mastery of the English language. Someone who
made such a change in society understood the importance of being able to fully utilize the
English language, something that English 1A hopes to provide.
A reading that was assigned to this English 1A class, writing to Change the World, by
Mary Bray Pipher, gives a voice to the people who want to have a message and make a change.
This very much correlates to the Malcolm X Learning to Read section because they both show
that a good understanding of the English language helps one convey the messages that they have.

Pipher acknowledges I was a more eloquent talker than I was a writer, and she understands the
hard time one may have if they dont write as much. Although she offers many tips in her book
on how to become a better writer it comes down to the bottom line of there is no excuse. Anyone
can better themselves at writing as long as they put the effort in. With that effort put in they can
slowly but surely have an effect on both their lives and the lives of those around them.
The effect that English 1A can have on the lives of many is substantial and definitely
visible in many areas. Science, business, jobs, social skills, social movement, and many other
aspects of life have been linked to a good foundation in English and a strong development of it.
This means that a strong basis which starts in English 1A helps for any student to truly be able to
reach their goals. Anyone out there seeking to better themselves in multiple areas of life should
seek an English class.
Work Cited

Dumbauld, Beth. "English Composition: The Most Important College Course You'll Ever Take ."
Blog How to Save on Your College Degree StraighterLine English Composition The Most
Important College Course Youll Ever Take Comments. N.p., 16 July 2014. Web. 14 Dec.
2015.
Heining-Boynton, Audrey L. "Keys to Success for English Language Learners." Keys to Success
for English Language Learners. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.
Hirsch, Edward. "How to Read a Poem." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, 27 Nov. 2007.
Web. 14 Dec. 2015.
Lindemann, Erika. Three Views of English 101. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

Oehrlein, Paul. "Determining the Future Success of College Students." Determining Future
Success of College Students XVII (n.d.): 59-67. The Park Place Economist. Web. 13 Dec.
2015.
Ohm, Sung. "English 101: Introduction to College Writing." English 101: Introduction to
College Writing. N.p., Spring 2014. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.
Perelman, Leslie C., James Paradis, and Edward Barrett. The Mayfield Handbook of Technical &
Scientific Writing. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Pub., 1998. Print.
Pipher, Mary Bray. Writing to Change the World. New York: Riverhead, 2006. Print.
Plato. The Allegory of the Cave. Brea, CA: P & L Publication, 2010. Print.
X, Malcolm. ""Learning to Read" by Malcolm X." "Learning to Read" by Malcolm X. N.p., n.d.
Web. 14 Dec. 2015.