ENGL 101(F) Techniques of Reading
Through small class discussions (limited to about 18 students per section)
and frequent writing assignments, all sections of this course ask students
to develop their skills as readers and interpretive writers. All sections
assign 15-20 pages of writing, which will include several formal essays,
and may include journals and other written exercises.
There will be 18 sections of English 101 in Fall 1998. Sections 1-17 will
explore a wide variety of themes and techniques in poetry, fiction, and drama
from many historical periods.
Section 18 (Prof. Cleghorn), offered as part of the College's "Critical Reasoning
and Analytical Skills" initiative, will have a somewhat different emphasis.
It will focus on the personal essay, examining how such a seemingly informal
genre is shaped by literary convention and by powerful, if sometimes subterranean
argumentation in the work of such writers as St. Augustine, Montaigne, Virginia
Woolf, Thoreau, James Baldwin, and Richard Rodriguez. Students will write
both analytical, interpretive essays and personal essays of their own. When
registering for English 101, students may indicate a preference for Section
18, but should bear in mind that all English 101 sections have similar
goals and requirements.
English 101 is the prerequisite for all other English courses, except English
103, English 109, English 204, and creative writing courses. Students who
score a 5 on the AP English Literature exam, however, may take upper-level
courses without first taking English 101.