Q 1. Bishop introduces non-traditional witting Grammar B or C, which is not a grammar anymore in a typical sense. Nonetheless, teaching a traditional grammar could be still useful in a classroom. Do you agree? Or is there any particular grammar or style which you think should not be overlooked during tutoring/writing class?
Q 2. As Sommers shows how student writers revise their first draft only on lexical level, Bishops points out how revision in writing classes become another linear process. How can instructors help students to revise like experienced writers? What kind of specific assignments or directions would be helpful?
Hi Yon,
ReplyDeleteI have also been thinking about the issues that you raise during your first question, especially since we are trying to break the stereotype that writing classes and writing centers are basically remedial grammar centers. Writing is far more than grammar and correctness, but obviously it's a problem if a student has an extremely poor grasp of the basic mechanics of writing. This is not only a problem for their readers, but for their own confidence in their ability to express themselves clearly. Perhaps this is something that could be addressed with a student in conferences, or through a private meeting. I definitely think that Bishop's mindset of teaching grammar as style is a great way to address grammar while simultaneously showing its significance in the writing process; it's not about being right or wrong, it's about having agency over your writing, from global to local issues.