There is a feedback relationship between
the (1) subject and topics treated in an essay, (2) the audience the essay is
written for, and (3) the language (written voice or persona) that a writer uses
in the essay:
Before beginning a paper, the
writer has to clearly identify the audience, the subject matter, and the
written voice. The voice or language the
writer chooses should fit the purpose of the paper and the audience. A paper
written for children should be interesting for children, and it should not use
a vocabulary that children understand. A technical paper written for
specialists, nurses, for example, should be written at a level that is
appropriate to their knowledge. It should use the language and the specialized
vocabulary nurses themselves use and are familiar with.
As human beings we are all equipped
with amazing communication abilities. These abilities allow us to think about and
organize our world. When properly nurtured through a good education, these
abilities can be powerful skills. In order to provide us with our standard of
living, modern civilization relies upon people who can communicate effectively.
Because the world is so well
organized, it is not really necessary to learn to write until we are ready to
actually find a job in the world. Our verbal skills are called upon from an
early age, and as we go through school we learn to effectively
communicate—verbally—with many audiences.
For most people, good verbal skills are necessary from an early age. But
it isn’t until we are in college or in the workplace that many of us are faced
with the reality that we also need to write effectively. Here is where writing
in college becomes important. Because so many of us had a “free ride” in our
school years when it came to writing, we are rather shocked when we get to
college and find out just what we’ve missed.
Fortunately, our communication
skills are innate. As human beings we
are good communicators. Think of the
sophisticated communication games children play when they play with cars and
trucks or play with dolls. Imitating the voices of adults in grown-up
situations comes naturally. We call this
behavior “play-acting.” This same innate ability can be used by students to
write clearly and effectively. Just as children play-act the voices of the
drivers in their toy trucks, or the voices of their dolls, college students can
use play-acting to create and control their written voices. While writing it is possible to “listen” for
the language the student should be using. The student should ask, “What should this
paper sound like?” or “What would an ‘A’ paper sound like?” Another way to look at it is this: Student
writers should “pretend” to be an “A” student.
If the organization is right and the student has done some pre-writing,
the actual writing of the draft is quite literally child’s play.
In addition to writing, active
reading is the best way to train one’s ear and improve one’s language
skills. Reading teaches us to know what good writing
“sounds” like. Reading,
so to speak, trains our ears. The more we read the stronger our language skills
will become. As the old saying goes: good writers are good readers.
