Hello Everyone,
For your fourth Writing Journal assignment, please read the following article: “English: It’s the Real Thing - As a college major, the language has more going for it than just Shakespeare." Lisa Stefany, Philadelphia Inquirer. Friday, August 21, 2009.
- From Falvey Library's homepage (on the left side), choose "Databases A-Z."
- Then choose " Philadelphia Inquirer."
- Write the article’s title in the “Search” data field, and perform your search.
You’re welcome to respond to the article however you wish. I do encourage you, though, to consider the following:
Do you know of any current rhyming advertisements or political slogans that illustrate Lisa Stefany’s ideas, or do you remember any from the past? What are they? What makes them memorable?
Considering the “four words” the author mentions that characterized a political campaign: What is it that makes an advertisement or slogan memorable to you?”
Can you take an advertisement’s slogan (examples— “Just Do It” (Nike) or “Dude, you're getting a Dell”) and turn it into a memorable rhyme?
What do you think about Ken Steele’s quotation? Would you expect her to hire an English major to work in her organization? Why or why not?
Did any of the author’s ideas surprise you? If so, which ones came as a surprise?
Please include the following information as a heading on your work:
Your name
Eng1050 – 20
Writing Journal Assignment #4
Please post your Writing Journal response to this article / topic (200 - 250 words) by Thursday, October 8, 2009.
Have a good day.
Mr. Dierkes
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Samantha Cerasiello
ReplyDeleteEng 1050-20
Journal Assignment # 4
While reading this article I thought of the Broadway musical Avenue Q in which the first song is entitled “What Do You Do With a B.A. in English?”. I remember sitting in the audience and thinking that the song sadly had an element of truth to it. You often hear people say they are majoring in biology to become a doctor, engineering to become an engineer, education to become a teacher, or accounting to become an accountant, but very few people become writers when they are English majors. I admired people who become English majors for studying what they are passionate about, but I remembered thinking before college I could never be one. Upon arriving at Villanova my opinion completely changed. My ACS professor spoke of numerous job offerings he received from Fortune 500 companies. He was not a business major, but a Classics and English double major. Businesses recognize the importance of being able to write well. The business world is fast-paced and a company may have less than 200 words in an e-mail to demonstrate why they are the best choice. Those few sentences need to contain the most compelling, well-chosen words or that possible customer may move on to the next bidder. The need for concise and effective language is even more potent in the advertising world. Often a company may have less than one minute to grab a consumer’s attention and be remembered. Why not ask the people who have studied the language intensely to write the slogans or e-mails? These are the people who know exactly how language affects the mind and the senses.
Stefany’s article emphasizes the importance of English classes and obtaining proficiency in writing and reading. You make a lasting impression when you write something to someone-especially if you do not know them. Those words are all they have to judge you by and they will paint a representation of you from them. The ability to write well is a skill that has too little emphasis placed upon it. This talent can be used in any career, not just the ones commonly associated with English majors. Not many people realize the importance of effective communication and do not count it as an important factor for employment. People fail to realize that someone can have brilliant ideas, but if they are not communicated effectively, they are lost.
Matt Casalaina
ReplyDeleteEnglish 1050-20
Writing Journal Assignment #4
I wholeheartedly agree with Lisa Stefany’s argument. Though not an English major myself, I do see the benefit of being well-versed in the language, and being able to convey messages articulately and intelligently. I am in the business school here at Villanova, and a key concept our professors emphasize is the idea of a “differentiated product”, meaning that a company or entrepreneur has made their idea stand out from the rest of the competition, making it demanded among consumers. One way the differentiated product can be achieved is through a clever marketing scheme, which is what Lisa discusses in her editorial.
Using rhetoric and unique language to advertise something is moving one step closer to making it an object to be desired. After all, everyone remembers the cheesy ad campaigns or ridiculous jingles that float across the television during the evening news. “Trust Sleepy’s for the rest of your life” still radiates my cerebral membrane every once in a while; if I ever need a mattress, I may turn to that provider before others simply because of the slogan that has been stuck in my head for the past ten years.
This same idea is prevalent in politics. In the case of the 1840 election, “Tippencanoe and Tyler, Too” provided something memorable to voters to recollect as they went to the polls. In our most recent election, Obama heavily utilized the word “Change” as a major part of his campaign. Whether or not his main goal is to create change is still open to interpretation. However, it is important to note the effect this language had on voters. Citizens unhappy with past policies were given the prospect of starting anew, of having hope in a new administration, due in large part to this one word. In a way, Obama “differentiated” himself through language, as others attempt to do in politics or business.
I feel that Lisa Stefany’s assumptions in the article are incorrect about English courses or major having a huge impact on business. First off, I feel Lisa does not realize marketing and communication courses teach the things she has mentioned in the article. I totally agree with Ken Steele’s quote about the importance of effectively using language, but I feel he would not hire an English major at his company. I think he would rather have a communications or marketing major who are most likely well versed in the effective use of the English language and on top of that they have more training in the respective field of work.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, I feel that her examples of the uses of English are good but she does not explain the underlying reasons for it being effective. For example, in my psychology class, I learned that during political campaigns’ commercials, they try create a terse catch phrase. The reason being is that a person’s attention span is very short, especially when they are watching television. So a short and easy to remember phrase that is easy to remember, catchy, and alludes to something everyone knows will have a lasting effect on the viewer. So her example of “Tippecanoe and Tyler, too” was a good one. However, I feel she does not understand the fundamental concepts behind them. That’s why as a business major, I am currently taking psychology courses for a minor.
Also, in my opinion, I feel the Business English class at her school is a waste of time. She says “The course teaches students to write clearly and concisely, use the active voice, avoid jargon, obey grammar and punctuation rules, and employ their own unique voices to set themselves apart from competitors.” However, college students learn most of this in high school and it’s one of the requirements of colleges that incoming students should already know it. If they do not know it they learn it through other courses such as in English introduction classes while in college.