Academia vs. Individualism

To be able to express oneís thoughts and feelings accurately, as well as to relay information logically, a person must learn how to write. There are two keys to learning how to write, the first being the ability to follow (at least somewhat) a pre determined format, while following some generally accepted rules on expression. The other key is learning to express thoughts accurately, to trust in instinct, and to celebrate individualism. The importance of both of these areas seems to be agreed upon by both David Bartholomae and Peter Elbow, however, a debate arises on when these aspects should be addressed. Even more important is the order in which these areas should be taught.

Bartholomae claims that the academic aspect of writingóthat of format and rulesóshould be taught before free thinking is actively encouraged. He thinks that in college, freshmen should be taught how to write before they are taught what to write. He believes this will reinforce critical writing, which is in fact what academic writing is. He believes that the rules for writing are the basis for the whole process, and therefore should be taught as the fundamental course. He also believes that at t his stage, an incoming freshman is not prepared for serious discussion, therefore, regurgitating material should provide good practice for when the person develops the frame of mind necessary for serious discussion.

Elbow disagrees with Bartholomae in that academic writing should be taught first, though he agrees that it should be covered during undergraduate training. He fears that by teaching the academic part too soon, the teacher would instill skepticism and mistrust in the student. Not only this, but he fears that it would inhibit the studentís free thinking. Elbow believes that this should be taught after the freshman year, not as a one-semester course, but as a series of upperclass courses both with in, as well as outside, the studentís major.

Elbow also acknowledges the free thinking found in other forms of independent writing students do (i.e. poetry or diaries) that Bartholomae does not seem to acknowledge. Ironically, it is the idea that the students do their own form of independent wr iting which makes Bartholomaeís position appear the better. It is common for students to write things on their own, be it poetry, diary entries, short stories, etc. So they are already, without the help of the teachers, experiencing the free-writing tha t Elbow appears to endorse. Since they are already ìpracticingî this free-writing technique, it would be beneficial to learn a system that guides the expression of their ideas. Take for instance a famous diary, The Diary of Anne Frank. He journa l was published, with the permission of her family, for the whole world to read about an inside experience of the suffering of the Jewish people during Hitlerís reign. Her diary was taken and tastefully edited to clear up some of her thoughts and at the same time, retain the spirit of the entries. She was not writing for anyone but herself, and I doubt that she ever imagined that her thoughts and feelings would be widely known. She was engaging in Elbowís free writing, and this work became famous. How ever, if she had been taught and effective way of writing and had applied it to her journal, there would have been less editing done. But most likely the entries would not hold the emotion that they do, depending on which was taught with more emphasis, writing for the individual or writing for publication. So the argument comes back to which should be taught when.

In my opinion, teachers should concentrate more on the free writing aspect first, because it is here where the students learn to form ideas. The younger a student is, the more ìnewî the world and their experiences are. Even freshmen in college have n ew experiences that they could explore. Teaching free writing first would allow the students to search their ideas. However, the idea of academic writing should not be lost. Personally, I donít think that they are two separate courses, but one. Academ ic writing should slowly be integrated into the studentís own personal writing style, addressing one area at a time. Also, the idea of academic writing must be expounded upon in all higher level classes, not just the course designed specifically for the teaching of writing. However, the idea of allowing the students to show their individualism should not be lost in the application of academic writing.

There is no clear definition of when something should be taught; in an ideal world a person could set their own learning pace. But since this is not so and things must be taught based on a schedule, teachers should remember that the two styles are not mutually exclusive; there are academic writings that should freedom of thought and expression, and there are free writings that show structure and format. So whether the curriculum is taught in the spirit of Bartholomae or in the spirit of Elbow, t he teacher should remember that one area would not exist without the other.