ENG 4C1
Introductory Assignment: Turning Points
The works studied in this course, in part, focus on the individual journey toward self-discovery.
This is particularly significant to you as you journey from adolescence into adulthood in this,
your final year of high school. As you reflect on who you are and where you want to go from
here, you may realize there are many people and experiences which have helped shape the
person you have become.
Your first assignment is to write about a “turning point” in your life; an experience, or
experiences you have had which taught you something about yourself and perhaps changed
your perspective of others and / or the world around you. This may be a positive experience
like a vacation, birth, marriage, sporting achievement or academic victory, a part time job etc.
The experience may also be one that stems from hardships in relationships with family and
friends, disasters or other personal tragedies such as a death. Whether your “turning point”
was a positive or negative experience, it should be one that has helped change your views.
This assignment may be written in any form of your choice – an essay, poem, a song/rap, a
letter, journal entry/ blog. The objective of this is to reflect, inform me of your character and
experiences, and finally to impress me with your writing skills and creativity. Remember this is
your first piece of writing for this course, therefore be specific, carefully select your words and
add personal style to your writing.
To begin ask yourself the following questions and record your responses on a separate sheet of
paper:
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What significant experiences have I had in my life?
Which one has had the most impact on me?
What did I learn from this experience?
How did it change the way I think or feel about myself, others or the world?
What format would best communicate this experience?
What writing techniques could I use to communicate the experience and engage my
audience? (ex. 1st person, descriptive and figurative language, dialogue etc.)
Length: 100 – 300 words; this will vary depending on the format
Format: Typed (all assignments), 12 font (this may vary for some more creative formats)
Due Date: Wednesday, February 10th, 2016