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Timothy Oram
Professor Adrienne Jankens
English 1020
24 April 2012
A Reflection of English 1020
Unlike Science and Math classes where one can be tested on what they have learned, an
English course involves looking back throughout the semester, to see improvements and
accomplishments. The goal of English 1020 is for students to use skills they learned in previous
courses and apply them to new skills learned. This is expressed in seven learning objectives. In
order to successfully pass English 1020 and be prepared for College Writing in the future,
students should have mastered these seven objectives. After any English class I have taken in the
past, I have always seen improvements in my writing. Like mentioned before though, I cannot
simply state what these improvements are. However, based on evidence from my writings this
semester, it can be concluded that I have met the seven objectives outlined in the syllabus for
English 1020.
The main idea of the first objective is to learn how to read and break down different kinds
of texts and figuring out its main ideas. There were many different readings during the semester,
with varying difficulty. While researching, it is very important to efficiently gather the important
information from a piece of writing. In order to successfully do this, it is important to know what
to look for. The exploratory texts and assigned readings really helped me master this skill. The
exploratory texts were designed to focus on particular points in a text. Throughout the semester, I
noticed a pattern with the type of questions the exploratory text’s asked. I noticed that the points
were always covered in the beginning of the assigned readings and then explained in more detail
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throughout. Learning this allowed me to simply find what I was looking for in the body of the
texts without having to thoroughly read every word. This is a very important skill to use when
doing research, because it is not necessary or useful to read every part of a source. I used this
skill very effectively with the Proposal Essay. I needed a lot of sources to back up my views and
provide information, but I did not need to use every part of each source. Instead, I used the titles
and introductions to see if the sources were worthwhile. This allowed me to find the information
I needed without wasting any time. Having this skill is very important and it can be applied to
any form of research.
The second learning objective of English 1020 has to do with identifying different
arguments and understanding how authors present his or her views and facts. This skill is
important because it allows people to include different perspectives when they are writing. One
of the most effective ways of making an argument is including information from an opponent.
Doing this allows the audience to see the opposition’s viewpoint. If done successfully, the
readers will see that your argument is better. I was able to do this successfully with the Proposal
Essay. In the essay I argued that the establishment of the Nineveh Plains would help the
Chaldean Community. Using various sources and viewpoints, I was able to find different
perspectives on the issue. This allowed me to come to a solid conclusion and provide evidence
that the solution can work, if implemented.
The information used from objective two ties in with objective four. It deals with
researching different kinds of texts, knowing how to get the most out of them, and being able to
implement them with personal ideas. I was able to support my proposal by using different
viewpoints. I first talked about what the proposal is and why it would benefit the community. I
then provided evidence that the proposal is legally protected and that it even has support from
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political leaders. After I discussed all of the support, I then went on to discuss why some do not
agree with the proposal. Doing this allowed me to address the opposition. Then, using evidence
from other sources, I was able to prove that the opposition was wrong. I stated, “These are all
very good points; however, the goal of establishing The Nineveh Province, is not to create a
separate Chaldean Country, but to create a region where Chaldeans and other minority groups
can be represented and have a stronger voice in Iraq.” Doing this closed any debate that any
other opposition could have, which is important because the goal of a proposal is to have
support. This would not be done effectively if I was not able to identify and implement different
views, with my own knowledge.
The third objective of English 1020 is to determine what the goals of different writings
are and being able to see who the writings are targeted to. I was able to master this skill with the
Analysis Essay. In this essay, I examined “The Chaldean News” magazine to determine its
purpose and audience. Through analysis, I determined that the goal of the magazine is to keep
the community together. I was able to come to this conclusion by examining the format and type
of stories the magazine had. I stated, “‘The Chaldean News’ has been such a positive impact on
the community because it represents everything that it means to be Chaldean. Not only does it
show how the community has held on to its roots, but also how the community has grown and
established a new life.” I also examined the Chaldean Mass booklet. I studied the text and came
to the conclusion its goal is to keep the Chaldean Catholic faith alive, while holding on to the
traditions of the church.
Objective five is very important because it applies to any form of writing. The main idea
is to be able to write in different formats and have a specific purpose and thesis. This should be
done in an organized and coherent way. I did this best with the Proposal Essay. My clear thesis
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statement was, “There needs to be more then condemning, action needs to be taken and solutions
need to be implemented to help protect this ancient community.” This thesis set the tone for the
entire paper. I started the paper with an introduction of the community and then I begin to talk
about specific examples and how only condemning was done. After that, I shifted the essay to
two different proposals: one that will solve a short-term problem, and one that will solve a longterm problem. To conclude the essay, I summed up the importance of the solutions and why they
were important to me. I believe that this was organized very well, tied in with the thesis, and
allowed the essay to flow through the different ideas.
Although I have been able to complete all of the objectives for English 1020, the one I
mastered the most is objective six. This objective deals with revision and feedback. For any
essay I have done in the past, the final draft was simply the first draft with some minor grammar
changes. With both the I-search and Analysis papers, I did major revisions. With the I-search
paper I did make some minor changes throughout, but I decided to change the direction of the
paper. Technically there is no such thing as a final draft, but the last draft submitted should be
the best it could be. I was not happy with the essay, so I decided to do more research. The overall
theme of the essay was language. In the draft I ended on a negative note. I discussed that the
Chaldean language would be lost in the future and how this would lead to an end to The
Chaldean Community. I decided to do more research to learn why the language was not being
passed on. I discovered that it was actually for the best and that the community can still survive
without the language. With the Analysis Essay, I was not happy with its overall quality and
organization. So, instead of revising minor parts of the essay, I simply used the draft as a guide
to completely rewrite the essay. I was very happy with the final drafts of both essays and that
would not be the case if I did not do an actual revision outlined in objective six.
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The seventh objective for English 1020 involves using a variety of different formats for
research and writing. I was able to do this with all of the essays. Before this class, I used to
simply do a Google search for research. I learned that it is important to find more scholarly
information and use different forms of media. With the essays, I used other forms of research and
even discovered published books about the Chaldean Community that were very helpful. I also
learned how to use Wayne State’s database, which helped me find scholarly articles that were
very useful in the Proposal Essay. Another thing I learned was that there are also unconventional
ways to do research including interviews and observations. I had never used either of these
methods before. The information I learned using these methods could not be found in any book
or article. For example, with the I-Search paper, I learned that the Chaldean Church has always
been so strong because it has always acted as more than a church. If I only stuck to conventional
research methods, my I-Search paper would not be complete.
English 1020 is considered a basic composition class because it teaches basic
composition. Knowing how to construct an adequate essay is very important and any
professional career requires it. Therefore, using the learning objectives in this class will not only
help me with English 3010, but with everything I do in the future. I plan on pursuing a career in
Clinical Pharmacy, which is going to involve many science classes. I will be able to use the skills
learned in this class to write adequate lab reports in those classes and when I work as a
Pharmacist. At the beginning of the semester I was very worried that I would not be able
complete the objectives, but based on my work, I can proudly say that I have.