CSUN Intermediate Expository Writing
Imagine that you enter a parlor. You come late. When you arrive, others have
long preceded you, and they are engaged in a heated discussion, a discussion
too heated for them to pause and tell you exactly what it is about. In fact, the
discussion had already begun long before any of them got there, so that no one
present is qualified to retrace for you all the steps that had gone before. You
listen for a while, until you decide that you have caught the tenor of the
argument; then you put in your oar. Someone answers; you answer him;
another comes to your defense; another aligns himself against you, to either the
embarrassment or gratification of your opponent, depending on the quality of
your ally's assistance. However, the discussion is interminable. The hour grows
late, and you must depart. And you do depart, with the discussion still
vigorously in progress.
-- Kenneth Burke The Philosophy of Literary Form (110-111)
Course Description
English 305 is an intermediate course in expository writing available to students who have
completed their lower division writing requirement (ENGL115 at CSUN, an equivalent
course
elsewhere, or by exemption). This course provides preparation for the Upper Division Writing
Proficiency Exam (UDWPE) and satisfies the writing requirement in the Liberal Studies major.
English 305OL is an online class designed to meet the needs of students who cannot meet
regularly in the face-to-face classroom. The online class includes the same coursework, but
the timing and delivery will vary. Students will still be expected to workshop with one
another, complete course requirements in a timely manner, and meet online as needed over the
course of the semester. Six to eight chat sessions will be available over the course of the semester
but are not mandatory.
Students enrolled in English 305 should have developed sufficient writing and research skills to meet the demands of college level writing. This course provides the additional opportunity for students to review, reassess, and further develop their writing skills.
English 305 is designed for upper division college students who wish to develop their writing skills or who need the course to fulfill a requirement in their major or program of study. Many students take the course to prepare for the WPE; Liberal Studies students take this course (or English 406) as part of their major. Single subject credential candidates in fields other than English take the course to demonstrate advanced, college-level writing proficiency (a grade of B- or better is required). However, English majors may not use English 305 to satisfy requirements within the major.
Aims of the Course
An important aim of the course is to give you guided practice in developing clear and coherent longer papers of various types, including those that narrate an autobiographical incident, report information, discuss issues, speculate about causes and effects, present arguments, solve problems, and interpret texts. As you work on these and other kinds of papers, you will develop several related areas:
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your own "voice" in writing;
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a repertoire of writing styles appropriate to your purpose, audience, and occasion for writing;
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your ability to compose sentences and paragraphs in a variety of syntactic patterns and with sufficient specific details;
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your skill in reading, analyzing, and assessing longer pieces of expository prose by professional writers and peers;
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your sensitivity to the impact of language on differing readers and listeners;
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your ability to use appropriate research methods and materials efficiently, clearly, and effectively for all disciplines;
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your ability to analyze, assess and contribute to
online sources. We will be using Mahara: The Writing Study.
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your skill in writing prose that conforms to the features of standard written English.
Course Requirements
- Four timed essays (10%)
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Timed Writing (SAMPLE)
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Timed Writing (2 CRITICAL RESPONSES TO A TEXT)
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Timed Writing (REFLECTION)
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Three revised papers (30%): links will be activated when papers are
assigned and roughly correspond to sections in the textbook.
- Annotated Bibliography (10%):
Students will research a chosen topic and construct an annotated
bibliography documenting and evaluating research findings, using Janice
Walker's online MLA Style formating. The bibliography will reflect the
research for the "myth" research project.
- Online Discussion Group (40%)
This moodle reading and discussion group consists of summaries and
responses to all
readings and any other short discussion assignments. Each reading will
have a corresponding moodle forum for summaries and discussions. Each S&R
will be worth a total of three points maximum. Writers are required to
post an initial S&R, then read and respond to two other writers.
- E-portfolio (10%) Final
portfolio of
research collection, revised papers and bi-weekly progress reports.
Last revised Nov '15