Academic and Business Writing: The Time after the End of the Course

The Academic & Business Writing Certificate

photo edited by Laura Lai

by Laura Lai/Uncategorized

Dear all,

it’s been two weeks since I finished the course on Academic and Business Writing. The first thing I did was to print my certificate. And the second was to frame it next to the one from Oxford and the one from Harvard. I’ve always loved writing. I’ve always used all opportunities to write. But I’ve never thought that I would actually have the opportunity to do something only for my writing skill. Even if it had occurred to me – which it never did – it would have never ever crossed my mind that I would take classes from specialists in drama writing from Oxford University, in rhetoric from Harvard, and in academic/business writing from Berkeley. To be honest, I’ve never even dreamed of it. What I used to think was that I would finish my doctoral thesis and that I would start teaching something somewhere. That’s all. As simple as that! I’m surprised that my writing skill had the honor and the privilege to be perfection by great specialists from the traditionally best world’s universities. J

Then I entered the household’s Easter preparations: a general cleaning and sorting-out process. It’s traditionally said that people should welcome this holiday – which is my favorite of all – with the houses, the yards and the souls clean (not necessarily in this order!). I consider it a good advice, it also makes sense because Easter is always in spring, and because spring usually comes after … usually long winters when it’s hard to work the yards, for example. And once every corner of the house is in order, we can concentrate on some Easter dishes – a creative and relaxing activity, which doesn’t mean that I’m a great chef that successfully and regularly cooks snake stake garnished with grasshopper antennas. J

The dish rehearsal baked on the cooker 

because the oven proved broken

photo edited by Laura Lai

It’s regular dishes that I can handle. I even tried a dish rehearsal, which usually needs baking, and on this occasion I’ve discovered that the oven broke. It was an old one, anyway. The positive side is that it happened on a Black Friday discounts period. I also tried new tastes: used with the sun flower halva, I’ve said to taste the sesame one… which tastes good… of sesame seeds! J I know that it’s sweet, I know that it’s a bit oily, I know that it might have some calories, and I do care about my line, but I don’t live my life on a scale neither do I weight every piece of food I want to swallow; first, because when you’re 174 centimetres tall the one or two kilos in plus or in minus are less evident… Second, when working more with the head instead of the body, nobody beheads you for the one or two kilos in plus or in minus. J

       But I had time for movies! You bet I did!!! And one of them is ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ (1977) directed by Franco Zeffirelli. This is also one of those movies that I’ve seen several times. And this year again, because this is a masterpiece in every sense. I don’t have words to describe the every sense in which this movie is a masterpiece. The cast plays its roles outstandingly, the setting is perfect, the music is marvelous, and the recreation of the époque (outfit, habits, etc.) is wonderfully conveyed! Even some small roles were difficult to play, but played magnificently such as the role of the young man possessed by the devil. I’m impressed by the way each of the actors played and by Robert Powell (Jesus) who I’ve recently watched in a documentary movie in which he was visiting the places where they filmed the movie. It’s remarkable to have gathered such crowds, to dress and make them up to fit the times, to bring in many animals: lambs, sheep, donkeys, etc. Amazing!

From an artistic point of view, the scene of Lazarus’ resurrection is subtle and mystical: Jesus stays in front of the tomb, the stone was removed, behind him a large crowd, but the camera is behind this crowd at some point so that the viewer sees lots of shadows… and Jesus in front of the tomb. Furthermore, the scene when Mary is announced that she will conceive a son is the scene of the divine message that is differently depicted by film directors, but the way Zeffirelli chose to do it, it’s most probably the way I would do it, too. Mary ‘hears’ with her spirit the divine message of her child conception, and that of her relative who would conceive a son, too, before her, although much older than her. Her mysterious divine message was confirmed by reality and the way the director chose to arrange the sequences is absolutely terrific.

Pausing on some stones, 2021

Now, that things have been sorted-out, house is prepared to celebrate Easter and the few dishes to prepare are settled, I started to review the course. A revision after some time is a positive thing because while I study I don’t know what comes next. But when I get to the last course, I prefer to review it once more to have it all in my mind – the whole structure of it. And this way, the organized information settles better and longer in my mind.

       I loved participating at this course. And I’m thankful to the educational platform, edx, for the financial support to get my certificate and always be able to prove that I did participate to the course. But only I know how much heart I put into it! A certificate never tells, the result sometimes does, though. I’m thrilled that from all types of the academic and business writing genre, I could deepen one: the film review. And I loved to read and to challenge my opinions on different matters reading and replying on our virtual discussion forum.

       I had in mind to enroll to another course offered by Berkeley and taught by Dr. Maggie Sokolik. It’s about the AP English Literature & Composition – Part 3: Plays, but it’s going to be archived at the beginning of May. I checked the outline and I was hoping to be able to cover just the drama part, the first two weeks before the course gets archived… Indeed, I was considering audit enrolling, rather than the verified one.

To sum up, two weeks after the course I was mainly caught in household arrangements mainly to welcome the Easter holidays, and celebrations. I enjoyed the beautiful weather and took long walks to the park. Shall I remind you that I still love drinking a cup of coffee while sitting on the bench and thinking about what to write or the way to improve what I’ve already written? I also had time to watch movies, to write shortly, and to think more about writing. And when the time comes, I will sit and write… Now, it was time to celebrate that I accomplished this course with a precious 97 percent – a wonderful birthday present that I celebrated also during these last two weeks. 

Peace be with all of you! 

P.S. Also during these two weeks it was my name day, and not in the same day with my birthday – another reason to celebrate! J

 

OTHER LINKS:

‘Ben-Hur’: From Silent Movie to Animation & to Sound Movie (I)

https://writingbreaklauralai.blogspot.com/2019/05/ben-hur-from-silent-movie-to-animation_31.html

‘Ben-Hur’: From Silent Movie to Animation & to Sound Movie (II)

https://writingbreaklauralai.blogspot.com/2019/05/ben-hur-from-silent-movie-to-animation_1.html

‘Ben-Hur’: From Silent Movie to Animation & to Sound Movie (III)

https://writingbreaklauralai.blogspot.com/2019/05/ben-hur-from-silent-movie-to-animation.html

#cwp2x #Easter #filmreview #Zeffirelli #BenHur

Academic and Business Writing Course. Last Homework: On Text Revision

photo edited by Laura Lai 

by Laura Lai/ Uncategorized 

This is the last homework. It is the end of the course on Academic and Business Writing. It was great to have practiced both English and writing on given topics. And the writing was practiced on topics that were so diverse! I equally loved all of them – no favorites.

            This course was my third online course. My online study adventure started in 2019 with the course on Drama Writing – a four-month course provided by the University of Oxford. I did not know what to expect from an online course, but I was prepared to study drama and eager to write it. And I enrolled looking for a drama writing road map. I could not compare it to anything I experienced before, as I have always studied in class – not in virtual classes. I found it more difficult online than in class when the teacher can be interrupted at any time to be asked a question or to clarify an issue. But it is not so difficult if the course is well organized and well structured by the instructor.

The online class is about self-discipline, is about motivation, is about making it a high priority for your daily schedule, and is about studying more than meeting peers, having a chat, having a walk, or having a coffee together. I found my road map, I found my confidence, and I found out the greatest advantage of the online course: it is self-paced. I study constantly, organized, daily, and weekly, but once during this course, I had to relocate from one country to another. The online course allowed me to finish the readings for one week before the end of the week, start the readings for the next one when my laptop was on, and pack when it was off. I announced to the tutor that for two days of the week I could not be on the virtual discussion forum (which was highly interactive) as I was changing planes, trains, and buses. The course was self-paced and me being organized on the second day, in the evening, I was already in the virtual class for a few hours, getting back my study rhythm as if I did not even relocate the day before.

            In the process of perfecting my writing skills and in order to practice my English, in 2020 I enrolled in the course Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking – provided by Harvard University. Although I knew what online study meant, I was still nervous. I was nervous because I was not 18 years old anymore as I was when I first entered university, I was facing material coming from the best university in the world (for the 2021 world university ranking, click here) and I wanted to assimilate it all. I have learned that my thirst for knowledge is now as it was back then when I was 18. And I laughed when I remembered that then I could only go to the best university in the country and that, now, I am taking a course from the best in the world. The fact that I wanted to learn from the best is the same now as it was when I was 18. Indeed, I also do not have the impression that I changed in comparison to the way I have always been. And April 22^nd is my next birthday – I do not think that I will change, because I am curious to know, I want to understand, because I want to apply what I know and what I understand. If I want to make a difference? Why shall I? I may be the difference itself! J

            The course on Academic and Business Writing – provided by Berkeley, University of California is the third step in my process of improving my writing and practicing English. It is the course I am about to end, and like all courses, I am sorry that it is about to end. I was eager to start learning the course material of another great world university. I would have enrolled anyway, but I was feeling sorry that I would never be able to prove to anybody and in any professional context that I studied it. The day the online platform EdX approved my financial request was a great day. EdX made my day! J

            In Oxford University’s terms, some of us are ‘lifelong learners’ and we never know enough. I will never will. The most recent podcast for ‘curious minds’ is about the long tradition of what we call nowadays ‘online learning.' It started in the 19^th century with ‘tutorial classes’ with writing essays about political and economical issues of those times and it became in the 20th century a 'permanent national necessity’:

 

‘The continuing education of adults was of vital importance to the nation’s welfare and security. Citizens needed the intellectual tools to weigh the evidence and critically reflect on political claims…’ 

It is said that people turn to tutorial classes mainly ‘to change the trajectory of life’. Therefore, it is great that such platforms exist. I look at it as an academic platform of excellence. My experience with it was great and I will return to it every time I need to perfect a skill or acquire new professional ones. 

Until then I need to finish this course. And I have one last homework, on text revision. How do I go about revisions? In this course, I learned different techniques for revisions and editing, but before this course, I was traditionally reading and re-reading the text several times, both in my mind and aloud; I was leaving it aside for shorter or longer periods of time and reading it again. Sometimes I was also recording myself to hear the way it sounds.

            Reading aloud allows one finding a better word, and a better structure for the sentence, it helps hear its rhythm, and it also allows one to work on the punctuation or to edit some typos and/or some grammar mistakes (e.g. subject-verb agreement and plurals). To me, this works great, because I usually think long before I write a play, for example. I research. The topic unfolds first in my mind. I write an outline to point out certain things. Then I sit and write, and I let the story take me on the writing adventure. I cannot write it all at once, but when I resume, I usually do not have to reread what I wrote because I am writing down a story that is already unfolding in my mind and I know where I stopped.

When the first draft is finished I start reading and rereading. I do that on screen and on paper. Sometimes when the paper is too long, and in order not to stay long in front of the computer, I print and correct it on paper. But every corrected typo or every improved sentence structure is usually improved according to the level of English one has. That is the reason why the language must be constantly improved: so that each and every time an author revises its text or edits its grammar and punctuation to do it with a pair of fresh eyes and better skills.

In terms of text revision, there is also the possibility to ask somebody to read your text and make improvement suggestions. Personally, I do not use this method much unless it is in an educational format and the instructor needs to read and give feedback. There are a few reasons why I do not necessarily use this text revision method. First, it is about time availability. In general, people live a busy life and they may be too busy to find the time to read something they enjoy rather than to read others’ writings and give feedback. And if they are so busy, I am not sure they will read attentively, maybe just by obligation and on a diagonal. Second, it also depends on what an author is writing. I focus on a particular type of drama that is not much explored. I do not know the way the audience will react to this type of genre called ‘single-issue-drama’. This type of drama combines perfectly my political science background with my love of writing, particularly dialogues. Why not write in this genre? But reading to an audience like a reading club may be ‘torture’ for the members who love other genres and a significant time investment on my side to explain every step I made to combine the topic with art.

Third, even experienced authors recommend prudence when getting feedback. They usually recommend taking into account only those opinions that matter to you, or people who are involved in your writing process, etc. (for more information, please read the article here or my series of comments on it that I posted on the ‘Writing Blog’ in November and December, 2020). Quentin Tarantino, who is both a film director and a film writer, summarized it into three simple words with a profound meaning ‘defend your art.' 

To summarize, the course Academic and Business Writing is the third online course I take. With the first course, I learned what online learning meant. With the second course, I discovered that although not 18 years old anymore, my thirst for knowledge is as high as then, and that my interest to learn from the best is the same. And with the third course, I learned the importance of constantly improving one’s language skills. By approving my financial request, the online educational platform EdX helped me to be able to prove in any professional context these new skills.

            The last homework for this course requires insights into our ways to revise a text. I traditionally use the reading and re-reading of a text maaaaany times and after shorter or longer periods of time, in my mind and aloud. This allows for finding better words and elementary text editing (e.g. correct punctuation, missed plurals, or subject-verb agreement). 

#cwp2X #edx #Oxford #Harvard #Berkeley #writing #revising #amblogging

Academic and Business Writing: Optional Pop-Up 4. Globalization: Our Friend or Our Foe?

photo edited by Laura Lai

 by Laura Lai/Comment

More than ever, globalization and international travel affect universities and companies. What are the benefits and problems caused by either globalization or internationalization? How has it affected your job, your school, or your home town?

Globalization is a process that refers to the constantly growing interconnection between states so that political, economical, and/or social events taking place in one country may have effects in the most remote areas on the globe (e.g. the global economic crisis, the COVID pandemic, etc.). The relationships between states and their economies are traditionally analyzed under three main paradigms: realism (that is centered on the state, its sovereignty, alliances, and diplomacy), liberalism (for which the state is not the main actor, but just a bureaucracy, the people are perfectible, but mainly in a democracy; it does not reject the concept of state sovereignty, but the balance of power between states is reached through interdependence between them), and the structural paradigm (which is the least influential of all and that focuses on classes rather than on states).

            Globalization is not a new paradigm. It remains a process that in its turn is analyzed from the perspective of the three main paradigms. From my point of view, globalization is not a process, but a step in a process that started long ago. And this can go as far back as the 18^th century when I. Kant wrote on the ‘perpetual peace’ expressing the observation that among democracies war is less possible. Furthermore, in the ‘60s and in the ‘70s there were political and economical scientists that spoke about ‘modernization’ and its different aspects. In this sense, we can come across concepts such as the ‘global village’ that addresses the Internet connectivity of all societies and this may imply the development of a more homogeneous society in which identities, time, and space diminish. Another concept is that of ‘global polity’ that has supporters who promote the idea of a transfer of sovereignty from state to transnational actors. 

As a step in an ongoing process or as the process itself, globalization has its defenders and its opponents. I suppose that measurements and analysis have been undertaken by specialists and those whose measurements resulted in qualitative and quantitative life improvement position themselves on the defenders’ side of globalization. Those whose measurements resulted in the negative impact of globalization position themselves as opponents of it. I have never come across such measurements, I have never read such analysis, and I do not position myself either as a defendant or an opponent of it.

            There are pundits who claim that the improvements were more qualitative than quantitative. Others argue that it destroys the local economy and identity. And there are also voices commenting that it is only about national companies trading globally – which, obviously,  it is true, too. In which concerns universities, most people argue that it affected them in a positive way. And they mainly refer to international travel that facilitated student exchanges, and multiculturalism in a class that has its benefits to learning about different cultures or the learn a point of view on a topic from a person raised and educated in a different culture. I cannot agree more that these are interesting, fascinating, and culturally enriching.

However, I do not see a strong link between international travel and universities, because when it was about education, people motivated by learning traveled from poor regions and countries by horse and carriage to get to cities that had a university (e.g. Berlin, Oxford, Paris, Vienna, etc.). Furthermore, if a university considers the potential of a candidate relevant for its team, it made that person part of its team with or without international travel, with or without globalization. I am doubtful that it is international travel or globalization that made a university competitive or less competitive.

But I think it is possible for globalization to negatively impact universities. It is about universities that are not competitive enough. And one of the main reasons they may not be competitive enough is not the technology that they can purchase at different prices – due to economic competition during globalization – but the staff they employ (letting aside that sometimes it is about nepotism and other forms of corruption). In the www-global era in which we are living, potential students can ‘search’, ‘find’, and ‘apply’ and some get accepted to competitive universities, while the least competitive get closed, meaning that staff gets unemployed. It is supporters of globalization that come with the solution: to make other courses and learn a new job. Competitive universities benefit culturally, academically, and financially from the increasing number of students. Globally speaking, we all benefit from having good and seriously educated people.

In which concerns private companies during globalization, there are many voices stressing the negative impact of them on people. Here, opponents of globalization speak about ‘exploitation’, ‘cheap labor’, ‘child labor’, and even ‘enslavement’ during modern times. Theoretically, it is about the argument that globalization is another phase or a late phase of capitalism in which private companies make the rules and the state is powerless.

            In this sense, I have seen a documentary on jeans manufacturing. It showed that one pair of jeans is sold for $100 dollars in the Western world and women working for them in Asian countries are paid $20 a month. I still have in my mind the image of one of the women, her disappointment, her tears that this money is not enough to live with. And she was showing the way she lived. Basically, a private company selling a certain good looks for cheap labor anywhere in the world to manufacture that product as cheaply as possible and sell it afterward as expensive as possible to maximize its profit.

            I understand that profit is essential for a business. The way it is made is debatable. I am doubtful that globalization is responsible because globalization – as a process – only allows private owners (with more or less human values) to search for cheap labor. To my mind, the state is more responsible for the situation than an abstract term called ‘globalization’. And I disagree that the state and the national governments are powerless in front of such private owners running only after profit and to whom the individual has no other value but to trade their skills for as little money as possible. But national governments are made of people. A significant ‘financial attention’ from a private company to government officials and the government will not regulate ‘exploitation’ or ‘child labor’.

            The recent trade agreement between the United States-Canada and Mexico (USMCA replacing NAFTA) signed into law by former US President Donald Trump stresses that in terms of car manufacturing, 75 percent of its parts must be done in these three countries with workers paid at least $16 an hour. Such a governmental agreement is beneficial, particularly for Mexican workers. It will be translated into the car's price but it is the evidence that it is not globalization that is stronger than states and governments. 

To summarize, globalization is not a new paradigm in which we are living. It is a process that refers to the constantly increasing political, economical, and/or social interconnection among people and states. To me, it is more like a phase in a process that started in the 18^th century and that was retaken in the ‘60s and the ‘70s. There are different opinions on globalization, some claiming its benefits and others claiming its negative consequences.

            In which concerns universities, the interconnection among people allows students to choose competitive universities and those less competitive get closed. I do not support the argument that international traffic favored universities, because people motivated by education use horse and carriage to get to universities in different countries. I also do not support the argument that globalization made some universities more competitive than others, but the staff it has and the orthodox way it was selected and employed. This process may have started long before the www-global times we are living.

In which concerns private companies, they are all interested in making a profit, and some of them make this profit by paying their remote employees so little that they themselves cannot live with that money. That is the reason why people speak of globalization as being about ‘modern enslavement.' My argument is that it is not about an abstract concept like ‘globalization’ that does that but concrete private owners, who do not value the life of people, but only the skills they have that they try to acquire at the lowest price possible to maximize profit. The argument that globalization is strong and state/national government is weak is not sustainable to me. The recent regional trade agreement between US, Canada, and Mexico that former US President Trump signed into law stresses that 75 percent of cars’ components, for example, to be manufactured in these three states by workers paid at least $16 an hour. Through such an initiative that is signed into law, these three governments proved stronger than some possible private owners using globalization to maximize their profits.

#cwp2x #globalization #writing #amblogging

Reflecting On the Final Writing Paper. Alfred Hitchcock: 'The 39 Steps'

 

by Laura Lai/ Uncategorized 

After having written an essay as the homework for the ‘Academic and Business Writing’ course – Week 4 on writing difficulties, posted it on my Writing Blog and some excerpts on the virtual class’ discussion forum, after having read it with lots of interest and having replied to some of my classmates, I was preparing myself for the optional homework. But wait! One of the check questions was: ‘I wrote about my final writing project in my journal’ or ‘I didn’t have time.’ Actually, this caught me by surprise. I did not know that I had to. Now that I know, guess what? I make time! J

 

WHO?/WHAT?        For the final writing paper, I had to choose among several types of writing formats belonging to the academic or business genre. One of the choices was ‘movie or book review’. Theoretically, it belongs to general/academic writing. And I have decided to review the movie The 39 Steps (1935) directed by Alfred Hitchcock. This movie was considered by film critics as the best adaptation of the novel The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchnan (1915). Although my focus will be on the movie review, I want to make a short parallel to the book as well – a kind of two-in-one review. J

 

WHY?                    First, this movie was an excellent choice for a review of an old movie made in 1935. I started long ago reviewing old movies for the ‘review’ section of this Writing Blog. And I reached the year 1935. For each year, I watch as much as I can from among those awarded or not by the American Film Academy, from among the blockbusters, etc.

                                 Second, I made this choice because I am a great lover of cinema art. I have always loved the way this art tells a story. I was a child when going with other children to the cinema. I was so passionate that in the pupils’ summer holidays, I was going in the morning to the cinema because the ticket was free for pupils. I watched Hollywood and Bollywood movies, Chinese, Russian, Western, etc. And I loved them all!

 

                                Third, when I was 12 or 14 I had the chance to follow on the national television program a series of Alfred Hitchcock’s movies broadcasted weekly. And I was fascinated by this director: by the way he conveys the message of the movie and by the psychoanalysis scenes. I am a Sign Language speaker and I do not know if it is because of Sign Language that I have always understood certain cognitive processes behind the movement – I think so – and I have understood those psychoanalysis scenes of Hitchcock as speaking my mind, although it went straight to my heart.

 

                                Fourth, I made this choice because in this ‘Academic and Business Writing’ course  I am learning lots and useful things about writing in English. But by the end of it, I want to have deepened one format. I thought it would be the essay, but I see that it is going to be the review. I use this course opportunity to read and learn more about film reviews.

 

WHERE?               Once my final review is done, it will be posted on the course’s website and subject to peer analysis. I intend to post it on my Writing Blog, too, in the ‘review’ section two-three weeks after this course will end – let us consider it as the last post for the month of April. I think it is wiser to wait until after the course ends and it is a great decision to leave it as the last post for April, especially since I intend to continue reviewing movies the entire month of May.

 

WHEN?/ HOW?      But with less than two weeks to go until the end of this course, last week I have already taken the time to watch the movie and read the book so that my review draft to be as close to completion as possible. And the draft was submitted. This gives me time to enjoy optional homework, start a new studying week, and watch again the movie to improve the first film review draft for a better final written paper.

 

Now, that I have also written about my final written paper in my journal that I keep on my Writing Blog, I cannot wait to check ‘I wrote about my final paper in my journal.’ And to continue my writing journey with the course on Academic and Business Writing! J 

#cw2p #edx #FilmReview #AlfredHitchcock #writing #amblogging

Academic and Business Writing Course: On Writing Difficulties

photo edited by Laura Lai 

by Laura Lai/ Essay 

What are the ‘problems’ in writing? A ‘problem’ is usually a difficulty. And difficulties we may come across in all subjects of study, in all fields of activity, and in all aspects of life. This course – Academic and Business Writing, generously provided by Berkeley, University of California – considers ‘problems in writing’ the following: basic grammar problems; having trouble finding ideas to write about (getting started); organizing clearly the ideas; not having a rich vocabulary to express ideas, or others (not mentioned above). What are my strengths and weaknesses in writing from this point of view?

Simple questions are usually the most difficult to answer. There are exceptions, too. Here is one simple question that many people find easy to answer: ‘Would you marry me?’ This is a simple question, with an easy and short answer, followed by the complexity of marriage, the difficulties, and the learning of ‘being married.' So is with the language: usually, a beautiful learning journey when dealing with its complexity, a healthy and spiritual experience, and culturally enriching when learning its writing and speaking difficulties, its grammar rules, and the exceptions to the rules.

            Self-assessment is hard and I am not sure about the extent to which it is objective because there are people that are indulgent with their writing and others more severe with the way they write. In which concerns me, I objectively think that I have the least difficulty with finding a topic to write about and with the clear organization of my thoughts and arguments afterward.

            After having studied all foreign languages I know with the exercise book in one hand, and pen and pencil in the other, and after having studied four years of Political Sciences in English (mostly with American visiting professors), I do not allow myself to make ‘basic grammar’ mistakes. But, objectively speaking, everyone does. This includes native speakers, too. It usually happens when the writer is tired or had twisted the same sentence over and over that got to the meaning it wanted and skipped some easy typos. That is the reason why it is advisable that all writers leave the text aside for a while and reread it later with a pair of fresh eyes.

            Furthermore, I think I have a rich-enough vocabulary to write and speak about lots of topics in English. However, I find descriptions and literary comparisons to require an even larger vocabulary. There may be many ways to tackle this writing problem. One way I am considering is the larger exposure to the language, such as living in an English-speaking country, interacting in English, and being surrounded by the language in all its forms: written and spoken, formal and informal, local and regional expressions, etc. – all these can make writing even more precise, and it can confer it any funny dimension the writer wants to. 

But, to me, the most difficult in the process of learning English was the phrasal verbs. It is about these verbs such as ‘to call’: call for, call in, call off, call on, call out, call up and call upon. Or, the verb ‘to go’: go on, go off, go over, go round, go through, go under, go without, etc.

            What is the history of phrasal verbs in English? Who put this difficulty in the way of our beautiful language journey? Is it Shakespeare? No, it cannot be. If it were Shakespeare, they would have been a tragedy, but phrasal verbs are not, they are doable, and they are workable. It must be Thomas Paine! From here, the possible ‘pain’ to struggle dealing with phrasal verbs! J Obviously, I am joking!

            I noticed that for native speakers phrasal verbs come naturally when they speak. Therefore, it is through listening to a lot and carefully (and checking the dictionary at times) that I have gotten accustomed to most of them – those most commonly used. However, it looks like an endless process, because I still write a phrasal verb down when I hear it. I also noticed that phrasal verbs' incidence is higher in spoken English than in academically written papers. And I concluded that this may happen because their usage is more informal than formal. Anyway, phrasal verbs are a part of learning to write and speak a language and I do not neglect them.

Another difficulty in writing concerns American and British English. Personally, I would not call this a ‘problem’, because I consider not knowing the language a problem, rather than mixing some words of two countries that have a long common history. During this course, we have also been reminded that it is preferable to use American English when addressing ourselves to an American audience and to use British English when addressing ourselves to a British audience. Obviously, for Americans and for the British things are very clear which is what. For those of us who learn English as a foreign language, we only come across short lists of words written differently for the same meaning. For example, ‘lorry’ (British English) is for the American ‘truck’; or, ‘dust bin’ is ‘garbage’ in American English, etc. Fortunately, so far I only come across Americans that love to spot a word in British English and say joyfully: ‘This is British! Here we don’t fly over, but we overpass.’ In daily conversations with people, it never occurred to me to notice it as being perceived as a ‘problem’. Whether it is such a big written sin, I think it is subjectively decided by each and every person from the audience. If it were an issue, I still consider exposure to both languages (through reading, listening, and discussing) as a helping tool to improve writing from this point of view. 

To sum up, writing difficulties may differ depending on the level of the language we are in, and on whether or not we are native speakers. Despite the fact that self-assessment is hard, I consider having fewer difficulties with getting started to write and with organizing my ideas. In my English learning process, I found the phrasal verbs to be the most difficult because one change of a preposition may change the entire meaning of the sentence. For example, ‘pass by a house’ (to pass near it) and ‘pass away in a house’ (to die in it) – are very different meanings just by changing one small preposition!

            It is with passion, motivation to perfect the language learning, and great exposure to a language, such as living in an English-speaking country and interacting in English that lots of difficulties in writing English may be overcome.

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April Fools’ Day? No Fools’ Day for Academic and Business Writing!

 photo edited by Laura Lai

by Laura Lai/ Uncategorized 

Write a message to borrow money (to buy books) from:

• a parent or a close relative;
• your brother, sister, or best friend;
• school’s financial department aid. 

If it looks like a joke on April Fools’ Day, I am telling you that it is not. It is a short exercise of formality, tone, and, most important, taking into account the audience of the message.

Message 1: Mom, we need to buy books for the school’s library. I need to contribute $20.

Message 2: Tom, would you borrow me $20 til next month? We’re buying books for the school’s library.

Message 3:

Dear Mrs. Jones,

I am writing this letter to require financial aid to purchase five English dictionaries for the school’s library.

There are thirty pupils studying English in the 8^th grade and there is only one dictionary that is available for all. Our initiative to collect the necessary sum of money to purchase the five dictionaries failed, as most of the parents cannot afford them. Consequently, I turn to the Financial Department to support our initiative for this year’s pupils and for the future ones that will study English and that will be in need of a good English dictionary.

Please feel free to contact me shall you have questions or shall you need more information. 

Respectfully,

Margaret Smith – English teacher, 8A class

In terms of formality, the first two messages are less formal than the third one – the last message is the most formal of all. I would argue that the first message is also on a more familiar tone (‘mom, we need to buy books … I need to contribute’), in comparison to the second one (‘Tom, would you borrow me…’). The third message is formal and in a neutral tone. It informs the Financial Department that there is a class need for dictionaries, that pupils’ initiative failed, and that they need the support of this department. 

Furthermore, the first two sentences are more informal, they are also shorter in formulating the request, while the third message is the longest, it is an official written request, looking or borrowing some elements from the cover letter format. 

They are all different because each of the messages took into account the audience it is addressing to. Usually, familiarity with the person(s) one is addressing, goes hand in hand with a more informal and direct approach. When addressing itself to an institution, a department of an institution (as in this case when the teacher addresses herself to Mrs. Jones from the financial department), or an unknown audience, the style is more formal, more explicative, and there is room left for other eventual questions that may arise. However, I think that whatever the audience, the formulation and the tone must always be polite.