English 101 Philosophy

We believe that English 101 at Calvin College will differ distinctively from similar courses at secular institutions. On what basis, however, do we ground that belief? One might well argue, after all, that the essential texts, assignments, and requirements of English 101 might not differ from any course in rhetoric at any institution. The telling difference for teachers at Calvin College remains that we understand our use of language, our responsibilities within the rhetorical situation, and our relation with our students in the context of God's sovereignty and his revelation for proper human relationships. Consequently, we hold to the following beliefs about our task in teaching English 101 at Calvin College.

We believe that language is a gift in which we rejoice-both for the capacity of language to communicate and for its potential for beauty. In the ways that language mirrors the combination of order and chaos in the creation, the ways in which it is infinite and indeterminate at the same time that it is orderly and harmonious, we recognize it as another part of the general revelation of the created world.

We recognize written language as a gift to be used to engage and to seek to transform culture. We witness the power and the beauty of written communication, its potential for perpetrating as well as exposing falsehood, for degrading as well as inspiring, for creating chaos as well as nurturing order. We therefore must study the ethics of rhetoric, believing that the art of persuasion can be enlisted in the search for truth.

We believe that writing is a means of discovering truth about God, the world, and ourselves. Thereby we distinguish ourselves from social constructivists who argue that all meaning is constructed by social groups and therefore relative, and that language, consequently, does not convey transcendent truths. If we believe in the revelation of truth in scripture and in the creation, we see writing as a means of discovering revealed truth. Our task, however, is culturally directed as we shape each other's discourse in the classroom. If we see through a glass dimly, we need to push ourselves to try to see more clearly, and we need to check our vision against the visions of other believers as they too seek to apprehend that same truth.

We see writing therefore as something that goes on in the real world, not as an artificial exercise that goes on only between student and teacher. After confronting a realistic rhetorical situation, writers must evaluate their aims and audience, must ask: Is my aim consistent with my Christian commitments? Am I recognizing the capacity of my words to redeem and enrich, or conversely, to demean and destroy? Am I using language to create order or chaos? Is my authorial "voice" one that testifies to the truths in which I believe, one that is considerate as much as it is authoritative, one that understands its audience empathetically even while it attempts to sway that audience? Such questions about rhetorical strategy are fundamentally ethical ones.

Since that is the case, we believe that one of our foremost callings in the English 101 classroom is the development of sound critical skills, both analyzing and judging issues and rhetorical approaches. Necessarily, the students will study the value of discrimination in subject and the nature of the argument presented to the reader.

We ask students to think seriously and honestly about their lives and the world in which they live. Cultural appraisal forms a part of the analytical thinking they must do as writers.

We believe that we are training students for a life in leadership in the community-as a means of redeeming our culture. They must therefore believe in and train to become adept in clear, honest, ethical public expression. They should also possess the ability to discern those arguments and expressions that are unclear, perfidious, or unethical.

We believe that these students will be led to a particular vocational calling. Often we define vocation far too narrowly as the work or profession one is called to do in the world. More properly, vocation is first of all a calling to one's own full personhood before God, and secondarily the professional relationships in the world that one constructs. Understanding vocation in such a way, we believe that English 101 also trains the student in the ability to shape personal expressions, the ability to write clearly and coherently on issues, and the ability to analyze and defend positions they hold. We expect, therefore, their training in English 101 to enhance their professional work and their effectiveness in their calling.

Calvin's Writing Program:

Overview of the academic program

English 101 at Calvin College:

History

Current Practice:

Course Description

Course Philosophy

Course Goals

Faculty Statements

Characteristics of Good Writing