[English] 1. A question of style in text responses (Jenny Gilbert) RE: english Digest, Vol 34, Issue 4

[Jenny Gilbert]

Scott - Thankyou - it is so nice not to feel alone in this!!! And being so
far away from 'meet the examiners' sessions I was not able to ask this
myself at such forums so I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

Jen


2009/3/5 scottlangan <scottlangan at girton.vic.edu.au>

> Hi Jenny,
>
> I too have been pondering this question of style.  Like you, I have always
> discouraged any kind of inclusive language/voice in the Reading and
> Responding Text Response Essay.  Yet, at the Meet the Assessors session in
> Bendigo last week, 'We' was used in the verbal examples given on every
> occasion.
>
> Personally, I find the royal 'we' and the second person 'you' the weakest
> writing style/voice - it is including and making assumptions about the
> writers audience (and assessors) that is unknowable and insupportable; which
> surely weakens any analysis rather than strengthens it?  For an example, I
> will add my comments to your own example -
>
> Throughout the text (Inheritance) we [Who? All students?] are invited by
> Rayson to consider the not so pleasant aspects of our history [Whose? All
> Australians? Victorians? Whites?] through characters such as Nugget.
>
> Or, when a students writes that "You can appreciate that Rayson positions
> her audience..."  surely they mean "I", so why use "you" and the statement
> form of this same sentence "Rayson positions her audience..." is more
> concise and conveys the same idea.  Thus, this is the better sentence,
> demonstrating that the student has better control over language and written
> expression.  Surely it will be graded higher than the first or second person
> style of essay?  It is still their fresh, personal, unique interpretation -
> writing in third person does not detract from 'hearing' such a voice.  The
> author of the essay's voice is implied in every sentence as it is they that
> choose and shape language to communicate their response to the topic.  Why
> belabour this by say either "I believe..." or "We understand..."  "You can
> acknowledge..." etc. in each and every sentence?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Scott Langan
> Head of English
> Girton Grammar
>
> -
>



-- 
Jen Gilbert English Teacher
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