Bridging the Gap Between Composition and Technical Writing

My saving grace in regard to the English Department is that I can be accepted and thrive in multiple academic environments, simultaneously. I have never been one to be pinned down to the sole constructs of any area of focus--I have dipped my pen in literature, rhetoric, composition, creative writing (short-fiction emphasis was my undergrad minor), and technical writing, of which I have an undergraduate degree. What I have to show for my roundedness other than a motley jacket of modern English nerdery is that the areas are all very similar--I dare not say "the same." With minor (if any) modifications, many of the same writing and critical thinking exercises applied in creative writing, tech writing, or academic composition could be used interchangeably. All focus is this: whatever is written (by you or someone else) will be read, therefore, you (or someone else) writes for a reason, and it is learning to see through these creative language usages that readers evolve into thinkers, thinkers into proponents of knowledge. Critical analysis of my own writing or someone else's has been the mainstay of my English education, and it is what I teach: Understand what you are reading, and you will be able to understand your own writing, and, therefore, yourself.

Back to the bridge of pedagogy, I infuse a proposal assignment, which is usually categorized as a component of technical writing, for the research paper. I have students analyze their topics and write a small, one-page explanation of what it is, why they are doing it, who will read it, and how they will go about their research. This allows students to enter the mind of a reader or audience member and see whether or not the topic is a worthwhile one and how it will be accepted. Oftentimes, students will try to answer these simple questions, see that their topic would not be a successful one, and ask for an extension to think of another topic. I grant this permission enthusiastically.