I had the privelege of attending the guest speaker today in the English Department. It was very interesting. I really liked one of the analogies I heard. A group of girls learned how to best play darts when they observed how NOT to play, not just how TO play. That is a lot like language acquisition. It is sometimes helpful to know how NOT to speak or what mistakes are commonly made. It is also beneficial to note one's own errors.
Research papers are important for student growth, but we must not underestimate the importance of a student going through the process of distinguishing what is important and worth including (evaluation and analyzing). Reading purposefully and being selective about what one reads is also an important skill.
Overall, the speaker noted four important objectives for students.
1. Analyzing and negotating tasks.
2. Selectively and purposefully choosing what to read.
3. How to take (appropriate) notes (context).
4. Integrating sources into texts.
One activity the speaker had us do was get a group of four "students" in the center and have them discuss a problem, its cause, its solutions, and evaluation. Then the other students would cite these four students and practice this process. It was very interesting. We talked about different ways of citing people according to strength measurement.
Lastly, one activity students can do is have others evaluate a book that they themselves really like or dislike and then see how others' opinions may contrast with their own.
Overall, I found my time with the speaker very beneficial and intellectually stimulating and I am glad I went!
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