Hello Everyone,
For your fourth Writing Journal assignment, please read the following article: “English: It’s the Real Thing - As a college major, the language has more going for it than just Shakespeare." Lisa Stefany, Philadelphia Inquirer. Friday, August 21, 2009.
- From Falvey Library's homepage (on the left side), choose "Databases A-Z."
- Then choose " Philadelphia Inquirer."
- Write the article’s title in the “Search” data field, and perform your search.
You’re welcome to respond to the article however you wish. I do encourage you, though, to consider the following:
Do you know of any current rhyming advertisements or political slogans that illustrate Lisa Stefany’s ideas, or do you remember any from the past? What are they? What makes them memorable?
Considering the “four words” the author mentions that characterized a political campaign: What is it that makes an advertisement or slogan memorable to you?”
Can you take an advertisement’s slogan (examples— “Just Do It” (Nike) or “Dude, you're getting a Dell”) and turn it into a memorable rhyme?
What do you think about Ken Steele’s quotation? Would you expect her to hire an English major to work in her organization? Why or why not?
Did any of the author’s ideas surprise you? If so, which ones came as a surprise?
Please include the following information as a heading on your work:
Your name
Eng1050 – 20
Writing Journal Assignment #4
Please post your Writing Journal response to this article / topic (200 - 250 words) by Thursday, October 8, 2009.
Have a good day.
Mr. Dierkes
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Lauren Pasquale
ReplyDeleteEng 1050-20
Writing Journal #4
Stefany appears to have had several goals in mind when she wrote “English: It’s The Real Thing…”. Most people have a narrow vision when it comes to English majors; they automatically assume a student will go on to become a teacher or an actor. Stefany’s article strives to broaden modern society’s view of English-related professions. She referred to several advertising campaigns that employ alliteration, rhyming, and onomatopoeia. Personally, when I hear a catchy jingle or advertisement I do not automatically think “Wow, someone really thought about what words to use” nor do I consider the credentials of those who create the advertising slogan. In fact, prior to reading this article if you had asked me who I thought was responsible for creating advertising slogans I would have responded, without thinking, that the company who developed the product developed the slogan. It would not cross my mind that the company employs English-majors or English-related majors for this purpose.
I definitely agree with Steele’s quotation about the importance of the effective use of language. This concept is demonstrated in everyday conversations and situations as well as in advertising. For example, teachers will often develop catchy phrases to help students remember important concepts. I know that I still remember “My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas”, a phrase created to remember the order of the nine planets. Catchy advertising works the same way, if a customer can remember the advertisement, they are more likely to look for and purchase the product.
Garrison Nord
ReplyDeleteENG 1050-20
Writing Journal #4
First off, sorry about the lateness of my post, i completely forgot about the assignment as i was finishing up my work before break and for that i apologize.
As a student of the School of Business here at Villanova, i can certainly understand the viewpoint that a foundation in English is helpful in almost all professions especially in the business world. I can think of a number of situations where knowledge and good manipulation of the English language would be essential. In a book that all business students had to read about Howard Schultz, the founder of Starbucks. The foundation of Starbucks required immense support from outside investors whose only basis for their investment was on the trust and persuasiveness of Howard Shultz. He had to go into board rooms and in front of panels of venture capitalists, with nothing but some charts, projected figures and a passion for the company he wished to startup. Without a strong grasp of the English language he would have never been able to convince investors to put their money and faith into the company. Also, through every level of corporate structure, as obvious as it sounds, it is imperative to be able to communicate with co-workers and superiors. As much as a no-brainer as it sounds, effective communication skills are based in a knowledge of English.