Ginna earned M.Ed. degrees in Curriculum and Development and Mental Health Counseling, followed by a Ph.D. in English. She has over 30 years of teaching experience.
Well, actually, almost everyone does! If you belong to a literate society in which ideas are expressed using written language, then reading becomes crucial to your well-being and success. Most of us learn to read in elementary school, although many students cannot read well enough as adults to do what they want and need to do in our modern, technological world. As you know, there was a time, not so long ago, that a person could earn a living in a hands-on type of job without being a reader. This is not the case today. Those who work in fields that make use of physical labor are often called on to read memos, instructions, and safety information. And most careers require a complex understanding of written communication.
Reading and writing are two sides of the same coin. When you learn to read, you are also becoming familiar with the way letters and words fit together to create meaning. When you learn a language as a child, you gradually learn how to put together longer chains of words and phrases to make sentences, and then you learn to write these sentences on paper.
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The true purpose of writing, of course, is not to please a teacher or get good grades in school. Writing is designed for communication. If you think about it, no matter how simple or complex, writing is meant to make clear the writer's meaning to someone who will later read and interpret that meaning. The person who reads what you have written may be far distant from you in time and place, but they can still know your thoughts, and even your feelings. Today, we can still read what the ancient philosophers wrote and learn from their ideas. We can still read or perform in a play by William Shakespeare, only because his written scripts have been preserved and passed down to us. In some ways, writing is a way to let yourself and your ideas live on into the future.
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Of course, a Shakespearean play is very different from a note you write to your spouse or child to let them know they need to take out the trash! Yet, these two pieces of writing have something in common. Your note will never be performed, or probably even preserved, yet it is important that your reader understand it. That is why there are rules about such aspects of writing as syntax (word order), verb forms, punctuation, and so on. When all English speakers agree on these rules, our communication over time and distance becomes possible.
Here is a humorous example of the power of punctuation:
Read this sentence containing no punctuation marks and think about the intended meaning.
Woman without her man is nothing
Regardless of your gender, you are probably a bit taken aback by what the writer may be saying. But there are two ways to add punctuation that create two entirely different meanings.
1) Woman, without her man, is nothing.
OR
2) Woman: without her, man is nothing.
Just from this small example, you see the usefulness of the many grammar and usage rules that cause so much confusion when learning to write.
So, what is the point here? Simply this: reading and writing are intimately connected. If you are having trouble with a writing task, find something to read that is in a similar format - perhaps several such examples - and learn from the experts. When you read, you learn how words are used not only to create meaning, but to express a mood or tone, to entertain, or to convince someone of your opinion.
Let's say you are assigned to write a report about an article you have read and present your summary to a group of co-workers. Your task is to give the group the important points from the article without everyone taking the time to read the entire article. Summaries are a standard type of written task, and you can find many examples online or in writing handbooks. Once you read a few and understand the format and elements of a summary, you will know what to look for in the original article, and what to include in your report.
One step further: let's say you are to present not only a summary of the article, but your opinion as well. Again, the summary and review format is something you can find easily. Even a movie or book review might help - critics generally provide a chronological summary followed by their personal opinion.
Hopefully, this lesson has helped you to see that two versions of the same processes and skill sets pertain to both reading and writing. When you come to these tasks in your first language, you learn both gradually and fit them together naturally. Unfortunately, some children lose this natural recognition of connection during the course of formal education. If this has happened with you, don't worry. As an adult, it is quite possible to reconnect reading and writing to your advantage. All you need is the understanding we have discussed here, some competently written examples, and the willingness to use everything you read and everything you write to strengthen that connection.
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MTEL Adult Basic Education (55): Practice & Study Guide21 chapters | 270 lessons | 18 flashcard sets
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