Vandenberg offers small chapters focused on a batch of important keywords that arise frequently as a scholar of composition. The first, audience, is essentially displayed as a concept of many differing perceptions. These range from deciphering audience as a part of the writing process to something that should be pre-constructed before anything is ever put on paper. But if one were to conclusively decide that the idea of audience is one simple thing, than empty, lost text would be the result. The next term, coherence, is discussed as a fundamental construction of text, but not pertaining to cohesiveness. Coherence is a collaborative act between the author and reader brought on about by complementary actions such as how the text is presented and how it is received. With new technologies, the audience is now redefining what coherence means for authors as readers have gained more control by being able to selectively perceive discourse. Collaboration is brought about in mainly two opposing views. One sees the act of writing as a very individualistic act while the other considers it as a social act. Form/structure is basically the principles of design applied to writing, which would refer to the surface of text. It is the arrangement or organization and fills the need a reader has for matter to be filled in. Freshman English is a keyword mainly used to refer to first-year writing, but carries some connotations that can be construed as negative. It is often thought of as just a basic training course that only exists for American sentimentality. Process came to be a keyword because of the concentration on holistic method that writing took, shifting away from the product-oriented mindset. Expressivism promoted self-discovery and importance of experience for writers, while the cognitive method approached creative efforts in steps in a more "scientific" discovery. Revision is not simply a correction of errors but is also a remolding due to audience expectations.
This collection of terms by Vandenberg is a very concise introduction to theoretical composition and provides general insight. It will be interesting how many of these characteristics will evolve with the changing climate of writing today. With style and coherence, it will be more apparent, but even process and collaboration will drastically be reinvented.
For the most part I agree with many of the ideas above. It is interesting to think that Collaboration is brought about for two different contrasting views. Many think writing is done individually and others think it is created more socially. I can understand both views depending on what piece an author is writing. For example, if one was writing something private, ofcourse the writing would be done individually whereas if one was writing a work that many would see, it could be created more socially. Freshmen English normally is associated with a negative connotation and I never really thought about why. I thought it was due mostly because the people enrolled in Freshmen English are only doing it because it was required and of little interest to them.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that I reacted mostly to is the author's idea that due to the advanced technology of today's society these terms will be everchanging. Where a lot of these terms were created before so many people had access to publish their own writing whether for personal, academic, or professional purposes. Writing truly is growing and so the fundamentals will change as time goes on.
It is very clear that you read the article and understood the main concepts and while i get that it's kind of hard to have an opinion on terms, i am sort of wondering what you thought about the way they were described. i was not quite sure about the part where you describe how oversimplifying "audience" created "lost text" as I'm not quite sure what you mean by the phrase. While i agree with you about how style and coherence will be the most east to observe in their evolution as terms (because they have a bit more tangible definitions than the others)I wonder how you you see them evolving currently.
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