All the Same: The Oft-Unnoticed Relationship between Concept and Words (Post 1! Yay!)

Today was a big day for me--the first day of college. I always wondered how my first day would begin. Now I know--and I'm already learning more than I ever imagined.

My first class today was ENG 109H with Dr. Mary Bell, who actually reminded me of an English teacher I had in high school. The first ten to twenty minutes of the class was standard university protocol, punctuated with policies and scheduling. But once those were all out of the way, she gave the class a group activity. She told us to take three slips of paper and write five descriptive words that we would write to an employer, a date, and a roommate. Afterwards, the class was to assemble in groups of four or five and sort out each slip of paper by determining whether it was the employer, the date, or the roommate that was being addressed. Through this, we learned that there were particular audiences and rhetorical situations of which every piece of writing takes into account for maximum effectiveness and appropriateness. 

I did this type of activity before in AP English Language and Composition, but I always find it  interesting to see a nearly unified trend on how each of the three audiences is defined. We think that employers, very influential authorities in people's lives, look at strong character and responsibility. Therefore, we say those words like "diligent, responsible, and hard-working." We see dates in a romantic light and thus write words like "loving, caring, and intimate." We see roommates as friends and will then describe ourselves as "friendly and funny." Because each of us had those concepts already embedded into our minds, it was easy for us to figure out who was who.

Such principles can also be applied in arguments, as well. I recall a time when my friends and I were debating about stem cells. I had presented some information previously about their potential to help and to hurt humans to the entire class for a project, and it caused quite a commotion. Most always thought that using stem cells were acts of cruelty and had no redeeming value whatsoever. As I further explained my point of view to my classmates, that stem cells can help people and that there were other ways of obtaining stems cells besides embryo farming, many of their previous beliefs were dashed. They began to see the overwhelming number of benefits that stem cells have instead of their detriments, and I was able to lead them to my way of thinking.

Before, I never realized that the principle I learned in ENG 109H was applied to such a thing in my life, and I learned this on day one! Now, as the class progresses, I hope to learn more about the applications of English in everyday living.