Starting as a Professional Writer

        Taking English Composition One was an exciting adventure at the first time. Yet it was also a great challenge for me due to the lack of the English language skills compared to those whose native language is English. The learning process not only is studying what it required on the learning outcomes, but also a process of English as a second language learning. I am very confident at my first language skills, which can help me better understand the course content and its goals. For example, to be a critical thinker is not as hard as it looks like, for the ability I have processed to think dialectically in my native language.

        I faced my first biggest challenge when I began to start the reading process. For example, I reread the first pages of Translation Nation for several times until I found the good way to way to read it. Since the obscure new words and location names blocked my understanding of this passage, I have to google what are they and what they are referring to. With the help of the Internet, I could be toughly able to learn what the author was trying to say.

        Speaking of the writing process, both of the drafting and the revision work were unbearable burdens at first. For drafting, I spent a lot of time thinking what I was going to write in order to make it interesting to read and practical to hand with. I also did not want to bore myself if I did not want to bore others. As for the revision, it seemed like an gigantic mountain that I have to cross over. To be specific, I need to figuring out which direction I should go to according to instructor's feedback. Knowing your audience background knowledge is a very significant in deciding what I am going to write. I cannot write the same as to whom are also Chinese and whom are familiar with China's history, current situation and its culture.My audience should be noticed about why "One Child Policy" and "Culture Revolution" matters and how serious damage they have costs despite that they probably know the terms through news or Internet. I have to put on western upper class's shoes while imagining what they probably know and what they would like to read.

        The way of organizing the writing portfolio was also very stimulating. I tried to find the theme or connection among the four essays. The first one “Imaginary land” was my beloved one, which tells about my family background information in a rhetorical way. The second one is about parent generation. Maybe you can find out the relationship between the historical reason and its leading to the mistreating of children. The third one is analyzing of “Fresh Challah”, which was one of our class reading materials. It has some elements of family-influences too. Finally I brought up issue of learning English as a second language. Through research and reading after some psychological papers, I built the confidence of learning English. 

        I was always questioning if I could be able to become an English writer in an official way. These writing processes in this class evoke my passion of creation again. If there is someone that is willing to listen, I might have the possibility to write continuously.