Elizabethtown College English Department

Ever wish there was a way to experience a field before jumping headfirst into it? Taking English 185, Introduction to Professional Writing, does just that.

The English department faculty at Elizabethtown College acknowledge that professional writing concentration students will be doing many types of writing after college. With this knowledge, the department created a major that went beyond technical writing. There are currently about 40 English majors in the professional writing concentration with a variety of ambitions.

“I compare EN185 to a sampler platter you get in a restaurant,” said Dr. David Downing, R.W. Schlosser Professor of English. “You can get a taste of the writing styles we offer before jumping into a semester-long commitment with them.”

Downing has taught at Elizabethtown since 1997 and teaches a section of Introduction to Professional Writing every semester.

Dr. Downing with his spring 2017 section of EN185.

Kelly Bergh, a senior in the professional writing concentration, took EN185 with Dr. Downing her first semester at the college.

“I knew that I wanted to write for Etownian when I came to Etown, but I had minimal experience with news writing,” said Bergh. “By taking 185 I discovered that it was news that I loved, not features or technical writing. And it let me start building my portfolio right away.”

Students in Introduction to Professional Writing will complete a variety of “modules” designed to “engage them to the concentration, but not marry it yet,” said Downing. These modules allow the students to write news and feature articles, experiment with technical writing, and begin to experience writing for the web.

A Basic Assignment: Research into a Writer’s Life

Several students remembered the writer profile that is the first writing assignment of the class. Students interview someone who writes as part of their career and, in turn, write a profile with the information they received. This assignment introduces students to skills they will be using all semester and throughout the major, like appropriate interviewing skills and researching.

“The first article I ever got published was one I wrote for Downing’s class,” said Tara Siano, a communications major and professional writing minor. “Little freshman Tara had no idea that it was that easy to get a listicle published, but it worked out well for me.”

“Many students get articles published that they write for my class,” said Downing. “It’s always a good start for them, and something to pad their portfolio. It’s nice seeing students go from just a competent writer to an accomplished one, helping them get their writing published.”

Downing said that he enjoys teaching EN185 because it exposes him to a variety of topics.

Teaching the inverted pyramid is one of the first topics covered in EN185.

“Students rarely write about the same two things,” said Downing. “They’re constantly fresh because students write about what they’re interested in and know the most about.”

 Class Goals: An Introduction to Success in English

Although English majors will benefit from taking Introduction to Professional Writing in more than one way, Downing joked that he really hopes students will remember the difference between frequently misused words like “affect” and “effect.”

“But, in all seriousness, I hope they realize that it’s not just your writing skill, it’s how much you can bring other qualities to your career, such as initiative, versatility, social skills, and work ethic,” said Downing.

Established in the early 1990s, the professional writing concentration was created to accommodate a group of English majors who wanted a liberal arts education with employable skills. In 2003, the concentration was redesigned and grew from 12 English majors to 60 in less than ten years. This concentration has clearly completed what the department had hoped and is still making strides today.

Author Bio:

Jerica Shuck is a junior studying English professional writing and communications. She is heavily involved in the Honors Program, as well as the campus improvisation comedy group, Mad Cow. She is working towards attending law school after graduation but thinks she should really focus on graduating first.

 

 

Tags: career, Dr. Downing, professional writing, writing