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Lincoln Retzlaff

Professor Amendolar

English 130

November 27th, 2023

Assignment 4: The Final

Throughout the semester, my English 130 class has covered the skills of reading,

research, and writing. By engaging in the writing process, I have learned numerous skills that

have improved my writing and are applicable in the real world.

Question 1. How would I describe the reading, research, thinking, and writing I have

done this semester?

Over the past few months, I have been highly engaged in reading, researching, thinking,

and writing in my English 130 class. During this process, I have learned a lot of skills that have

not only helped me improve my writing but are also highly applicable in the real world. The

reading and research I did this semester were very relatable and hands-on, and they expanded my

knowledge on various topics. In addition, the thinking and writing process allowed me to

develop my critical thinking skills and become a better writer overall.

English 130 is a linear class; everything connects, and what you learn from the last paper

you wrote can be applied to the next. Starting the semester by reading multiple pieces of work

comprised by various authors helped set the standard for the class. Additionally, using the tools

available to me through They Say/ I Say was beneficial moving forward. Some key examples

from the They Say/ I Say chapters that stuck with me were “The Art of Metacommentary”

(Chapter 10), “Saying Why it Matters” (Chapter 7), and lastly, “The Art of Summarizing”

(Chapter 2). The Art of Metacommentary dives into the importance of commenting on your
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argument or acknowledging opposing viewpoints. It also talks about how the writers must add

depth to their argument and show their audience that they have considered alternative

perspectives. By using metacommentary, writers can strengthen credibility while proving their

ability to engage in critical thinking. Additionally, in Chapter 7, Saying Why it Matters, the

emphasis on explaining the importance of something during an argument is highlighted. This

helps establish credibility and leads to a more robust and persuasive writing piece. Lastly, from

the book They Say/ I Say, The Art of Summarizing, arguably the most valuable thing I took out

of this lesson that would help me write my papers and lead to compelling reading was how

summarizing other people's arguments is crucial for persuasive conversation and building

stronger arguments. Additionally, effective summarization involves identifying the main point

and choosing the right level of detail. This will help develop a better understanding of others'

viewpoints and lead to stronger arguments.

Overall, I learned the many strategies taught in class and online through the They Say/ I

Say book and Top Hat that helped improve my abilities as a writer, researcher, reader, and

thinker going forward. These tools have helped me grow significantly as a scholar, and the

results can be noted in my work in the classroom and as an individual; I feel much more

confident going forward using the lessons learned in this class.

Question 2. How do you imagine transferring what you learned about compelling reading

and writing into future academic, workplace, or personal contexts?

In the next few years, I hope to graduate from UND with a degree in communications

and, hopefully, journalism. While writing a newspaper is far different from writing for an

English class, many vital concepts carry over. One of the most important things I learned during
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English 130 is understanding and genuinely comprehending what you are reading. This means

reading things twice or looking at multiple different sources or angles. In the journalistic world,

this is a critical skill that any journalist or writer must have mastered.

For example, at the start of the semester, we reviewed multiple pieces of writing about

technology. The common readings from Postman, Carr, Flowers, Thomas, and Baron were

comparable in that they talked about technology in some capacity. However, it was up to me to

interpret what they were trying to explain and then eventually put their work into my own words

in the first paper. Journalism is very similar, you often times have to talk certain viewpoints or

speeches and other such forms of media and turn them into your own words while crediting the

source and creating a good story. Without a doubt I can say that my time in English 130 has

helped increase my skills in that department and I will take the lessons learned into the real

world.

Ethos pathos logos (better understanding)

We had discussed this before in other classes but went far more in-depth in this class.

Importance of language (Growth)

Tone writing (Growth)

Strategy: who am I writing to (development)

Propper formatting (Growth)

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