"Mutt Genres" and the Goal of FYC: Can We Help Students Write the Genres of the University?

    Authors

    E. Wardle

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Coll. Compost. Commun.

    Keywords

    CURRICULUM; CLASSROOM; Literature

    Abstract

    The goal of teaching students to write for the university assumes that in first-year composition students can be taught ways of writing (genre and genre knowledge) that they can then transfer to the writing they do in other courses across the university. This goal and its underlying assumption are problematic for a number of reasons illustrated here through a study of a large midwestern composition program. The study validates theoretical critiques of general skills writing courses made by genre and activity theorists over the past decade. The difficulties of teaching varied academic genres in only one context suggest we might better serve first-year students by reframing the goals of FYC, such that the course does not promise to teach students to write in the university but rather teaches students about writing in the university.

    Journal Title

    College Composition and Communication

    Volume

    60

    Issue/Number

    4

    Publication Date

    1-1-2009

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    765

    Last Page

    789

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000267495200009

    ISSN

    0010-096X

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