Avoid Dave's Dilemma. . .

THE PROBLEM? When one writes, understanding grammar is among the more difficult tasks for students, but it is also one of the most important skills to develop if one looks to succeed and advance in the professional world.

BILL'S SOLUTION: "Defining English 1" is the first of three blocks of learning that paves the way to understanding how the language operates in order to be able to write well. This first section focuses on words and how they operate within the framework of sentences.

It will meet twice a week for 90 minutes each session for a total of six weeks. The precise schedule can be arranged based on the times available to those students interested in understanding grammar by "Defining English."

WHY THIS CLASS? Grammar tends to be taught as an exercise in memorizing lists more than anything else, a tedious task at best. Additionally, like math, grammar is one area of study where one must know it in its entirety in order to understand any of its isolated parts.

This is, of course, impossible.

So, learning grammar becomes a chore for most, but foundational work is needed in acquiring any useful knowledge whether it be mathematics, science, music, or writing.

That is where the concept of “defining English” provides a different and meaningful approach to learning grammar. Quite simply, it operates on the idea of definition and is derived from the old saw of the “duck test,” maintaining that “if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it is probably a duck,” but one must first know how a duck walks and talks to reach that conclusion.

Teacher's Bio: Bill Cushing is a professionally published writer and English instructor with over a quarter-century of experience in the classroom. He has the ability to connect with people and to communicate ideas or concepts effectively and in human terms. His studies in linguistics and grammar strengthen his mechanical knowledge in writing style. He has previous experience in a variety of writing fields, both professional and creative, coupled with 15 years experience working in fields outside academia to create a well-rounded perspective. Education: Master of Fine Arts in Non-fiction writing from Goddard College; Bachelor of Arts in literature and creative writing from the University of Central Florida. Classes taught: Freshman Composition, Technical Writing , Critical Thinking and Writing, Introduction to Literature, Introduction to Cinema, Professional Writing, Writing Essentials, English Essentials, Film Studies, Writing for College , Media and Mass Communications, American literature, English grammar and composition, Conversational English

Style of Offering : This course will consist of exercises that will break language down nito its definitive parts. It will open with a discussion of definition itself, its importance, and an approach to defining terms. From there, we will move through how language is assmelbed along with the different parts of speech and how they operate.

Max Number of Attendees: 12

Date and Time : Open to discussion and agreement beforehand. Final schedule will depend on interest.

Signup Deadline: One Week in Advance

“DEFINING ENGLISH 1: A Different Approach to Grammar and Writing”

Avoid Dave's Dilemma. . .