Prof. Bryan Alkema
EC Sample Paragraph C
Word Count: 411
A Teacher’s View of Cramming
Cramming, which is one method of studying, means waiting until a day or two before a test or exam and then trying to learn and remember everything from the entire semester. As a teacher, I dislike cramming because it’s ineffective for both language development and score achievement. First, and most important, cramming is basically a way of avoiding the discipline needed to develop a second language. There is no easy way to learn English (or any other language) because building a second language always takes time and effort. As a teacher, I want my students to spend some time on their second language every day! This may be unrealistic for busy Handong students, but effective second-language acquisition is linked to using that language as much as possible. Many EC assignments, from vocabulary to reading, are given on a weekly basis so that students must use their second language frequently. Other assignments, like paragraph-writing, are done in small steps for the same purpose. Cramming for the midterm or final exams, on the other hand, is a technique used by students who want to achieve a maximum score with a minimum of effort, and this simply doesn’t fit with my expectations for EC students. A second reason I don’t like cramming is that this style of studying is much less effective than steadily developing each aspect of a language. Second-language acquisition is much less about content and much more about skill-building; it’s more like a sports class or an exercise routine than an engineering class. The EC midterm and final exams are carefully designed to assess students’ skills rather than their content knowledge because we, as teachers, want to see how your skills of listening, writing and vocabulary development are progressing. Unfortunately for those students who prefer to cram the night before, the skills of listening and writing cannot be gained in a single coffee-powered all-night study session! Therefore, students who hope to get a high grade in EC should spend some time on developing their language skills every day. In the end, developing a functional second language is an investment in your future, and like all investments, steady growth is a sign of success. Cramming, on the other hand, is both a waste of the opportunity to develop a useful skill and a sure-fire way to get a low score on the inevitable exams. I want all my students to succeed, and cramming isn’t the best way to do so.
Sample Paragraph C: Structure Questions
Sample Paragraph C: Skill Questions
Sample Paragraph C: Content Questions
EC Sample Paragraph C
Word Count: 411
A Teacher’s View of Cramming
Cramming, which is one method of studying, means waiting until a day or two before a test or exam and then trying to learn and remember everything from the entire semester. As a teacher, I dislike cramming because it’s ineffective for both language development and score achievement. First, and most important, cramming is basically a way of avoiding the discipline needed to develop a second language. There is no easy way to learn English (or any other language) because building a second language always takes time and effort. As a teacher, I want my students to spend some time on their second language every day! This may be unrealistic for busy Handong students, but effective second-language acquisition is linked to using that language as much as possible. Many EC assignments, from vocabulary to reading, are given on a weekly basis so that students must use their second language frequently. Other assignments, like paragraph-writing, are done in small steps for the same purpose. Cramming for the midterm or final exams, on the other hand, is a technique used by students who want to achieve a maximum score with a minimum of effort, and this simply doesn’t fit with my expectations for EC students. A second reason I don’t like cramming is that this style of studying is much less effective than steadily developing each aspect of a language. Second-language acquisition is much less about content and much more about skill-building; it’s more like a sports class or an exercise routine than an engineering class. The EC midterm and final exams are carefully designed to assess students’ skills rather than their content knowledge because we, as teachers, want to see how your skills of listening, writing and vocabulary development are progressing. Unfortunately for those students who prefer to cram the night before, the skills of listening and writing cannot be gained in a single coffee-powered all-night study session! Therefore, students who hope to get a high grade in EC should spend some time on developing their language skills every day. In the end, developing a functional second language is an investment in your future, and like all investments, steady growth is a sign of success. Cramming, on the other hand, is both a waste of the opportunity to develop a useful skill and a sure-fire way to get a low score on the inevitable exams. I want all my students to succeed, and cramming isn’t the best way to do so.
Sample Paragraph C: Structure Questions
- Where is the topic sentence? What is the topic of this paragraph?
- How many supporting points are there, and what are they?
- Look at the sentences that start each supporting point of the paragraph. What words tell the reader that there is a new idea?
- How long is the conclusion section of this paragraph?
- Look at the supporting points listed in the topic sentence. Now look at the supporting points in the conclusion. How are they the same? How are they different?
Sample Paragraph C: Skill Questions
- Circle any words you don’t know; you may add them to your vocabulary workbook.
- Find and underline one compound sentence and one complex sentence. Write “CD” and “CX” in the margin of the page.
Sample Paragraph C: Content Questions
- Which aspect of learning a second language is the most difficult for you?
- Last semester, did you cram for any of your courses or exams? Was it successful?
- What impact does regular study have on your grades? How do you know?
- Do you think you’re going to change your study habits as a consequence of this reading?
- In your experience, what is the best way to prepare for an exam?
- In a few weeks, many classes will have midterm exams. Have you started to prepare for those exams?