AnthonyS
New member
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2021
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- English
- Home Country
- United States
- Current Location
- United States
The usage of I in academic writing, as I'm sure you all know, is met with a full-on suppression within many high school English teacher’s classrooms. Many teachers within this field say to leave the personal sense out of writing and focus more on the substance. Or that first-person pronouns do more harm than good.
These teachings and beliefs could be right, depending on the genre or the student. For instance if the pronoun “I” is used incorrectly it could diminish the student’s presence, as I am sure you all know. But to impose a full-on ban when there are countless possibilities that can be derived through the correct usage pronoun “I” is only restricting your students.
First person pronoun usage, or its absence, allows for the student to create their own sense of authorial voice. When first person pronouns are stripped away from them it is like they lose a sense of their authorial presence.
As I see it, the teachers who fully prevent first-person pronoun usage within academic writing are limiting the opportunities that can be derived throughout a student’s work.
I feel like if the “do not use I” construct, which is derived from these teachings and beliefs, is instilled into the mind of your students at a young-teen age it could restrict what your students are capable of in their writing; not only in the present but also going forward.
So, I propose to the teachers within this field to allow your students to freely use “I” within their writing and instill the teaching of when and how to use the “I” pronoun efficiently and correctly.
To achieve this, the teachers within this field should make sure students understand the guidelines of the genre they are writing under. Teaching students how the use of “I” might be more appropriate in certain genres over others. Also explaining to students how the use of “I” could also diminish one’s presence if used incorrectly.
If you all are able to address these topics and allow for your students to freely use the “I” pronoun it would amount to advances in your student’s work. Not only setting up a proper writing structure for them in present but it would also set up your students for their future writing endeavors.
These teachings and beliefs could be right, depending on the genre or the student. For instance if the pronoun “I” is used incorrectly it could diminish the student’s presence, as I am sure you all know. But to impose a full-on ban when there are countless possibilities that can be derived through the correct usage pronoun “I” is only restricting your students.
First person pronoun usage, or its absence, allows for the student to create their own sense of authorial voice. When first person pronouns are stripped away from them it is like they lose a sense of their authorial presence.
As I see it, the teachers who fully prevent first-person pronoun usage within academic writing are limiting the opportunities that can be derived throughout a student’s work.
I feel like if the “do not use I” construct, which is derived from these teachings and beliefs, is instilled into the mind of your students at a young-teen age it could restrict what your students are capable of in their writing; not only in the present but also going forward.
So, I propose to the teachers within this field to allow your students to freely use “I” within their writing and instill the teaching of when and how to use the “I” pronoun efficiently and correctly.
To achieve this, the teachers within this field should make sure students understand the guidelines of the genre they are writing under. Teaching students how the use of “I” might be more appropriate in certain genres over others. Also explaining to students how the use of “I” could also diminish one’s presence if used incorrectly.
If you all are able to address these topics and allow for your students to freely use the “I” pronoun it would amount to advances in your student’s work. Not only setting up a proper writing structure for them in present but it would also set up your students for their future writing endeavors.