What Can You Do With an English Major?

What is Annotating?

“Annotating is any action that deliberately interacts with a text to enhance the reader’s understanding of, recall of, and reaction to the text. Sometimes called “close reading,” annotating usually involves highlighting or underlining key pieces of text and making notes in the margins of the text.” (“Reading and Studying Strategies”)

This can also ask you to circle words you do not understand and then look them up to help you better comprehend what you are reading.

Annotating a Text

From UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center

Helpful tips

• Write notes in your own words instead of copying down information from the book.
• Avoid over-highlighting. Highlighting doesn’t actively engage the brain, so it’s not the most useful strategy. Also, highlighting too much can keep you from focusing on the main ideas.
• Wait until the end of a page to take notes so that you can better focus on what you are reading and so that you can try to summarize in your own words rather than copy.
• You don’t need to write pages of notes—keep them brief and focused.
• Preview the chapter before you start reading by looking at the text features to gain clues about the main ideas of the chapter.
• Focus on the main ideas and concepts.

LINK TO SITE

When you are asked to read things that prove difficult, what can you do?

1. Circle unclear words to look up or use context clues to figure out.
2. Make notes in the margins
3. Underline passages that appear interesting, relevant, and/or important.
4. Pose questions to the text of things that you want to know more or better understand.

SAMPLE

PDF File: ENGL Majors

LINK TO ARTICLE:

WHY STUDY ENGLISH

Same as applies to following my Composition 1 site, same rules apply.

Grades on Moodle are up, all points inputed based on work received.

If you have questions, please ask. Final grades submitted to the school by 12:00 PM on Wednesday, May 6.

Dr. Evans

FINAL PAPERS DUE TODAY

1. Final Draft of Research Paper

2. Revised Report 1

3. Revised Report 2

4. Revised Report 3

Submission links found under Week 16 in Moodle.

NOTE 1:

Grace period: You have till noon on Sunday, May 3 before I begin grading.

NOTE 2:

If you filled out the Bonus Point survey, make sure you emailed me to tell me to get credit.

Links for submitting Revised Reports 1-3 available under Week 16 section.

Please Read:

To provide you with bonus point opportunity, I have a survey pertaining to my use of visuals via the blog in this course you can take. I will post a link to this on Moodle as well. Please only take the survey ONCE. I will not know who has taken it other than you informing me or by numbers alone.

Letter of Informed Consent

Dear Student:

We are conducting a study to determine the effectiveness of using visuals and visual narratives as a means of communicating essential classroom information, course concepts, and course assignments. The presentation of material will take place throughout the class as a means of presenting course materials for completion.

At the end of the course/study, you will be asked to fill out a survey evaluation concerning your perceptions and impressions of the use of visuals and visual narratives following the course’s conclusion. You will be able to have the benefit helping in the furthering of development of innovation of classroom instruction and material deliveries.

Your participation should take about anywhere from 10-15 minutes. All data will be kept anonymous and confidential, being done via an online survey.

There are no risks to you. However, you do have the right to withdraw from compliance with the survey and study at any time without negative consequences or impact to yourself.

If at any point there is a desire to ask questions or request a further understanding of the study, you are encouraged to ask. You may contact the principal investigator, Dr. Jonathan Evans either by email jonevans@claflin.edu or by phone at 803-535-5699 (please leave a message and it will be returned within 24 hrs. or less). If you have questions about your rights as a participant in this study, you may contact the Office of the Vice Provost of Research, whose office oversees the protection of human research participants at 803-535-5544, 5176, 5177.

I understand the study described above and have been given a copy of the description as outlined above. I am 18 years of age or older and I agree to participate.

Accepting to take the survey serves as acknowledgement of consent.