SWA1

Professor Skube wrote the essay “Writing off Reading” to make the point that high school graduates and college students alike do not have the same appreciation for the English language, whether it be reading, writing, or just vocabulary, that they should based on their level of education. Skube claims that he can use words such as “impetus,” “advocate,” or “brevity,” and baffle a group of college students at “our better private universities and flagship state schools.” I simply do not believe that this is the case.
Allow me to clarify: I understand fully that kids simply are not reading. To assign a novel to be read in class is more than most high school seniors are willing to put up with, and several will get the Spark Notes version and still only skim that. That being said I do think that Skube is a bit exaggerated in his claims. The word “lucid” is just not going to stump many students attending highly respected colleges. Even kids that didn’t make it all the way to the college level of education understand the meaning of the word novel, in both senses of the word. I do, however, believe that college students as a whole do most likely stumble over a very select group of words.
Professor Hagstette’s idea of aggressive reading is certainly an interesting one. If a student can get excited and willing enough to learn the subject matter, it would be one of the best possible ways to do that; and once a student begins to read more aggressively it will certainly increase their vocabulary, along with their understanding of the subject matter. If a student cannot get interested enough to commit themselves to reading an item multiple times, that is simply an example of the student’s lack of appreciation for the language. It is an endless cycle that a student can only get out of by commitment. Distractions need to be minimal, and focus high, but if a young scholar is truly committed to success, aggressive reading is, in my opinion, the best way to not just get a grade, but to get a little something more out of the subject matter.