ENGLISH A-1

Of every Harvard man it is expected that he be able to write and spell, if not according to Fowler, at least as suits an educated individual. Because only a small, specially-talented group pursue the art of composition after their first year in college, full and competent instruction in writing is an important part of Freshman education. Not the elusive trails of creative writing, but the technique of spelling, punctuating, and the coherent expression of ideas must be emphasized for the majority of men.

English A, although possibly a monster of boredom to several hundred fledglings unable to wield adverbs and prepositions, accomplishes this basic purpose. Those who wish to go further than the required course in composition carries them usually take English A-1, and this course presents a problem in teaching for the single reason that it contains men interested in two different kinds of writing.

Since English A-1 is made up both of men interested in improving their technique in writing and of others who hope to make creative composition a major part of their college work, the present system of dividing an enrollment of two hundred men into four sections--with no section specializing in either of the two types of writing--is inadequate to the needs of the class as a whole. For with this cleavage of interest-the instructors are placed in a quandary and must either favor those taking the course to develop their technique and slight those concerned with the original work, or, if they do not favor one group or the other, the attempt to fill the needs of both generally ends by satisfying neither.

The solution to this situation would not involve a radical change. Simply by dividing English A-1 into two courses, one for those who intend to continue their writing, the other for those who wish to work on technique, the University could open the way for a more efficient development of both sides. In the Physics Department, for instance, one elementary course is devoted to those wishing to continue in the field and one to students merely wanting a general view of the subject.

Because of the large number now in English A-1 the University night find it necessary to provide more instructors, appointed on the basis of their capacity to reach technique or to foster creative writing. With a few additional instructors, more individual conferences, of the highest importance to the student, would be possible. Through such a division of English A-1 the needs of two hundred who hold different objectives but are thrown together almost at random could be corrected to a degree consistent with the significance of learning how to write.