Personal perspectives on reading and writing

¶ … Learning to read and write in English has been one of my most treasured accomplishments in the recent past. To begin with, learning to read and write in English is in my opinion the very first step towards becoming a fluent speaker of one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. In that regard therefore, I am convinced that fluency in English is a plus as I pursue my career of choice. Given that English is one of the most common languages, corporations and most organizations would ordinarily hire individuals who can relate well with their customers and clients. Being able to read, write, and speak English will therefore give me a distinct advantage in my future job seeking endeavors. It is also important to note that fully aware that the world is increasingly becoming interconnected; the relevance of learning an additional language cannot be overstated. It is for these, and many other reasons that I am excited to have learnt a thing or two about the English language.

I must say that English is fun to learn. From unique pronunciation to new vocabularies to synonyms, English is truly interesting. To me, learning English has been akin to travelling. I have learnt how to correctly structure sentences, how to correctly make use of punctuations, how to join sentences in a way that enhances flow, etc. Although I have learnt so many things, every day still presents yet another learning opportunity -- be it in terms of new vocabularies or learning new meanings of words. It should however be noted that although I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as an English learner, I have also encountered a number of challenges in writing and reading English. This is more so the case when it comes to learning to compose sentences that flow smoothly to form paragraphs. It is however important to note that this is a problem I am currently working on by amongst other things ensuring that I familiarize myself with the relevant connectors. In reading, I do not have specific challenges. Indeed, I have in the recent past become a fast reader, thanks in part to my interest in English literature. Hence as a critical reader, I would say that I am a fast reader who can skim through a text and still be able to comprehend whatever is contained therein. As a writer, I would say my strengths lie in my creative mind. On this front, I could easily make a 'mountain out a molehill' by amongst other things weaving together facts, stories, and happenings to create a story. In addition to reading various texts in this class, I would say that it is my creative mind that has enabled me to develop some of the comprehensive articles we have been writing in class -- this one included.

We all apply critical thinking in various aspects of our lives. When it comes to reading and writing, the relevance of excellent critical thinking skills cannot be overstated. Critical thinking according to Cusipag et al. (2007, p.3) "involves a high-level exercise of the mind which enables a person to do a careful examination or evaluation of anything before making decisions that can be considered reasonable." To me, critical thinking involves the active evaluation and interrogation of all our thoughts in a way that enables us to not only improve but also refine our thinking process. In the final analysis therefore, in any reading or writing exercise, one should ideally be aware of his or her own thoughts. In my reading and writing endeavors, I have discovered that through the application of critical thinking, one can be able to not only evaluate and understand the writings of others but also identify errors of reasoning in such works. It is through identifying such weaknesses and strengths in the reasoning of others that I would interrogate the quality as well as relevance of a piece of writing. As a mater of fact, I have found myself making use of the critical thinking skills I have acquired in my reading of novels and newspapers, and it is for this reason that I believe I have become an excellent analytical reader. One of the books I have been making constant use of since I stumbled upon it is 100 Little Reading Comprehension Lessons by Margaret Brinton. The book has been critical in the further development of my comprehension abilities. James Baldwin's Sonny's Blues also makes an interesting read. From a critical thinking perspective, Sonny's brother has a unique ability to maintain narrative control -- this can be revealed by careful reading of the opening lines. In what seems like an attempt to enhance the stability of the text, the pro-forms "it" and "I" are used with appropriately.

With regard to writing, critical thinking has also been of great benefit. I have found out that as a critical thinker, one can easily evaluate that which they want to say about a given topic. In most cases, critical thinking also acts as a foundation of various arguments. Personally, I have found that through the application of critical thinking skills, one could easily develop and evaluate ideas in a way that helps in the formation of the appropriate sentence structure. I have also found out that most writing assignments involve a certain level of argumentation -- whereby one puts fourth a purpose and supports that very purpose. Critical thinking skills come in handy on this front.

Most specifically, to derive the best from a piece of writing, I have found myself interrogating the implications of the ideas presented by the author of any piece of writing. In writing, I continually evaluate the implications of the various ideas I develop therein. In my own opinion, if one does not apply critical thinking skills in their reading of other people's texts, one is not likely to apply the said skills to his or her own writing. In that regard therefore, whenever I read, I find myself trying to clarify the purpose of a piece of writing. In the very same way, when writing, I am actively engaged in the clarification of my own piece of writing. Further, in reading other people's work, I now routinely try to draw logical inferences, identify unjustifiable or erroneous assumptions, and embrace multiple viewpoints. In the very same way, when writing, I now not only ensure that the inferences and conclusions I reach are logical, but also ensure that the multiple viewpoints I present in my own writing are relevant.