Language is something we do collectively. It is something we participate in with intention, with awareness, and with intensity. The focus of this theme is to give students the foundation for controlling their participation in the world of language. Given a map of key elements of composition, it is my belief that language will open itself up to the composer, that language of all kinds will merge on the page and out of that convergence, composition will be formed. In this course, there are three phases for activating the role language plays in English Composition:

1. Identity: here, we will focus on the key elements of author andaudience, and how students can both recognize the voice of their author and use their own voice to to act as author in order to expound on rhetorical situations for their audience. Students will write a source-based essay that analyzes a language based article that engages some aspect of their lingual identity.
2. Contending with Issues: here, we will focus on the key elements of tone and purpose. Students will explore explore these elements, highlighting a particular inquiry or issue regarding language, an inquiry which will serve as the basis for a well-argued research paper that contends with an issue concerning their language.
3. Shaping Information: here, we will focus on genre and medium, as well as stance and language, to effectively mobilize the vehicle for our position on language. Using information to their advantage, students will create a composition in two genres handpicked to shape the composition’s desired outcome.