Thursday, February 16, 2012

research question

I have been thinking about my research paper and what i want to do it on. i would really like it to influence my own writing that way i can take the lesson i learn after writing it with me for further papers or stories. in class we go through a lot of discussions about reading and writing. a lot of people say the same thing. although they are english majors and want to be teachers in the near future they always hated reading! this is crazy to me because im also an english major but i chose that subject because i have always been in love with words and language. the ablilty to communicate with a structured set of rules is what sets us apart from other animals. this ability to cataloge our thoughts and actions really define us as humans. what i want to research is not only what makes people dislike reading, but what makes them enjoy it as well. perhaps thats too general and i need a tighter focus. if i conduct interviews i can take a poll of what makes people like or dislike writing. or i could complete an oral hsitory of something then use discourse analysis to interpret my findings.
so what makes people like reading is going to be the main focus of my essay but also what makes them dislike it. so actually maybe i should tighten my focus to just one of those. what i really want to know is what makes people dislike reading and how that ties to their writing. i know its a myth that people who dont read cant write either, but maybe it is true. i know i can write, and i love reading. am i average? doesnt it seem unorthodox that an english major doesnt enjoy reading no matter what the subject? does someone hate english if they hate reading? i dont think thats true. according to people in my other english classes they started their life hating reading then began to love it and thats why now they are english majors. i feel like anyone can like or dislike reading so the subject i interview should fit the question im asking. Challenge accepted.

1 comment:

  1. We share the same sentiment: English majors who hate reading are stupid. That and reading is fundamental to writing. I can't write without reading. Reading informs my writing, juices it up, feeds it, gives it perspective. Good luck with this!

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