Peer Reviews for Reflective Cover Letter

Beltran 1

Jocelynn Beltran

Professor Kennedy

English 10

11/30/2021

Reflection Essay

My writing skills have developed impressively since the beginning of the school year through my experience in my English 10 class. Throughout the semester, I have learned how to write a well-structured and comprehensive essay for my English class besides familiarizing myself with the major writing topics covered in English. I have included three workpieces in my portfolio that show how my writing skills have increased since the beginning of the semester. The attached works will also offer some of the major topics I learned to write about in my English class. Through constant revisions utilizing the feedback from my instructor, I found it easier to become a better writer. I have attached two essays that developed due to the utilization of the feedback from my instructor to make them better.

In the class, I also learned about the major writing genres in English. In learning about the genres, I knew how to write, analyze and criticize the major genres ranging from poetry, drama, fiction, and non-fiction prose. In the essay that I wrote after joining college on "How I have Prepared for College," I described my intention to perform by concentrating on my studies. In the essay, I practiced creating context, purpose and focusing on an audience in my writing. In my English class, I have learned that the audience plays an important role in any essay and that as I write in any genre, I should always consider my audience. Through the paper, I also learned that the structure of a report and how I present my ideas in writing would determine how much my paper impacts the reader. For the purpose of cross-checking how I developed my skills with my writing, I have attached the essay to my portfolio.

The experiences I gained from the English class also played a significant role in realizing my weaknesses. I realized that I was not good at using rhetoric in my essays to persuade my audience. Although having the audience in my mind while writing my essays, I did not get them engaged in the reading of the essay. In most cases, I would write a more direct and plain essay, just pointing to the facts and the major points I intended to pass across and strengthening them with the use of rhetoric. I learned that the audience is heavily convinced when there is the use of rhetorical devices in writings. To achieve this, I started practicing how to use rhetoric in my essays by establishing authority, organizing my work, and emotionally influencing the readers. Setting the purpose in my essay was also a great way of ensuring that I had dealt with my weakness. Currently, I can write essays while heavily applying rhetoric to ensure that I persuade my audience into believing what I have written in my essay. I have attached an essay in my portfolio which reflects my skills in using rhetoric in my writing.

Since enrolling in the class at the beginning of the semester, I have learned many concepts in English and writing in general. I feel that the course has been with the most impact on my academic journey. I have learned and practiced the major topic in academic writing, particularly APA and MLA, and how their referencing is done. I was taught to consider other insights and thoughts into a topic and a discussion while also considering my own to ensure an effective learning process. I have learned to develop paragraphs regarding topic sentences, explanations, supporting evidence, and a closing sentence. From the experiences and skills that I have gained from the class, I feel I am able to write excellently and get my audience to enjoy my essays.