Cornell students venture outside the classroom to help others

Students in the Block 6 English course, Grammar and Politics of English, learned that there’s more to the words we speak and write than what we might think.

They not only focused on taking an in-depth look at grammar, but they explored the ways culture, society, and politics filter into the language and govern how people use it.

“The class provides new insight into the structures of writing and speech they take for granted, and allows for a lot of independent work and creative thinking,” said Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing Katie Sagal.

For 18 days of the block, these Cornell College students took an uninterrupted deep dive into the English language. They conducted research projects, presented their findings, and learned to question things they thought they knew.

“The most challenging aspect of this course was learning to reevaluate my own linguistic and grammatical prejudices,” said junior Elise Kalin, a double major in French and English. “I quickly realized that we are taught from an early age that people who speak using ‘standard English’ are somehow morally superior and that their words have more value if they’re said following this arbitrary set of rules. While this was a difficult reality to face, I believe it is also one of the most important things I gained from this course.” 

Going off campus

Since they were only taking One Course At A Time, they didn’t have any other courses to worry about and wanted to put their skills to use outside the classroom. So, they headed to Iowa City to meet with the students of the TRIO Program at Kirkwood Community College, a program that supports students as they transition to higher education.

“TRIO students at this Kirkwood program are all English language learners, mostly refugees or immigrants from African countries,” Sagal said. “Almost all of them work, have families, and some have degrees from their home countries but still have developing English language skills.”

Cornell students helped the Kirkwood students with scholarship applications to earn funding in support of their education. It’s an application submission that Sagal says requires polished and compelling writing. 

“Cornell students worked with several TRIO students at various stages in this application project, including brainstorming from scratch, writing a draft, revising a draft, and submitting a polished version,” Sagal said. “Several Cornell students have also been independently collaborating with TRIO students and have exchanged emails to continue to help out. Students cared so much they wanted to keep helping after our sessions were over.”

That wasn’t a requirement of the course, Sagal noted.

Senior Emily Lucie, an English literature and secondary education major, said working with students who spoke limited English was the most challenging and most rewarding part of the course.

“It was challenging because there was a bit of a language barrier to overcome and it really required us to put into practice the things we had been discussing in the classroom,” Lucie said. “It was so rewarding to get to hear the stories of these students and help them take the next step to achieve their goals.”

Sagal says the course, which is offered every two years, appeals to a wide variety of students because it covers subjects that students experience in their daily lives such as literature, sociology, politics, policy planning, journalism, media, and pop culture. 

Plus, it prepares them for their future.

“My favorite thing about ENG 311 has been solidifying the grammar knowledge that I will need to teach English someday,” said sophomore Josie Wolf, who is majoring in English education. “I enjoyed diagramming the sentences and growing a better understanding of grammar in general. My biggest takeaways from the class would be that while correct grammar is necessary for clarity, it is important to respect each person’s way of speaking regardless of race, class, or gender.”