ENGL 2900

1. ENGL 2900 The Expressive Pedagogy

2. The Expressive Pedagogy • The Expressive pedagogy is an aesthetic and critical theory of writing that places emphasis on the expressive qualities. It is writing that reveals something about the person who created it.

3. The Expressive Pedagogy • This pedagogy originated in the ‘60s and ‘70s in opposition to current-traditional rhetoric which focused on standard forms of writing and “correct grammar.”

4. The Expressive Pedagogy • The focus of the pedagogy is on the writer, rather than the audience, message, or language. • The expressive pedagogy encourages a sense of writer’s presence, “voice,” or ethos; even in research-based writing.

5. The Expressive Pedagogy • In response to the Vietnam War, teachers and writers began to argue that “voice” empowers individuals to act in the world. • Partially inspired by Freudian belief systems, teachers were urged to recognize the unconscious as the real source of motivation and behavior.

6. The Expressive Pedagogy • The goal is to help students discover themselves through exploration in writing. They should begin by writing for themselves rather than an audience. • Works to break down the barriers between “aesthetic” writing and “pragmatic” writing, arguing that the two should work together.

7. The Expressive Pedagogy • Advantages: • Allows students to be more engaged in writing • Helps to dispel fears of writing. • Does not inhibit the natural writing process of students • Encourages an enjoyment of writing and literature

8. The Expressive Pedagogy • Disadvantages • Such an approach ignores emphasis on content or skills as essential elements of good writing. • Teachers who focus on expressive discourse want to assign nothing but writing about personal experiences; not writing about information, data, or ideas. • “Writing for self” cannot really exist. Ultimately all discourse is intended for an audience. • Writing activities and processes such as “free writing” are primarily useful for personal narratives or for the pre-writing process, but are nearly incapable of producing rhetorical or pragmatic discourse.

9. The Expressive Pedagogy • The Rebuttal: • The goal is not to replace content, but to infuse it with voice. Essays and research papers will not be replaced by personal narrative. • Although this pedagogy is an effective tool, it cannot be the sole pedagogy in a classroom. Like any other teaching method, it must be used in conjunction with other tools to produce the desirable results. • Methods like “free writing” are intended to help students develop their written skills and voice. Such practices are written solely for the writer, and not for an audience.

10. The Expressive Pedagogy

11. The Expressive Pedagogy