Peer Reviews at English Classes - Essay Example

Peer review gave me a chance to read other classmates’ writing and give feedback to them. It was hard for me to give feedback at the beginning because I did not know what to say. After reading their essays, it always gave me some ideas on how to improve my writing. I learned a lot about writing and really enjoyed this class.

I chose Assignment 1 to put in my portfolio because I spent much time on it, such as revising. This assignment can reflect how my writing skill has improved in the past. Coming from a non-English speaking background can be a milestone in the quest to learn how to speak and write English properly. As seen in the assignment different words in English and Mandarin looked and sounded different as well as their direct translation which to a young person proved very confusing (Adamson, 30).

To become a diffident writer I had to choose English as my second language and Mandarin as my first language since it was used at home, therefore, it was easy to pick as it came automatically. Choosing English as a second language meant that I had to think in English as opposed to Mandarin to prevent direct translations.

To learn to think in English I read English books about fairy tales to have the mindset of an English-speaking child (Adamson, 25). The books included fairy story books like Cinderella, Walt Disney, and many others. I traveled to the USA to better equip myself with the English language and area of Mr. Rebello. This teacher made me write a summer vacation journal, records of daily entries of the extra-curricular activities, poems, and video translations over and over again to rid myself of the previous mistakes. Of most importance is the use of peer review methods to grade and review other students’ work. This is important as it highlights our mistakes as well as other people’s mistakes. At the same time, it shows the extent of improvement. I revised my work and edited it until other people could positively review my work.

The second essay I chose is Assignment 4, which is a research paper. It was my first time to write a research paper in college. It was really hard for me to write. My essay is about the human rights and the same-sex marriage (Stacey, 35). For this assignment, I had to perform thorough research on the topic since it is a sensitive and widely talked about issue. I had to organize a small group of individuals at the library who openly discussed their opinions regarding the issue of Human Rights and Same-Sex Marriage (Bily 33).

     I noted down the various opinions since the students came from different racial backgrounds and had varying opinions depending on their culture and or educational background (Pan, Meng, and Zhou 641). After getting different responses I sought answers from the internet and read widely on the topic. The majority of developed countries did not have a problem with same-sex marriages while the problem was with the developing countries especially the third-world countries in Africa.

 To find reasons as to why the deep sentiments of Africans and white people I had online interviews and telephone conversations with people all over (Pan, Meng, and Zhou 636). The responses varied again and I got the deeper picture. Lastly, I went on a road trip to find same-sex couples married and unmarried in different locations. I got their sentiments and their complaints. I visited the Human Rights Commission and even the law chambers to find out if the law protected same-sex marriages (Bily 48). In developing countries, I found out that the law protected them fully as with the people too. The story was different among even African Americans who still believed it was a devilish and satanic act and should be banned (McVeigh and Maria-Elena 899).

Through taking UWP1 and the portfolio writing process, I have gained more confidence in my writing and also have begun to enjoy writing. I have discovered the secret of the art of writing. I am now confident in my writing but I know I still have to perfect this art daily since practice makes perfect. I still need to enhance my creativity and imagination to capture my readers in ach essays that I write.

The essays in my portfolio are pieces that are close to my heart they are my masterpieces. A lot of work went through making them including thorough research and a walk down memory lane to my childhood in China. Moreover, my childhood struggle to learn English is my testimony story and my symbol of victory as I stand today. I hope this is reflected in my writing and that you enjoy my essays as much as I have had the pleasure of writing them. Have a nice day!

Yours Sincerely,