REFLECTION ESSAY 

Throughout this class, I learned that writing is more than just putting words on a page, it is an ongoing process of thinking, questioning, revising, and understanding myself and the world around me. This course challenged me to become an active writer who engages with ideas, reflects on experiences, and considers how language shapes identity and communication. Over the semester, I learned new rhetorical strategies, improved my ability to work with sources, strengthened my voice as a writer, and gained insight into my own literacy background.

One of the most important things I learned was how to approach writing as a process and not just a one-step task. Before this class, I usually tried to write my essays and papers all at one time. This usually led to stress, poor work, procrastination, and essays that did not fully express what I wanted to say. Through drafting, peer review, and revision assignments, I came to understand that strong writing requires time, reflection, and re-working. The peer review sessions especially helped me see my writing from someone else’s perspective. For example, in my synthesis essay I was supposed to use 2 sources per body paragraph and in my draft I only had one source per paragraph. I also had to introduce the authors when beginning to mention a source and I didn’t. If it wasn’t for the peer reviewed session I would have not done that and I would have had a poor piece of writing because my initial draft did not meet the requirements that it had to. Peer revisions are very important and help you realize many things. I also realized that even when something makes sense in my head, it might not be clear to someone else unless I slow down and explain it. This realization helped me understand that when it comes to writing papers and essays I need to take my time and take the needed steps to have a well organized and written piece of writing.

Another thing I learned was how to recognize and use rhetorical strategies. Instead of just writing to complete an assignment, I learned to write with intention to consider my audience, purpose, and the most effective strategies to get my point across. We analyzed various readings not just for their content but for how the authors constructed their arguments. My synthesis essay helped me a lot with this. In my synthesis essay I had to take two sources and analzye them both. This helped me get my point across and backed up my statement that people tend to back away and shy away from their language because of how they are treated or seen by others when they do. These articles also helped me construct my argument and see some things differently. Understanding rhetorical devices helped me understand the argument of an article. It also helped me become more aware of my own choices as a writer, the way I use personal stories to connect with readers, how I use evidence to build credibility, and how I balance emotion with logical reasoning. These skills helped me to be more thoughtful and confident when writing my essays.

Research and source integration were also important pieces of the class. I would see research as simply finding a quote and inserting it into my essay. This class taught me that working with sources means more than dropping in information. It requires analyzing, synthesizing, and responding to what others say. I learned how to connect my ideas with the ideas of others and how to properly cite sources to build a strong foundation for my arguments. Research is important when it comes to writing but if you don’t know what you are doing then the research that you did can be completely unreliable. In our research-based assignments, I practiced selecting credible articles, summarizing key points, and including them into my writing in a way that supported my point rather than overshadowing my voice. My synthesis essay also helped me with this because I had to research and find sources from multiple different places on the internet and make sure that it was credible and could be used to support my argument. I learned how to properly cite my sources because of that essay and now I know how to see if an article/source is actually credible or not. These sources all have many different views and opinions and stuff but a lot of them are also related to my opinions. This helped me understand academic writing as a conversation rather than a competition.

One of the most meaningful assignments for me was the personal language and literacy narrative. Writing about my own experience, which was making phone calls for my Spanish-speaking father, allowed me to see how deeply language shapes identity, responsibility, and family roles. I realized that my bilingual experiences influence how I communicate, how I move in different spaces, and helps me understand other people’s struggles with language barriers. Reflecting on my past helped me recognize that my story holds value and can connect with readers emotionally while also revealing larger cultural and social issues. This assignment showed me that my voice matters and that personal experiences can be a strong form of evidence.

In addition to improving my writing skills, I became more aware of how language functions in society. Through class discussions and readings, I learned about code-switching, linguistic prejudice, and the way people judge one another based on how they speak. An article that I did research on spoke on Kamala Harris and how she uses code-switching in her life. Code-switching is something that almost everyone does without even realizing it. Some people code-switch intentionally to hide from their original language or roots and some do it based on the place they are at or who they are talking to. Understanding these issues helped me think more critically about my own assumptions and the assumptions others hold. It reminded me that English is not a single rigid structure but a flexible, diverse language shaped by culture, history, and identity. Recognizing this made me more empathetic as a communicator and more appreciative of the many ways people express themselves.

Overall, this class taught me how to think more deeply, write more confidently, and understand language in ways I didn’t before. I learned that writing is both personal and analytical, and that it requires creativity as well as structure. I learned the importance of revision, the power of storytelling, and the responsibility that comes with representing ideas accurately and respectfully. Most importantly, I discovered that my own linguistic background and experiences are not obstacles but strengths that I can draw upon in my writing. This class not only improved my academic skills but also helped me grow as a thinker, writer, and individual.