ENGL110 Standards & Requirements

English 110 students write thesis-centered (especially persuasive) essays, mainly in response to texts.

Instructors assign a minimum of 7500 words (about 30 pages), at least 5000 words of which is finished formal assignments, including a research-based essay of at least 2000 words. Most instructors assign 4-5 formal essays as well as a mix of informal writing such as reading journals, brief response papers, and in-class writing.

Instructors integrate research skills throughout the course, including on-line research strategies, navigation of the library, evaluation of sources, integration of sources into essays, and responsible scholarly citation and documentation.

Instructors integrate the critical reading of texts throughout the course to facilitate critical thinking and inform student writing. Printed texts may be supplemented where appropriate by electronic texts, visual texts, and video texts.

The course assumes a process approach to writing. Emphasis is on extensive revision in response to critical evaluations from the instructor and peers. Instructors incorporate process teaching methods such as multiple drafts, portfolios, writing groups, individual conferences, group conferences, and peer evaluation.

Instructors address language concerns such as style, tone, diction, grammar, and mechanics according to the needs of the students.

Instructors assess student writing not only for its adherence to conventions of standard language and scholarly discourse, but also for its effectiveness in addressing the expectations of specific audiences for its persuasive power in specific situations.

First-year writing (English 110) supports the academic mission of the University of Delaware by helping students to:

• Read and write with a sensitivity to audience and purpose,
• Think critically in both independent and collaborative contexts,
• Participate as ethical members in a community of writers,
• Develop into critical producers and consumers of texts.

To these ends, English 110 emphasizes:

• Writing as a rhetorical process that includes prewriting, drafting, review, and revision,
• Writing in a variety of genres,
• Accessing, assessing, and integrating research in an increasingly global context,
• Using appropriate research and writing technologies.

By the end of English 110 at the University of Delaware, you should achieve the following goals:

Critical Reading

• Read source texts critically, revealing awareness of purpose, audience, tone, multiple voices, argumentative techniques, and rhetorical devices,
• Demonstrate understanding of a text's rhetorical contexts,
• Analyze and synthesize varied texts as a means to further their own writing skills.

Writing Process

• Demonstrate the ability to write in a variety of genres such as summary, response, report, argument, and critical analysis,
• Find and assess sources, synthesizing research with their own ideas,
• Engage in writing as a recursive process that includes idea discovery, structural and developmental revision, and editing "final" copy.

Rhetorical Knowledge

• Write with a strong understanding of and focus on purpose,
• Write in ways that respond to the needs of difference audiences,
• Adopt voice, tone, and level of formality appropriate to situation and purpose,
• Understand how genres shape reading and writing.

Knowledge of Conventions

• Be aware of the rhetorical differences among and stylistic conventions of common citation formats.

The Department of English offers over 100 sections of ENGL110 each semester and several sections during the Winter and Summer sessions. Be sure to sign up for the section that is right for you:

• Sections 080-099 are Honors sections: Non-Honors students may contact the Honors program for information. 
• Sections 110-119 are Basic Writing sections for first-year students (Fall only). 
• Sections 120-129 are Non-Native Speaker sections: Students may contact their college's Student Service & Assistant Dean's office for permission to enroll. 
• Sections 192-195 are Online sections: Students should direct questions about enrollment to the Professional & Continuing Studies ACCESS Center. 
• Section 410 meets in Wilmington: Some seats are reserved for Continuing Education students (unclaimed seats will be released one week before the semester begins). 
• Section 440 meets in Newark: Some seats are reserved for Continuing Education students (unclaimed seats will be released one week before the semester begins).

So that instructors may provide individual attention to all students, no sections of ENGL110 will be over-enrolled for any reason. 

Transfer students seeking to receive ENGL110 credit for courses taken at another college or university should consult our transfer of credit page.