Communication and Academic Writing

From the time we start our academic endeavors at 5 years old, the English language and written form is an integral part of our education. The alphabet is the first thing I remember learning. At the time we have no idea what it will mean, or how agonizing the individual components of that catchy little tune could become if strung together in the right manner. I progressed through elementary school blissfully unaware of the fact that English would be a constant requirement throughout my entire academic career. It wasn’t until Mrs. Fischers 7th grade English class that I realized my true feelings about writing. I found that because questions for essay papers do not have a right or wrong answer, the grading is entirely subjective. For an obsessive compulsive over-achiever this is completely unacceptable. From that “C” forward I hated anything that had to do with English or writing. I even spent a year abroad in a vain attempt to escape the wretched subject. Of course English was a required course, even in Sweden. The best part about taking English abroad was that I actually appeared to be good at it. How can we call something a rule when there are so many exceptions to it? I have long felt that the ability to write an essay paper is about as useful as cursive. In the second grade we were forced to learn cursive. They convinced us that cursive would be the ticket to a successful life, that all teachers throughout the rest of our education wouldn’t accept any papers unless they were written in cursive. Interesting theory, but it really didn’t pan out for them. In fact I have never had a teacher, professor, instructor, or boss who would accept anything written in cursive. The same logic applies to writing. I am an engineering student who works for a Japanese company. If what I have to say can not be communicated through the use of a graph it really isn’t worth saying. The written word is virtually useless in my career field because all meaning is lost in translation. Verbal communication or graphical representations are the only effective means of communication in the real world. Not to mention, the second you write something down a paper trail is created. I have found that this can later be printed and presented out of context to make you look like a fool. In summary, although communication skills are extremely important, one must recognize that communication and Academic Writing are not synonymous, nor are they interchangeable.