Jason Chan Conversation 1

Literacy Narrative

ENG 101 0902

09/02/2023

   After I read “Proficiency” by Shannon Nicholls, I could feel her discouragement of her writing ability. Nicholls was confident for her academic because of her good maintenance of her grade in English from the start. However, she began to doubt herself when she failed the writing proficiency test which must be taken for graduate from high school in Ohio. Even though she prepared well and got A in all her English classes, but she still failed the proficiency test twice. It causes her to be unable to graduate from her high school. She was frustrated and helpless at that period. Nicholls questioned herself three times. The first time would be the moment she took back the result of the first ninth-grade proficiency test. She did not believe she would fail the test when she saw her writing proficiency test result. Nicholls has written “Writing! Yeah, right! How did I manage to fail writing, and by half a point, no less? ” She soon reviews herself about her proficiency of her writing. “I surely spelled every word correctly, used good grammar, and even used big words in the proper context. How could I have failed?” Then she expressed her confusion, remorse, and rage in the chat with her English teacher when she failed the second time of her proficiency test. “How can I get as in all my English classes but fail the writing part of the proficiency test twice?” She can’t understand the standard of the test and accept the proficiency test that based on grader opinion denied every effort she has put into English writing. It made Nicholls hate writing and refuse to take English as serious as before.

   If I were Mrs. Brown, as the English teacher of author, I may encourage her something
like “Everyone fails at some point. I can see you have some difficulty with
it but do not be discouraged by it. Writing is subjective. You and I could have
different thoughts on the same writing. The important thing to make them
believe you’re good in writing is to believe yourself and write as much as you can.
You are capable of more than you know.”

I have a similar experience to Nicholls. I was confused about my ability as a writer. My high school teacher had criticized my writing though I tried my best on it. She thinks my writing is messy and bland. Then she failed my writing test. It was frustrating. After that, I don’t have much confidence in my writing. Even so, I would be working hard to improve my writing skill and ability as much as I can.

Leave a comment

3 thoughts on “Jason Chan Conversation 1”