Camellia, W14, Introductions

Hi everyone!  My name is Camellia and I am a second year English major.  I have also taken professional writing courses and I am strongly considering becoming a Professional Writing major as well.  My passions include reading, writing, journalism, and editing.  I am currently enrolled in an introductory linguistics course (which I am enjoying very much) and I hope to continue studying linguistics in the future.

I believe everyone researches to a certain extent, especially with the help of Google.   With the click of a button, Google allows me to stay updated in all things books, music, etc.  There is so much information available at our fingertips, so I hope to learn how to research efficiently in order to find the exact information I am looking for.  I want to learn the research tools that will allow me to discover the most credible information that will support my future research.

I have never used the information management software: RefWorks or Zotero.  I used Google Scholar and it was an excellent resource, especially when I needed to search for literary criticism for past English courses.  I have used York’s eResources – which was also a helpful tool.  Also, I have made countless trips to York’s Scott Library where I searched through shelves and shelves of books in order to find information to support my research essays.

I always listen to the radio, but I do not have any experience working in a broadcast environment.  I have heard of the term “podcast” many times but I have never listened, nor created a podcast before.  Therefore, I am a little intimidated about creating a podcast because as of now, I don’t have any tools that I can use to record my voice.  I am intimidated because a podcast is solely audio and I want to ensure that I create a podcast that will hold the listener’s attention throughout. 

After looking through the list of podcast shows and topics, I am considering Grammar Girl or Lexicon Valley for the course project.  Since writing and editing are two of my passions, I always pay keen attention to the way things are written and I am obsessed with anything grammar-related, so I think Grammar Girl will be perfect for me.  However, since I am taking a linguistics course and I have an interest in the way in which languages function, I believe Lexicon Valley is also a possibility for my podcast.

I am excited to see where WRIT 2300 will lead us all…