Student Writing: The Art and Science of Essay Tasting
When students enter university, one of the biggest adjustments they often face is the new emphasis on analytical writing. Gone are the days of five-paragraph essays — college requires demonstrating a deeper understanding of course material through extended writing assignments. Shifting to this new style of writing can feel daunting. That is where the practice of “essay tasting” can help guide students to write stronger, more compelling papers.
Essay tasting involves carefully reading exemplary samples of the type of writing assignment at hand to understand their underlying structure, use of evidence, and stylistic elements. The goal is to “taste” or absorb how published professionals in a given field approach the same task in their own work. Like sampling different wines helps refine one’s palate, essay tasting cultivates an academic “palate” that can be applied to a student’s own papers. Done systematically and repeatedly over time, it is an effective way for students to internalize superior models and raise the bar for their writing.
Breaking Down Exemplars
At its core, essay tasting involves close readings of examples with an analytic lens. Students should select published pieces that match as closely as possible to the assignment guidelines in terms of length, topic, and expected approach. Aim to find works from credible academic journals, anthologies, or edited volumes pertaining to the relevant subject area. The goal in the initial read is simply to absorb and understand the overall argument or analysis presented.
For subsequent reads, focus on analyzing specific elements by asking questions like: What is the central thesis or main conclusion reached? How is this thesis developed and supported structurally paragraph by paragraph? What kind of evidence is incorporated and how is it woven into the narrative? What persuasive or literary techniques does the author employ (metaphors, rhetorical questions, contrasts, statistics etc.)? How does the piece flow stylistically from introduction to conclusion? Making notes on these features allows students to literally break down exemplars into constituent parts.
Students should reflect on which elements appeal most to their own critical sensibilities. Do the examples effectively persuade through careful qualification? convey complex ideas accessibly? incorporate a diversity of sources fluidly? Answering such questions helps determine which exemplar strategies could apply and adapting them authentically rather than copying verbatim. The objective is not mimicry but rather emulating best practices to raise one’s own writing to the next level.
Implementing Lessons Learned
Having closely analyzed several exemplars, students are then ready to start applying insights to their own drafting process. The first step here is outlining how lessons learned could shape each major component of their paper.
For the introduction, students may decide to emulate a thesis that clearly signals what will follow yet leaves some aspect open for further exploration. When constructing body paragraphs, they can reference exemplar models for effective segmentation of ideas, inclusion of illustrative quotes, and transitional sentences. Drawing from exemplar conclusions, students may aim to restate key findings concisely while pointing to wider implications or avenues for future research.
Throughout drafting, students should periodically return to their notes on exemplars, seeing if any techniques could enhance the current segment. For instance, considering how sources were smoothly woven together in an exemplar may prompt refining a student’s integration of literature. Noting an engaging metaphor or example could inspire revising a dry explanation. And tracking an exemplar’s coherent flow may help structure revisions to achieve the “so what” factor.
Taking such iterative steps transforms essay tasting from passive consumption into an active methodology that empowers students to raise the quality of their own academic writing over time. The end goal is developing an internalized scholarly voice, informed by exemplars yet genuine to one’s interests and analysis. With regular practice, essay tasting trains students to both appreciate nuanced writing and aspire to produce work meeting the standards of disciplinary experts. This doubles the impact of the learning experience versus a single read alone.
Continued Growth and Refinement
As students gain experience essay tasting, they develop greater ability to identify both strengths and potential areas for development even in well-regarded exemplars. Noting exceptions to an argument’s logic or minor stylistic inconsistencies, for instance, signals growing disciplinary acumen. Such advanced critiques can then inform refining one’s own evolving writing practice.
Students should also seek out exemplars representing diverse perspectives and backgrounds within a field. Comparing analyses of the same issue from different cultural, gender-based, or theoretical lenses enriches understanding of how knowledge itself is situated and constructed. Over time, exemplar analyses can probe increasingly nuanced topics as skills and knowledge bases expand.
Essay tasters would also do well to periodically re-examine past assignments in this light, tracking their own progress. Noticing where earlier efforts fell short of current standards keeps the bar raised. And reflecting on which methodological aspects proved most transformative can focus future writing improvement. Overall, iterative essay tasting cultivates habits that sustain students’ analytical writing growth well beyond any single class.
When practiced systematically and reflexively, essay tasting offers students a powerful yet accessible approach for continually advancing their academic writing abilities during the college years and beyond. Like sipping varietals from a fine wine list, such careful sampling of exemplary scholarship gives students both new appreciation for nuanced ideas and confidence to craft analyses of their own meeting the highest standards. Ultimately it serves to initiate novice students into true participation within the scholarly conversation of their disciplines.
Andrew Stroud