Junior Year Writing Seminar: Jessie Cortez, Concision in Technical Writing: Theory and Practice
Content
Speaker
Jessie Cortez (Texas A&M University)
Abstract
Concise, clear language is vital to the practice of technical communication, yet students often lack the tools to identify wordy, imprecise writing in their own work. This teaching demonstration will show an approach to teaching concise writing to students in technical fields. The presentation is aimed at helping students understand why concise writing is important in technical writing, identify writing that is verbose and unclear, and develop strategies for editing for concision. The first part of the presentation will establish some basic tenets of concise writing, including habits to avoid, and the second part invites attendees to practice editing for concision. By helping students learn how to revise their work, keeping in mind the audience and their needs, teachers of technical writing can help ensure students’ success throughout their careers.
Bio
Jessie Cortez is a lecturer in the J. Mike Walter ‘66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University where she coordinates technical writing instruction at the undergraduate level and teaches a graduate-level scientific writing course. Her research interests include technical writing, science communication, and composition pedagogy. She has been tutoring and teaching writing for over ten years and is passionate about helping students put complex ideas into clear language.
Faculty host