Abstract:
"Lead us not into frustration by delivering us from writing now and forever."
This is the prayer of many of the junior college vo-tec agriculture students as they enter Lake Land College. The vo-tec student who is enrolled in the two-year program presents a different set of problems when it comes to improving communication skills than does the college transfer student. The emphasis in the college transfer program is placed upon developing and improving the writing skills of the student. In the vo-tec program, however, a different orientation and approach must be utilized. This change in orientation and approach is needed as the typical junior college vo-tec agriculture student maintained a "C" or below average in high school English courses. His ACT scores in areas which reflect his ability to communicate is seventeen or lower. The low scores of the vo-tec student reflect four or more years of frustration in high school. This frustration leads to a lack of confidence in the student in his ability to communicate. This frustration and lack of confidence often cause the student to take cover in apathy. This three-headed monster of frustration, lack of confidence, and apathy guards the door to the classrooms of the vo-tec students who are enrolled in the communication courses. If the instructor wants to succeed in helping the vo-tec students improve in the ability to communicate, he will find that it is better to tame the monster than it is to pretend that it does not exist. The instructor of communications will soon learn that this monster thrives in a course which has initial emphasis on writing skills.
Keywords:
communication, writing skills
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