The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, June 07, 1979, Page Page 2, Image 2
USC freshman
grammar test
to be revised
By Shelly Kaufman
Gamecock Staff Writer
An updated and revised
grammar test for English 101
students will be implemented at
USC this fall, replacing the old
grammar exam, according to
Carolyn Matalene, director of
freshman English. Matalene and
tveun wallers, a ustJ graduate
student in linguistics, are largely
responsible for revising the
required test.
"The Revision and Editing Test
will require the students to
reorganize a sentence from
scratch and correct errors in
grammar, spelling and punctuation,"
Matalene said. "The
students will have to show an
ability to perceive sentence
structure, paragraph development
and organization, as well as
determine the thesis sentence, how
well it has been developed by the
writer and whether the writer has
a clear sense of purpose.''
The exam will be more closely
related to the course content of
English 101, Matalene said.
"The test is geared more to what
a person needs to know for a final
t an no Kor*
fTiiwvii pupvi i uniLi man iuii^~
tioning as an isolated grammar
test," said Nancy Thompson,
assistant professor of English,
coordinator of the English 100
program and a member of the
Freshman Committee. "This test
would more nearly measure what
we're teaching in the course," she
added.
Obsolescene as well as the need
for a more relevant test required
improvement of the old exam, _
according to Matalene.
"Tests must always be revised,"
Mataiene said. "They wear out and
become too predictable."
Matalene applied for a grant this
past year to re-write the exam. The
request was approved, and the
money was allotted by the
Research and Productive
Scholarship Fund, a USC committee
that grants funds for
uni versity-related projects
proposed by faculty members.
"A usage survey was distributed
in early April to all English instructors
and teaching assistants,"
according to Matalene, "so that
licncfo ronslir?mumII Kn
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on the standards of teachers who
teach the courses at USC." The
preliminary survey was taken to
insure the fairness of the test, and
the results will be published
Other faculty members, including
Joseph Ryan of the College
of Education, have provided
/"in tho nrnio/'J Unon
V<UKy*>JVV4llV,V- V4? HIV VJVW, 1VJUI1
helped develop techniques and
format for the exam.
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1 * Beck
By Mar
Gamecock
Peter Becker sat at his desk in F
after having been named the unr
standing Teacher. He was grading f
a group of students he considers to b
Some students have difficulty
material that is not presented to
Becker.
"At the same time, there are
preparation in the high schools and
get adequate preparation," Becker j
"Thoro'c nno nip) in mit 1 AO nlncc
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exam, an essay exam, and asked ho
graduating senior so in her entire
never had to write an essay. It sa
something about her major; I won't
"Learning is hard and it is not ah
and this is something we have t<
Becker said. "Unfortunately in elei
great deal of emphasis on making lc
if the student understands this, he i:
college.
"I find that the better USC stude
compare to other good students arc
"But the bad ones are very, very b<
students who I find to be intereste
taking the course because it is requi
It is evident by the grades on 1
students are suffering from a lack o
...:n i ~ ? ii? 1 - -
win nave iu curve uie gi aues.
4,I think that any failures in my <
primarily to the students themselve
at the beginning of the semester wh;
reading material, and so they know
read the books I assign."
A USC professor since 1966, tl
nominated for the AMOCO award ei
Becker lived in various parts ol
Potsdam at the end of World War I
westward one-half year later. Beck
moved to Rochester, N.Y. Becker
after serving two years in the U.S. A
Becker transferred to North Te
received a master of arts degree fr
taught there until 1964. After retui
taught at San Jose State University
"The AHA, the American Hist
meeting in San Francisco, only 50
San Jose State," Becker said. "So,
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Staff Writer
loom 138 of Gambrell Hall, the day
yersity's AMOCO Foundation Outinal
exams for his History 102 class,
e a part of the "TV generation."
rf?aHincJ hnnlrc nr nnHorcfanHina
them via television, according to
students who don't get adequate
even when they're here, they don't
said.
who came to me before the second
w she should write an essay. She is a
four years she's been here, she's
ys something about the school and
tell you what it is."
?vays fun. In most cases it is not fun
) make the students understand," ?
roentary and high school, there is a
earning fun. Well, it's hard work and
s in the right frame of mind to start
I
nts are quite good and could easily
iund the country," Becker explains,
id, and there are a great number of
d, except my 102 students who are
red."
the 102 exams that Becker or the
f communication, he said, adding he
classes would have to be attributed
s," Becker said. "I make quite clear
at my expectations are in the way of
if they want to do well, they have to r
le German-born Becker has been
*cn 01 me pasi six years.
: Germany as a youth, dwelling in
I under Russian control and moving
er left Germany at the age of 22 and
;nrolled at the University of Chicago
irmy.
xas State where he graduated. He
om Standord University in 1961 and
rning to Germany for one year, he
until coming to USC.
orical Association, had its annual ~
f ...1 T i. u: -1
uiiico iiuui wiicic x was learning ai
I went to it and was interviewed by
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TAN A r\
BLACK / A H M
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nd Browse if ]
fore Buying ! |
EE OUR BELL j |
;IT AND WEAR* S j
l#V (TASE fei
w u ** u vnft
Phone 252-1350
aching aw
the former head of this department, I
terest in me and I showed an interest in
teach in my specialty ? German historj
The teaching style Becker brought t
Stanford University's Gordan Craig,
supervisor, ne saia.
"His (Craig's) lectures were a mod
like," Becker said. "He would always <
exactly what he was going to do. He wo
and he had his lectures down pat; so tl
he would eenerallv finish with a Dartic
but I haven't quite reached that point y<
Becker said receiving the award has i
check he was given.
"It means recognition. It means that
is very much a problem for a great ni
teaching is recognized, and that is grati
rm
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)r. Oaks, and he showed an inthis
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r."
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lei of what lectures ought to be
come in well prepared and know
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lat even if there were questions,
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fying to know," Becker said.
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