A common discussion among English teachers appeared yesterday over at InsideHigherEd, where Alexandra Gold called for a more relaxed set of rules regarding first-person writing among students. She argued that letting students use "I" allows them not only to avoid the awkward and ugly constructions like, "This paper will analyze...," but it also encourages personalized perspectives and a much-needed increase in subjectivity, as opposed to the illusion of omniscient authority. Ms. Gold makes some valid points, but she ignores an important element of how students view writing.
Perhaps it's always been this way (I can't be sure, as I've only been a college teacher for the past ten years or so), but young people spend every waking minute thinking about themselves. Therefore, teachers' guidelines on third-person point of view is an attempt to, yes, sound more professional and authoritative, but more importantly, to force them to avoid inserting themselves into every topic.
I constantly tell my students who desperately want to use "I" that this project is not about you. It's about the topic at hand. When you use first-person language, you automatically show your bias toward the position you are taking (though it's implied anyway, at least it's not staring the reader in the face), and you make yourself the center (or at least part) of attention. Your reader wants to learn about the issue, so avoid talking about yourself.
If a student wants to use a first-person example as a way of proving a point, I often allow it in very small doses (such as a short paragraph). But you can't get carried away because your experience is not universal. You may have gone through some problem that needs a solution, but you may be the only one; therefore, your paper is not going to reach as many people as if you were to remain more objective and topic-focused. Guide your reader toward the topic, not yourself.
I do employ assignments where I place students in scenarios that allow for first-person style. For example, you work for a company that is facing a controversy over one of your commercials--what should your company do? I will allow them to use first person plural, such as "we" or "our company" in order to make the writing more realistic. The "alternative-genre" assignments, as Gold calls them, are very important, as writing teachers should use them as often as possible. But for research projects or anything scientific, I would suggest sticking with third-person instruction.
Ms. Gold is correct that "This project will demonstrate..." and its clumsy cousins should certainly be removed. But simply stating your argument is never a bad thing. It's okay to be authoritative, and it will be okay if someone ends up disagreeing with your opinion. Writing is about opening opportunities for all topics to be discussed. It's hard to do that fairly if using "I" distracts from those topics.
Perhaps it's always been this way (I can't be sure, as I've only been a college teacher for the past ten years or so), but young people spend every waking minute thinking about themselves. Therefore, teachers' guidelines on third-person point of view is an attempt to, yes, sound more professional and authoritative, but more importantly, to force them to avoid inserting themselves into every topic.
I constantly tell my students who desperately want to use "I" that this project is not about you. It's about the topic at hand. When you use first-person language, you automatically show your bias toward the position you are taking (though it's implied anyway, at least it's not staring the reader in the face), and you make yourself the center (or at least part) of attention. Your reader wants to learn about the issue, so avoid talking about yourself.
If a student wants to use a first-person example as a way of proving a point, I often allow it in very small doses (such as a short paragraph). But you can't get carried away because your experience is not universal. You may have gone through some problem that needs a solution, but you may be the only one; therefore, your paper is not going to reach as many people as if you were to remain more objective and topic-focused. Guide your reader toward the topic, not yourself.
I do employ assignments where I place students in scenarios that allow for first-person style. For example, you work for a company that is facing a controversy over one of your commercials--what should your company do? I will allow them to use first person plural, such as "we" or "our company" in order to make the writing more realistic. The "alternative-genre" assignments, as Gold calls them, are very important, as writing teachers should use them as often as possible. But for research projects or anything scientific, I would suggest sticking with third-person instruction.
Ms. Gold is correct that "This project will demonstrate..." and its clumsy cousins should certainly be removed. But simply stating your argument is never a bad thing. It's okay to be authoritative, and it will be okay if someone ends up disagreeing with your opinion. Writing is about opening opportunities for all topics to be discussed. It's hard to do that fairly if using "I" distracts from those topics.