The Task 1: Topic Proposal assignment is the starting point for a semester-long research project in a writing and rhetoric class. The goal is to choose and clearly describe a topic related to writing, rhetoric, language, or literacy—something you're genuinely curious about and willing to study in depth. You’ll need to explain your topic in a way that makes sense to scholars familiar with writing studies, but who might not know the specific issue you’re focusing on. The assignment also asks you to justify why your topic fits within the scope of the class and what you hope to learn from researching it.
My first draft was this, the first idea. ->
I received two very important feedbacks.
The feedback I received on my initial topic proposal helped me transform a broad idea into a focused, meaningful project that represents both my personal experience and my growth as a writer. I chose to write about how native language affects writing style and rhetoric because it's something I’ve lived—I had to adjust from Portuguese’s expressive, metaphor-heavy style to the concise, direct structure of English academic writing. The feedback pushed me to reflect more deeply on that transition and to include real examples from my past work to show the differences. By doing that, I wasn't just presenting a topic—I was showing what I’ve learned about how language, culture, and identity shape communication. This writing represents how I’ve grown in understanding writing not just as a skill, but as something shaped by where you come from and what languages you speak. It also shows how my bilingual background gives me a unique perspective on writing and rhetoric that I can now explore with more clarity and purpose.