Abstract
We all have a vision of what might be. For some of us, this vision involves a strong emphasis on rhetoric and writing; for others, it en compasses a sustained commitment to literary study and analysis. Still others might argue for the merits of communications technologies and the inclu sion of new-media-based forms of reading, writing, and speaking into the curricu lum. Regardless of these emphases, most would agree that English should foster an understanding of how human beings use language aesthetically and rhetorically in ways that matter for culture, civic society, and meaningful human existence. Lacking from most discussions of college English, though, is how students learn to make the connection between this humanities-based understanding of language and the world of work, which is often unfairly harnessed to utilitarian images. It's true that many departments have sought to alleviate this gap by encouraging internships for stu dents, but there's little agreement on how these internships should be supervised and what guidance should be provided for students. At the heart of internship initia tives is the attempt to make English curricula directly relevant to workplace situa tions. Much research exists in professional and technical writing on the role of