Entering the Conversation(Week 2)

W R I T I N G I V(HE285)

Prof. Dr. Ron Martinezdrronmartinez@gmail.com

Goals for the week

• Begin the process of understanding the notion of “position” in academic discourse, including how it is formed, and how it should be presented.

Today’s agenda

• Briefly review important lessons from the “Subtext” video for this class.

• Highlight some of your answers to the open-ended questions from the class survey.

• Go over homework (grammar of introductions)• Look at your “essays” from last week, introduce

an online tool to help with editing and “lexical disambiguation.”

• Introduce topic for next writing assignment.

Some “Subtext” insights• Lev (the writer) has a specific “agenda” in mind

before he begins writing.• The whole process of writing involves him trying

to maximize the effect of his discourse to achieve that agenda.

• The writing process is “dialogic”: in dialogue with himself, in dialogue with the intended reader.

• Lev is (painfully) aware that word choice is of paramount importance; the right choice of words can mean the difference between his “goal” and flat-out rejection.

Grammar and Vocabulary as a matter of “choice” (not “correct”)

Boa alimentação é saúde. Água parada é mortal.

??

?

How does one become a good writer of academic papers? – YOUR RESPONSES

• By doing lots of researches• By reading and practicing writing, and researching to acquire a good knowledge of

the topic being approached.• Reading academic papers (to get used with the language and style), practicing a lot

and being corrected by someone who is a good writer of academic papers.• Having proper instruction in this matter as well as a broad vocabulary wich is

usually acquired through reading.• Writing a lot, reading different kinds of subjects.• It is possible to become a good writer by practicing A LOT.• by practicing writing, reading academic papers, and receiving feedback from your

papers (if you consider the remarks made and practice on them later).• Reading academic papers and practicing• It is necessary to practice writing and read a lot.

How does one become a good writer of academic papers? (Word Cloud from your

words)

Lexical Priming (Hoey, 2005)

“As a word is acquired through encounters with it in speech and writing, it becomes cumulatively loaded with the contexts and co-texts in which it is encountered, and our knowledge of it includes the fact that it co-occurs with other words in certain kinds of context.” (p. 8)

In your opinion, briefly state what characterizes a "good" academic essay.

• when we can use a good vocabulary and have a clear writing.• I think a good academic essay should propose something new, be clear and

organize, and inlcude what different authors have said about the topic.• In my opinion, a good academic essay is well structured and clear.• In my opinion it is good when it is well structured (clear intro, body and conclusion),

when the approach to the subject is interesting and the language although formal, is clear.

• It's a clear text, that has coherence and cohesion.• A good academic essay should be cohesive and it must have a thesis. It also should

have good arguments and those arguments should be well set. The author should present his/hers ideas clearly and he/she should take into consideration what other writers have stated before.

• It is a well-structured essay, which presents consistent and coherent arguments, leading to a "logical" conclusion. Also, it should be written in formal language with adequate vocabulary.

• Having a strong, well based opinion, strong arguments. Then researching good references and using them reinforce the arguments.

• A good academic essay has a purpose and it is relevant to some field.

What characterizes a "good" academic essay? (Your words.)

What is the first thing you should have before you start writing?

• knowledge about the subject.• A decent knowledge of the topic.• I believe that before start writing you should have a very clear idea of

the purpose of the text, of what you want to convey throught it.• Enough information on the subject.• Decide the theme or topic to write about.• PURPOSE.• You should have the basic structure in mind and ideas for developing

arguments.• Knowledge about the topic and a concept about what you would like

to write.• We should have an idea about what you would like to write about.

What is the first thing you should have before you start writing?

“POSITION”

Homework: Grammar of introductions

• Compare answers.• A matter of “correct” or a question of

“choice”?

Any word that catches your eye?

Finally, I think I am a quite an immediatist person, since I made a few decisions in my past that completely changed my routine and perspective for the future, and those decisions were made in a very short period of time.

Online: Download “Edit your work”

• Work on number 1 only. • When finished, compare with a classmate.

Homework (from last Friday)

• (If you haven’t done so already) Please read the “They Say/I Say” chapter (“I take your point”);

• Read Chapter 1 (“They Say”);• Complete grammar worksheet, “The Grammar

of Introductions” (online), print, and bring to class Monday.

Read the two articles online

1. Read the New York Times article on Zika first2. Then read the article written by a Brazilian3. When finished, discuss the different points of

view with 2 other classmates. For example, are there points that you disagree with? Points that you especially agree with?

“POSITION”

From the book They Say/I Say

• What do the authors suggest as a strategy to make one’s point stronger in class discussions?

• “Particularly important for class discussion is the point that our own ideas become more cogent and powerful [...] the more we frame our claims not in isolation but as responses to what others have said.” (Ch. 12, p. 163)

• “It requires the same sorts of disciplined moves and practices used in many writing situations...” (ibid.)

When responding in oral debate...

• remember to be specific– Less effective: “I agree with John because...”

Better: “I agree with John’s point about the Zika debate being a matter of cultural misunderstanding because...”

– Less effective: “I take your point, Laura. However, ...” Better: “I take your point regarding the limitations of government health agencies, however I also think that...”

From the book They Say/I Say (Ch. 1)

• “(T)o give writing the most important thing of all – namely, a point – a writer needs to indicate clearly not only what his or her thesis is, but also what larger conversation that thesis is responding to.” (p. 20)

• “Therefore, when it comes to constructing an argument (whether orally or in writing) [...] remember that you are entering a conversation and therefore need to start with ‘what others are saying’...” (ibid.)

Homework for Friday (18/03)• Finish the “Edit your work” sheet that you already started in class.• Write a paragraph that expresses your position on the Zika articles

read in class. Try to adapt/incorporate templates from the “They Say” chapter (Chapter 1) that you read. (Especially those for introducing what “They Say” and “Standard Views” on p. 23.)

• Write the paragraph on the Essay Submission Sheet. Be sure to insert a lexical profile.

• You may draw on the articles (e.g. ideas, quotes) read in class, and any other outside reading you think will are relevant to your position.

• Please email me (drronmartinez@gmail.com) the paragraphs – on the Essay Submission sheet – by Thursday night.