Reading (contd…)

Reading to critique, evaluate and assess

• Indeed, critiquing theories, arguments, and evidence often gains
significant marks in assignments.
• Developing your own argument/ taking a position in a debate
• Understanding author’s position on an issue
• Deciphering author’s ideology/ background – attitude
towards the issue
• Looking at the ways a particular topic has been dealt
with and what alternatives exist
• Asking if author has deliberately left out/
undermined/ overlooked something in favour of
something else
• Rational, moral or emotional appeal?
Facts, opinions and trusting/ distrusting
• When reading a text, it is important to ask yourself questions
about the value of the text.
• Is this text fact or opinion?
• If opinion, do I agree?
• Is the text as a whole trustworthy?
• Facts are objective statements of truth – universally
accepted – strong evidence available
• At sea level, water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
• Women live longer than men.
• Cigarettes are addictive.
• Opinions are subjective statements based
on a person's beliefs or attitudes.
• Smoking is a bad habit.
• English is an easy language to learn.
• Opinions are usually not acceptable in academic contexts.
• However, in some cases you may specifically be asked to
express your own opinion and not refer to what has been
said already.
• If you express an opinion, you must support it with evidence/
a strong line of argument.
Opinion, Fact but Needs Proof or
Supporting Detail?
• Identity theft is on the rise.
• A study earlier this year ranked Michigan among
the top-10 most vulnerable states to identity
theft.
• It’s estimated that 9 million people have their
identity stolen each year.
• Javelin Strategy and Research reported that 15.4
million consumers were hit in 2016.
• It’s a frustrating situation.
(https://www.wxyz.com/news/what-do-you-do-
recovering-from-identity-theft)
Evaluation : How well does the text do what it
does? What is its value?
• How does it contribute to the discipline? Are its main
conclusions original?
• Does the evidence and reasoning adequately support the
theory/theories presented?
• Are the sources reliable?
• Is the argument logically consistent? Convincing?
• Were the tools designed and executed in accordance with
the accepted standards of the relevant discipline?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the theory?
• How would competing theories criticize this text? How could the
author reply?
Reading between the lines
• Identifying author’s position on the issue
• Deciphering author’s attitude towards the topic
• Understanding the tone of the passage
• Use of vocabulary and sentence strategies
How language is used
• Bertrand Russell : ʻI am firm, you are obstinate, and he is a pig-headed
foolʼ.
• I am sparkling. You are usually talkative. He is drunk.
• I am a creative writer. You have a journalistic flair. He is a prosperous
hack.
• I day dream. You are an escapist. He ought to see a psychiatrist.
Modifiers
• Sales rose dramatically when she was the chairperson.
• Sales rose significantly when she was the chairperson.
Choice of vocabulary
Ø5 reasons why Manchester City cannot emulate the Arsenal
Invincibles this season
ØDid Kim Kardashian Copy Demi Lovato's Halloween Costume? Fans
Are Calling The Star Out
ØBaidu’s new system can learn to imitate every accent
Hedging
• Viewing a movie in which alcohol is portrayed appears to lead to
higher total alcohol consumption of young people while watching the
movie.
• Furthermore, this proves that humans are wired to imitate.
• Let’s look at two reviews of the same movie
Sure, Nitesh Tiwari’s Bollywood crowd-pleaser “Dangal”
follows a formula: Father abandons his dream of being
an international wrestling champion. Father hopes for a
son who will live out his dream for him. Father ends up
with four daughters. Father discovers that two of his
daughters are dexterous brawlers. Father declares,
“From now on, they will only wrestle.” Father trains
those daughters, in defiance of the villagers’ tut-tutting
and assumptions about women’s roles, to mud wrestle,
and instills in them a spirit of feminism.
(A Father’s Dreams, Recast by His Daughters in ‘Dangal’, New
York Times, Dec 22, 2016)
In the story department, Dangal offers few surprises
because Geeta and Babita's historic wins at the
Commonwealth Games and following championships
are common knowledge. However, this screen
adaptation serves as a recap of their arduous journey
and it vigorously recaptures their stubborn father's
resolve to make them professional wrestlers against the
odds. Since it encapsulates the historic wins of the
Phogats, who brought India glory, the film is also bound
to inspire more women to seriously consider kushti as a
sport.
(Demonetisation be damned, watch Dangal, Times of
India, Jan 25, 2017)