CRWT MIDTERMS

• Critical writing


  Not a process of passive consumption, but interaction and engagement between the reader and the text. It is important not only to take in the words on the page, but also to interpret and reflect upon what is read, through writing and discussing it with others.
• Reacting to a text


  Done on an emotional and largely subjective, rather than on an intellectual and objective level. It is quick but shallow.
• Reacting to a text


  • If we encounter a text that advances arguments with which we strongly disagree, it is natural to dismiss those ideas offhand as wrong and not worthy of our attention
• Responding to a text


  Requires a careful study of the ideas presented and arguments advanced in it. It is analytical and evaluative. Critical readers who possess this skill are not willing to simply reject or accept the arguments presented in the text after the first reading right away. They are open-minded and willing to learn in spite of differences in beliefs and principles.
• Reacting

  • Emotional level rather than intellectual
  • Prevents from studying purposes, intended audiences and contexts of text
  • Fails to establish dialog between reader and text
  • Locks in reader in pre-existing opinion about the argument
  • Binary reading (agree or disagree only)
  • No understanding of complex arguments
  • Prevents reader from true rhetorical engagement with the text
• Responding


  • Intellectual rather than emotional
  • Allows careful study of text's rhetorical aspects
  • Establishes dialogue among reader, text, & other readers
  • Allows all sides to reconsider existing positions and opinions
  • Nuanced reading (allows deep and detailed understanding of complex texts)
  • Takes into account gray areas of complex arguments
  • Establishes rhetorical engagement between reader and text
• Critical writing


  Strongly calls for observation and logic to raise solid arguments, supported by evidences that you will carefully elaborate in your text.
• Academic writing


  Not one size fits all, applicable to the broad variety of academic disciplines and their unique approaches to conducting and documenting research efforts in the field.
• Critical academic writing


  Involves an academic debate and requires a refusal to accept the conclusions without evaluating the arguments and evidence they provide.
• Aim of academic writing

  To discuss the controversies in an intelligent way.
• Tips for critical academic writing

  • Answer the right and relevant questions
  • Give enough context so that the reader can follow your ideas and understand your principles
  • Include references to the material you have read
  • Try to group different studies thematically or categorically and make links between ones that are related
  • Explain source material to your readers to show why it is valuable and relevant
  • Discuss the ideas that come from these source texts in your writing
  • Justify your judgments. Say why you think an idea is relevant, valid or interesting
  • Acknowledge the drawbacks or limitations of ideas, even the ones you disagree with
  • Avoid absolute statements. Use hedging language to make your statements more convincing
• Constructing a good academic argument


  Makes an evidence-based claim designed to advance a specific field of study, demonstrates an understanding of the foundational research for the claim and the implications of the results on the field.
• Purpose of argument writing

  To present a position and have an audience adopt or at least seriously consider your argument. Good argument writing is critical, assertion-with proof-writing. It should reflect a serious attempt on the Writer's part to have considered the issue from all angles.

  
• Argumentation


  Less about trying to change what readers believe, think, or do, and more about convincing yourself or others that specific facts are reliable or that certain views should be considered or tolerated.
• Six elements of a well-reasoned argument

  • Claim
  • Reason
  • Qualifier
  • Warrant
  • Backing
  • Conditions of Rebuttal
• By considering what someone who disagrees with your position might have to say, you show that you have thought things through, and you dispose of some of the reasons your audience might have for not accepting your argument.
• Critical reading


  Applying certain processes, models, questions, and theories that result in enhanced clarity and comprehension.
• Critical evaluation of source materials

  Allows you to evaluate the strength of the argument being made by the work. It requires you to "stand back" and gain some distance from the text you are reading.
• Aspects to consider when critically evaluating a source

  • What the text says
  • How the text says it
  • Who is saying it
  • When it was said
  • Where it was said (i.e. published)
  • Why it was said (i.e. the writer's purpose)
• Importance of critically evaluating source materials

  When you understand how what you read is written, you can work to incorporate those techniques into your own writing. You are not simply absorbing the information; instead, you are interpreting, categorizing, questioning, and weighing the value of that information.
• Receiving criticism


  You have to face criticism with an open mind and a willingness to learn. Sometimes the comments are harsh, but mostly they are well-intentioned efforts to help you improve. Consider the source and select ones whose feedback you value when possible.
• Ways to improve writing by receiving feedback

  • Feedback connects to your goals
  • Feedback can be more important than your score
  • Feedback helps you ask the right questions
  • Feedback lets you determine what is most important
  • Feedback aids in revision and practice
  • Feedback helps you take ownership of your writing
  • Feedback gets you on the same page as your teacher
• Critical business writing


  Refers to critical writing in the workplace.
• Steps for critical business writing

  1. Plan (think about the purpose and target audience)

  2. Design an outline (list down relevant points)

  3. Research and fact-check to ensure depth of information

  4. Pique the readers' interest (show how the information will impact them)

  5. Reach your audience (use known terms and clearly explain information)

  6. Always proofread (ensure your audience understands the topic)
• Reasons why business writing skills are important

  • Ensure effective business communication (poor writing can lead to misinterpretation and loss of business)
  • Make the difference between "good" and "bad" employees (professionals are good at composing clear messages)
  • Demonstrate your intelligence (few grammatical or punctuation errors can improve how you are perceived)
  • Good writers are credible (people with advanced writing skills are perceived as more reliable and trustworthy)
• Forms of written business communication


  • Emails
  • Letters
  • Technical reports
  • Plain reports
  • Company brochures
  • Press releases
  • Manuals
  • Presentation slides
  • Case studies
  • Sales materials
  • White papers
  • Visual aids
  • Social media updates
  • Other business documents

  
• Importance of good writing skills

  • Misinterpreted messages can lead to loss of business transactions or permanent loss of partnership
  • Writing skills make the difference between "good" and "bad" employees
  • Crafting resumes and cover letters is a challenge
  • Professionals are good at composing clear messages
  • Senior management is generally more favorable to an employee who can create excellent documentation
• Demonstrating intelligence with quality writing

  • Few grammatical or punctuation errors may seem minor but people notice them even when they don't show reactions or feedbacks
  • They tend to think those who don't write well are less intelligent than those who do
  • Few minutes of proofreading can improve the way you are perceived
• Good writers are credible

  • People with advanced writing skills are perceived as more reliable and trustworthy
  • Flawless documentation make you look more credible
  • Customers and clients first see you through writing
  • Crucial for a great first impression
• Being more influential


  • Good persuasion skills help to influence others to achieve your goals
  • Professors assign persuasive essays to prep them for the job market
  • Need to know how to develop a copy (script) that will encourage the reader to take action
  • If describing an innovative idea, you should sound convincing
• Business writing conveys courtesy

  • Professionals consider formatting and etiquette
  • Also pay attention to personal tone, clarity, and logic
  • Avoid poor word choice and grammar which can come across as lazy or rude
• Writing skills help to keep good records

  • Information that is communicated orally is not kept for long
  • Keeping a record of your writing especially when you belong to industries related to creativity & concepts can help you build a reliable portfolio
• Boosting professional confidence

  Who doesn't like to advance in the career ladder
• Promoting yourself and your career

  • Better writing skills = more responsibility
  • Great for you and your future career
• Building a solid web presence

  • Owners aim to set up an effective online presence especially nowadays that the market game has turned digital
  • Quality content is a decisive factor
• Analysis


  • Basis of many other strategies
  • Process of breaking something into its parts and putting the parts back together so that you can better understand the whole
  • Explain the causes and effects of a situation, event or action, you are trying to identify their origins and understand their results
  • May discover a chain of events that explain the causes and effects
• Synthesis


  • Must bring together all your opinions and researched evidences in support of your thesis
  • Integrate the relevant facts, statistics, expert opinions, and whatever can directly be observed with your own opinion and conclusions to persuade your audience that your thesis is correct
  • Use synthesis in supporting a thesis and assembling a paper
• Toulmin Method


  • Claim (debatable statement that requires proof)
  • Reason (statement justifying the claim)
  • Qualifier (word or phrase that limits the scope or "generalizability" of your claim)
  • Warrant (assumption or point of agreement shared by the arguer and the audience)
  • Backing (additional information that justifies or enhances the credibility of your evidence)
  • Conditions of Rebuttal (potential objections to an argument)
• Rogerian Method


  • Introduction (introduces the issue to the audience while sticking with objectivity as much as possible)
  • Opposing View (explain the other side's position in an unbiased way)
  • Statement of Validity (Understanding) (discuss your acknowledgment regarding how the other side's points of view can be valid under certain circumstances)
  • Statement of Position (explain your own stance)
  • Statement of Context (explore scenarios in which your position has merit)
  • Statement of Benefits (explain to the opposing side why they would benefit from accepting your position)