EAP 4 : Argumentation

a) In part that’s true. b) The breadwinner dad and stay-at-home mum with two kids

reflects the lifestyle of a tiny minority. c) The most common family form – a married couple with

dependent children – accounts for only 40 percent of the population, although the mum-dad set-up still represents the family experience for the vast majority of British youngsters.

d) Tabloids suggest that the family structure is disintegrating and the nuclear family has fragmented.

Tabloids suggest that the family structure is disintegrating and the nuclear family has fragmented. In part that’s true. The breadwinner dad and stay-at-home mum with two kids reflects the lifestyle of a tiny minority. The most common family form – a married couple with dependent children – accounts for only 40 percent of the population, although the mum-dad set-up still represents the family experience for the vast majority of British youngsters.

The size of the family unit has also changed significantly. This is partly because of the growth in the number of people living alone and partly because people are having fewer children. In fact, the number of young people has dropped considerably. In 1988 there were 11.5 million under sixteens compared with well over 14 million at the beginning of the 1970s. Fewer couples than ever are producing large families. In the last 30 years, the percentage of households with five or more children has halved to just 8 per cent.

a) This is partly because of the growth in the number of people living alone and partly because people are having fewer children.

b) In the last 30 years, the percentage of households with five or more children has halved to just 8 per cent.

c) The size of the family unit has also changed significantly.

d) Fewer couples than ever are producing large families.

e) In fact, the number of young people has dropped considerably.

f) In 1988 there were 11.5 million under sixteens compared with well over 14 million at the beginning of the 1970s.

A big problem for working mothers in the UK is the low standard of childcare facilities for pre-school children. Parents may employ a nanny to come to their home or to live with them. This is very expensive and only realistic for a small percentage of families. An alternative is childcare centres run by the local council, where a childminder looks after children during the day in the minder’s own home. It is not always easy to get a place in one of these centres.

a) Parents may employ a nanny to come to their home or to live with them.

b) It is not always easy to get a place in one of these centres.

c) This is very expensive and only realistic for a small percentage of families.

d) A big problem for working mothers in the UK is the low standard of childcare facilities for pre-school children.

e) An alternative is childcare centres run by the local council, where a childminder looks after children during the day in the minder’s own home.

Until relatively recently, most mothers in Britain did not take paid work outside the home. Sometimes women did voluntary paid work, especially those of the middle classes. However, most women’s main (unpaid) labour was to run the home and look after their family. Whether they did this themselves or supervised other people doing it was a matter of class and money. By entering the labour market, women have now altered the face of family life. As the role of the woman in the family changed, so did the role of the man.

a) By entering the labour market, women have now altered the face of family life.

b) As the role of the woman in the family changed, so did the role of the man.

c) Until relatively recently, most mothers in Britain did not take paid work outside the home.

d) Sometimes women did voluntary paid work, especially those of the middle classes.

e) Whether they did this themselves or supervised other people doing it was a matter of class and money.

f) However, most women’s main (unpaid) labour was to run the home and look after their family.

The word argument has two meanings. Do you know both?

argument (DISAGREEMENT)   noun [C or U] a disagreement, or the process of disagreeing:The children had an argument about/over what game to play.He got into an argument with Jeff in the pub last night.A decision was finally made after some heated argument.

argument (REASON)   noun [C or U] a reason or reasons why you support or oppose an idea or suggestion, or the process of explaining them:Now that we've heard all the arguments for and against the proposal, shall we vote on it?[+ that] Her husband was not convinced by her argument that they needed a bigger house.I don't think that's a very strong/convincing/powerful argument.The central argument (= main point) of the book is that some of the plays were not written by Shakespeare.

True or false?

Which statements are true and which are false?

1. Erin is from Sichuan.

2. Jocelyn is wearing shoes.

3. Mason’s glasses look really good.

4. Jessica can say “I love you” in eight different languages.

5. Christina is the best student in the class.

6. Erin is the youngest student in the class.

7. Jocelyn looks older than Mason.

8. Reggie is a better footballer than Mark.

9. Christina sounds like an injured cat when she sings.

10.Jessica seems intelligent.

11.Erin is going on a date tonight.

12.Reggie is the coolest name in the world.

13.England is the best place to learn English.

Fact or Opinion?

Are these statements being presented to you as facts or opinions?

1. Erin is from Sichuan.

2. Jocelyn is wearing shoes.

3. Mason’s glasses look really good.

4. Jessica can say “I love you” in eight different languages.

5. Christina is the best student in the class.

6. Erin is the youngest student in the class.

7. Jocelyn looks older than Mason.

8. Reggie is a better footballer than Mark.

9. Christina sounds like an injured cat when she sings.

10.Jessica seems intelligent.

11.Erin is going on a date tonight.

12.Reggie is the coolest name in the world.

13.England is the best place to learn English.

International students come from all over the world. They can contribute a lot to the life of a university. It is also very important that the university caters for their needs. In particular, it should...

Tell your partner what you think might be wrong with the following argument:

Fact versus opinion in argumentation

It is important that you make clear whether each point you make in an essay is a fact or an opinion. Look at the two sentences below. Which is a fact? Which is an opinion?

Twenty percent of students at the university are from overseas….

International students contribute greatly to the life of a university.

Fact versus opinion in argumentation

Consider how each statement has been ‘supported’ below.

According to University Graduate office figures for the academic year 2004– 5, twenty percent of students at the university are from overseas….

(source)

International students contribute greatly to the life of the university in a number of ways, but in particular by enriching the cultural experience for all the student body. For example…..

(exemplification)

What happens if we add a source to an opinion? Does this make it any more “valid”?

According to University Graduate office, international students contribute greatly to the life of the university in a number of ways.

Evaluating an argument

The writer of the following text has constructed an argument based on facts and opinions, (though the two are not always clearly distinguished or well-supported). Read and decide the writer’s main argument. Then make a note of the facts and the opinions which are stated in the text.

Many of our best students are going abroad to study nowadays. This is detrimental to the students concerned and to our country. It is important that we make the facts of the case very clear to parents and children alike.

When our students go abroad, they meet many problems. They find that their teachers know nothing about countries abroad including our own. The result is confusion for students as foreign teachers tell them things which are different from the teaching of high school and university here. It is important to point out to students that we have very good universities in this country and that only our own lecturers really understand the local situation and local problems, and know what is relevant to teach.

Our students also come back from study abroad with many inappropriate habits and even immoral ideas. This means that foreign study is corrupting our culture and our way of life. Another problem for our students who go abroad is that they have to study the foreign language to a very high level. This is a terrible waste of time and effort for students who will then come back to work here. It is wrong that our students should learn a lot of useless information.

Finally, there is the question of cost. It is extremely expensive to send a student abroad. Since many students are scholarship funded, this necessarily means that our government has less money to spend on education at home.

For all of the above reasons, it is my strong belief that scholarship money should only be given to students who choose to study in this country. Students who want to study abroad should be discouraged. If they insist on leaving the country, they should do so at their own or their family’s expense.

Adapted from R. White & D.McGovern, ‘Writing’, Prentice Hall International, 1994 p. 14.

Your Turn : Building Arguments

Take it in turns to answer the following questions. Push each other to provide support in the form of explanations, details, examples or evidence.

Is it OK to hit children?

Is love more important than money?

Is it possible to learn a language from a book?

Is it ever right to tell lies?

Is it better to be beautiful or intelligent?

Is it best to get married before or after the age of 30?

Should entry to museums be free?

Was the Beijing Olympics worth the money that the Chinese government invested in it?

Is it fair that city bankers in London earn ten times more than teachers?

Should murderers receive the death penalty?

Paragraph Writing

Now choose one of the questions and write an answer in the form of a paragraph which states and supports your argument.

EAP Period 4 Writing Assignment

Choose ONE of the topics below. You are expected to write approximately 300 - 500 words. You will be submitting this assignment to PS moodle.

TOPIC ONE (Based on EAP 3)Topic: Teenage years are the most difficult for parents and teenagers alike. Discuss. Before starting to write- Check your notes from the discussion and presentation tasks- What will be your main thesis?-Is there any relevant material you can include from ‘Adolescence’ text that you read in period 3?

TOPIC TWO (Based loosely on EAP 1) Topic: The most influential figure(s) in the late 20th Century: In your view, who will future historians judge to be the most important opinion formers from recent decades? Before starting to write:- Who will you choose to write about? Why? - What source material will you use? - Is there ay language or rhetorical devise from listening text in EAP 3 that you would like to use?

TOPIC THREE (Based on EAP 4)Topic: Does a country gain or lose if students go abroad to study? Before starting to write:- Look at EAP p. 26. Will you agree or disagree with the writer’s main argument? - Do you agree or disagree with the individual points. What are your reasons? - Are there further points that you might make?- What examples or facts could you use to support these ideas?

Re-drafting and critically reviewing your own and peer textsFor all academic assignments on your university programme, you will be expected to draft and re-draft your own academic assignments several times to make sure it as well-argued and well-written as possible. Critical reviewing is also something you can ask another student to help you with (providing of course that you reciprocate!).

Once you have written your first draft text, read through critically to consider the following points. Is the order of points effective? Is there a logical flow to the argument? Is there sufficient exemplification of each point? Has paragraphing been used effectively? What about language and style? Can sentences be made more concise? Are there any errors in grammar, punctuation or vocabulary choice?