Hello there dear classmates :]
I'd like to share with you a treasure I've found!
It's an online graphical dictionary where you can: "Look up words to find their meanings and associations with other words and concepts. Produce diagrams reminiscent of a neural net. Learn how words associate."
To use it you just have to: "Enter words into the search box to look them up or double-click a node to expand the tree. Click and drag the background to pan around and use the mouse wheel to zoom. Hover over nodes to see the definition and click and drag individual nodes to move them around to help clarify connections."
The link to the dictionary is: http://www.visuwords.com/
Hope you like it!
And, please, let me know how you appreciated it.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
WRITING AN ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY
What is an argument?
An argument states a clear position and presents evidence to support this position.Your thesis statement or claim is a clear statement of position . It should be clear and focused enough for you to prove your position in your essay. The rest of the essay should be devoted to proving your position. Logical cohesion in your essay is very important because you should start from one premise, prove it, move from one argument to the next. All your arguments should serve to prove your main point. Moving away from the main point is not allowed, and if an idea does not support your main idea it should not be included in your essay. Let's proceed step by step in writing an argumentative essay.
Imagine you are given this task by your instructor:
. What are the two sides of the issue? Is it debatable?
Yes, it is debatable. Some may argue for it and some may argue against the idea..
. What is my position? Do I agree? Do I disagree?
Why am I for/against it?
. What is the context of the issue?
. So what?
. Who cares?
. Why should/shouldn't we open a university in every town?
Let's try to answer some of these questions because they will help us formulate our arguments as well as provide our introduction to the issue by setting up the context.
- government
- parents
- students
- local businesses
- local organizations
- other universities
- faculty / academicians
- government wishes to open universities
- local people pressure legislators and politicians
- universities are against the proposal
- students/parents' reaction?
- practical /convenient
- sociocultural development of host town
- economic development of host town
- The quality of education in those universities will be substandard.
- Why will the quality of education be below the desirable standards?
· staffing problems
· financial problems
· sociocultural development of the students
Now we have decided on our position, we have developed our arguments, and we have shown an awareness of both sides of the issue. We are ready to start writing our essay.
Our outline looks like this:
Thesis: It is not a good idea to open a university in every town.
Argument 1: staffing problems
support 1: not enough qualified teachers
support 2: not willing to go
Argument 2: financial difficulties
support 1: building facilities
support 2: providing servicesCounter argument : a university will contribute to economic and sociocultural development of host town
Refutation of counter argument: a university wrestling with its own economic and sociocultural problems cannot contribute to development of host town
The purpose of the argumentative essay is to persuade your readers: you usually write for people who disagree with you. Therefore, your arguments should be strong enough to persuade them. The purpose of the introduction is to make your readers read on: in other words, your introduction should attract the readers' attention and want them to read your essay to set the scene for the issue to state your thesis clearly
Ask yourself the questions:
. What is the context?
. Who cares?
. So what?
. Why should people care about this topic?
Answer the questions:
1. What is the context?
. government plans to open 15 new universities
. local people pressure legislators and politicians
. there are already 85 universities
. already existing ones have problems
. universities are against the proposal
. students/parents' reaction?
2. So what?
old and new universities alike will suffer/ quality of education will deteriorate
3. Who cares?
. everybody
. I do
. parents/students
. academicians
. other universities
. government
. local businesses
. local organizations
. nongovernmental organizations?
4. Why should people care about this issue?
it will influence the quality of education/therefore people's lives will be affected
While writing your essay, make sure that your arguments are developed sufficiently.
Let's go back to the outline and provide adequate formal reasoning and proof for our arguments.
support 1: not enough qualified teachers
why? rate of education low in our country/not enough university graduates/not enough people with master's and PhD degrees
support 2: not willing to go
why? living conditions not good/academic conditions not good
so what? low quality teaching staff==>low quality education
Argument 2: financial difficulties
support 1: building facilities
what kind? labs, libraries, dorms, sports and social facilities, cafeterias needed
support 2: providing services academic and non-academic services==>food, transportation, accommodation, how water, computers, lab equipment, bookstore, library services
so what ? quality of education will deteriorate
Refutation: In your refutation you want to show
. why the opposition is wrong
. your opinion/position is better
. where the opposition's argument falls short
Summarize the opposite opinion in a sentence or two and provide the context. Then, 1. problematize the opposing arguments; 2. shift from opposing arguments to supporting arguments
1. Problematizing the opposing arguments: It is important that the reader knows that when you write opposing arguments you do not agree with them. You have to make it clear that you are presenting these arguments only to show that you understand the issue from both sides, that you have anticipated the opposing arguments and wish to criticize them. In order to signal this you have to use special phrases. To problematize something means you make it seem like a problem, to make it seem untrue.However, you should avoid an aggressive approach when you are problematizing your opponent's arguments. For example, do not use expressions like, "This is silly/foolish/rubbish" or "It/This is not true."
Example: Counter argument: "The establishment of a university in a small or developing town will contribute to the development of local culture, community and economy."Problematized argument: "It is argued that the establishment of a university in a small or developing town will contribute to the development of local culture, community and economy."
2. Shifting from opposing arguments to supporting arguments: You should clearly mark the point where you shift from opposing arguments to supporting arguments. The most common of the contrast markers is "However".Example: It is argued that the establishment of a university in a small or developing town will contribute to the development of local culture, community and economy. However, if a university is wrestling with staff recruitment problems and cannot solve its financial funding problems, it cannot be of any help to the local community or the economy.
1. Problematizing the opposing arguments: It is important that the reader knows that when you write opposing arguments you do not agree with them. You have to make it clear that you are presenting these arguments only to show that you understand the issue from both sides, that you have anticipated the opposing arguments and wish to criticize them. In order to signal this you have to use special phrases. To problematize something means you make it seem like a problem, to make it seem untrue.However, you should avoid an aggressive approach when you are problematizing your opponent's arguments. For example, do not use expressions like, "This is silly/foolish/rubbish" or "It/This is not true."
Example: Counter argument: "The establishment of a university in a small or developing town will contribute to the development of local culture, community and economy."Problematized argument: "It is argued that the establishment of a university in a small or developing town will contribute to the development of local culture, community and economy."
2. Shifting from opposing arguments to supporting arguments: You should clearly mark the point where you shift from opposing arguments to supporting arguments. The most common of the contrast markers is "However".Example: It is argued that the establishment of a university in a small or developing town will contribute to the development of local culture, community and economy. However, if a university is wrestling with staff recruitment problems and cannot solve its financial funding problems, it cannot be of any help to the local community or the economy.
You can try one or several of the strategies below:
. summarize the key points you have discussed
. reflect back to your introduction: especially if you asked questions in the introduction it is a good idea to conclude by providing answers
. provide a solution if you have started out to find a solution . call for action: suggest what action should be taken
Sample argumentative essay:
A University in Every Town
The Turkish government is planning to open 15 new universities in developing provinces of Turkey. This is a response to pressure coming from local MPs who in turn voice the demands of their constituencies. However, while the already existing 85 universities are wrestling with financial and academic difficulties, it does not seem to be a good idea to add new universities to the system of higher education.
First of all, the new universities will experience staffing problems. That is, they will have difficulty finding faculty that is qualified to teach in these budding universities. In our country the number of academicians who meet the academic requirements is limited. New universities will have two choices: either to draw from the existing pool or to employ under qualified people. To attract those instructors from other universities they will have to offer attractive incentives . However, since these will be state universities they will not have the necessary funds and most academics will be unwilling to go to small town universities where academic and life standards are below par. The only venue open to these universities will be to employ local professionals or under qualified instructors. The inevitable result will follow: a drop in the quality of education.
In addition to recruitment problems, small town universities will have financial difficulties. The funds allocated to them by the state will not be enough to build from scratch all the facilities that make a university a "real university". A university is more than a few classrooms. Students will need dorms, gyms, cafeterias, sports facilities, labs and computers for their academic and social development. How many new universities can claim to have only a few of these facilities on their campuses? The result will be a small town "university" which consists of a sole building that houses classrooms and offices, and nothing more.
It is argued that the establishment of a university in a developing town will contribute to the development of local culture, community and economy. However, if a university is wrestling with staff recruitment problems, or if it cannot solve its financial difficulties it means that it cannot be of any help to the local community or economy either. It will only employ a few locals, provide substandard education to a few local youth, and it will not fulfill the the aim for which it was initially established.
Universities are institutions of higher education and they need to provide education to satisfy certain standards. In order to provide such quality education they need to have qualified teachers and must provide minimum social and academic facilities. Since funds are limited, we should raise the standard of our existing universities first. Only after that, should we invest in establishing new ones.
Copyright @ 2006 SFL, Bogazici University
Copyright @ 2006 SFL, Bogazici University
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