Academic English PEN0065 Online Reading Notes 2020 PDF

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Online Reading Notes for Academic English PEN0065 2020...

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PEN0065

ACADEMIC ENGLISH

ONLINE NOTES

READING

MAIN IDEAS • The main idea refers to the central or most important idea of a paragraph or even a text. It normally sets the direction of the passage or the paragraph.

A main idea can either be stated directly or it could be implied: 1. When it is directly stated, it is normally written as a complete sentence at the beginning of a paragraph as a topic sentence. However, a main idea can actually appear in any sentence in a paragraph, and it fact, it could even be written as the last sentence as it summarises the main focus of the paragraph. 2. Implied main idea, on the other hand, is not directly stated in a particular sentence of a paragraph, and the main idea could be suggested or inferred by the writer. Hence all the details in the paragraph need to be examined in order to find the common thread that binds or links them together. This common thread would be the gist or the main idea of the paragraph. These are some questions that can help us identify the main idea of a passage or a paragraph: 1. Who or what is the paragraph focussing on? 2. What aspect or idea about the ‘who’ or ‘what’ is the writer focussing on?

Becoming a Critical Reader Being a critical reader does not mean that we are finding the fault or flaws of a reading text. Instead it means we are engaging what we read by asking ourselves important questions such as, “what is the author trying to say” and “what is the main argument being presented here?” It also entails evaluating and analysing what we are reading in order for us not to be easily swayed by information that we read at face value.

A text would undoubtedly contain an author’s subjective interpretation and opinion. Hence as a critical reader, we must be aware of the fact that different authors would have different slants. As critical readers, we need to objectively evaluate what we read so that we can form our own judgement on that issue. Critical readers are also able to reflect on what the text says, not merely on its content or what it describes, but also on the writer’s style, structure and language used.

Determining Author’s Purpose An author writes with an intention or a purpose in mind, and the main ideas presented are directly linked or related to his or her purpose. There are basically three main purposes: to inform, to entertain, and to persuade. To inform – a writer aims to provide facts or information on a topic in order to impart or explain about something to the readers. To entertain – a writer’s purpose is to amuse and delight by appealing to the readers’ interest, senses and imagination. To persuade – a writer aims to convince the reader to agree with the his or her point of view on an issue. They may present facts, but their main purpose is to argue or to prove a point to the readers. A writer might have a more specific purpose than the general purposes of to inform, entertain or persuade. For example, to inform could also include specific purposes such as to discuss, analyse, clarify, explain, establish and etc. On the other hand, to entertain could also be to delight, amuse or frighten while to persuade could include the purpose of to argue, convince, criticise or motivate. In order to figure out the author’s purpose, consider the main ideas, supporting details given, and the tone used. For instance: Topic Sentence: Spanking must not be used as a way to discipline due to its long-term negative impact on the child. Consider what the author is writing about spanking. Is the author discussing the disadvantages of spanking? Is the author arguing against spanking as a means of discipline? Is the author going to warn or reprimand those who use spanking as a means of discipline? The tone words “must” and “negative” show clearly that the author is against spanking. The phrase “long-term impact” indicates that the details will be organized as a list of effects. Thus we can conclude that the author’s purpose is to persuade the reader that spanking is not a way to discipline children by arguing against spanking.

Determining Author’s Tone An author’s attitude is expressed through the choice of words and the selected details he or she selects.

For instance, a textbook would normally have an objective tone as it presents facts and explanations. A textbook writer would adopt the objective tone that is matter-of-fact and neutral. In other words, an objective tone is impartial. It does not reveal feelings for or against a topic; thus, it is unbiased or neutral. Often, objective tone uses higher level words and avoids pronouns such as I and you, in order to create a formal tone.

However, fiction and personal essays are usually written with a subjective tone. A subjective tone uses words that describe feelings, judgments, or opinions. The details are likely to include experiences, senses, feelings, and thoughts. Thus, a subjective tone is personal, biased, emotional, and often informal.

Since tone is expressed through the choice of words and details the author uses, we must examine how these words and details are presented within the writing to identify the tone of the author.

For example: The following statements each express different tones or attitudes about an untidy apartment.

Six different tones are used: optimistic, bitter, tolerant, sentimental, humorous, and objective. 1. This place may be shabby, but since both of my children were born while we lived here, it has a special place in my heart. The tone is sentimental. “It has a special place in my heart,” expresses tender emotions. 2. This isn’t the greatest apartment in the world, but it’s not really that bad. The tone is tolerant. The words “not really that bad” show that the writer accepts the situation while recognizing that it could be better. 3. If only there were some decent jobs out there, I wouldn’t be reduced to living in this miserable dump. The tone is bitter. The writer resents a situation that forces him or her to live in a “miserable dump.”

4. This place does need some repairs, but I’m sure the landlord will be making improvements sometime soon. The tone is optimistic. The writer is expecting the apartment to be improved soon. 5. When we move away, we’re planning to release three hundred cockroaches and tow mice, so we can leave the place exactly as we found it. The tone is humorous. The writer claims to be planning a comic revenge on the landlord by returning the apartment to the terrible condition it was in when the tenants moved in. 6. This is the apartment we live in. It provides shelter. The tone is objective. The writer does not express feelings about the apartment. He simply states facts.

Determining an Author’s Point of View

An author’s point of view refers to his or her attitude or opinion of an issue. It also demonstrates his or her belief or position on the matter discussed. An author’s point of view could be neutral, positive or negative which is closely linked to their purpose of writing. If the writer’s purpose is to inform, instruct, or entertain, he or she might have a neutral or an objective point of view. However, if the main purpose is to persuade, then the point of view might not be neutral or objective.

Detecting an Author’s Bias An author with a point of view will tend to be biased, especially if he or she aims to persuade or convince the readers. As a critical reader, we need to be aware of a writer’s bias especially when we are reading an article on a controversial issue as their biases will influence the content as well as evidence presented in their writing. Hence, we need to:

1. Examine their writing style, word choice and evidence presented 2. Evaluate their work and decide if they are being fair or biased. 3. Determine their point of view 4. Decide if we would agree or do further reading before deciding on our stand on the issue. 5. Be aware of our own bias or feelings towards the issue as we ought to read and evaluate a text in an objective manner and with an open mind.

How to Detect a Writer’s Point of View and Bias?

A writer might express their point of view or bias clearly at the start of their work or even at the end. They might perhaps use phrases such as “I believe/ I strongly feel/ I really support…” Their stand is clearly stated and all the evidence presented would point to that point of view.

However, at times, their word choice would reveal their point of view or biases on an issue. They might choose to use certain words that could have positive or negative connotations in order to present their arguments or evidence. Then, a critical reader would be able to discern if the writer is biased towards or biased against something or someone. To be biased against would mean to have an unfavourable view of someone or something while to be biased towards means that the writer is in favour of someone or something.

Determining The Audience When authors write to inform, to entertain or even to persuade, they do it with a particular audience in mind. The intended audience could fall under one of the categories:

1. A specific individual, for example: a company director, a dean of a faculty, a government minister, etc. 2. A group of people, such as university students, club members, parents, lecturers, etc. 3. The general public, such as, the whole society, Malaysians, the locals, etc.

We can identify the intended audience by examining the language cues and by looking at the subject matter of the article. If the article has highly specialised language intended for experts in the subject, these specialists would be the intended audience. However, even if the language seems general enough, the content of the article might not be relevant or applicable to the general public; the intended audience could be people who are interested, involved or stakeholders.

References ASC. (2009, January). Tone and Purpose Handout. Retrieved from IRSC: https://irscasc.weebly.com/uploads/3/1/8/1/31813909/tone_and_purpose_-_asc.pdf

Critical Reading and Reading Strategy. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.skillsyouneed.com/learn/critical-reading.html Johari, A., & Selvaraj, B. (2017). Developing Reading Skills. Shah Alam: Oxford University Press. Miami Dade College. (n.d.). Retrieved from Main Idea: https://www.mdc.edu/Kendall/collegeprep/documents2/MAIN%20IDEASrevised815. pdf Teoh, S., Abd Rahman, A., Paul-Evanson, C., & Chai , M. (2015). Determining the Author's Purpose, Intended Audience, Tone and Point of View. In Reading & Critical Thinking (3rd ed., pp. 143-181). Shah Alam: McGraw Hill Education....