Reading

and
Writing Skills
LESSONS FOR THIS DISCUSSION:

07 08 09
Critical
Reading as a Formulating Determining Textual
Form of Evaluative Evidence to Validate
Reasoning Statements about Assertions and
a Text read Counterclaims made
about a Text read
 Lesson 7:
Critical
Reading as a
Form of
Reasoning
 01

OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to;
• expain why critical reading is reasoning
• use critical reading skills for understanding and reasoning
 INTRODUCTI
ON
Your goal now is to become a more
critical reader who can recognize an
author’s main point and central idea,
distinguish the support for a point
and successfully interpret the
meaning of his claims.
 Critical Reading Reasoning

- is the ability of your mind to think

- is a form of language analysis that does and understand things in a logical
not take the given text at face value, way in order to form a conclusion
but involves a deeper examination of or judgment.
the claims put forth as well as the - Does the text use statements or
supporting points and possible evidences that support its
counterarguments. conclusions? Do the evidences
- to distinguish between correct and include reasons that justify your
incorrect reasoning. beliefs?
● Critical reading requires you to ask the challenging questions:
○ “Do I believe what I am reading?”
○ “Does it make sense?”
○ “Is the argument compelling?”
○ “Is the evidence provided sufficient and credible?”
○ “What is missing?”
○ “What is the most important?”
○ “How does this fit with what I already know?”
○ “How is this useful to me?”
○ “What do I need to do with this information?”
● You can distinguish each each mode of analysis by the subject
matter of the discussion:
What a text says: Restatement Talks about the same
topic as the original
text
What a text does: Description Discusses aspects of
the discussion itself

What a text Interpretation Analyzes the text and

means: asserts a meaning for
the text as whole
● Crtical reading is designed to show you what to look for
(analysis) and how to think about what you find (inference).

○ What to look for – involoves recognizing those aspects of a

discussion that control the meaning.
○ How to think about what you find – involves the processes
of inference, the interpretation of data from within the text.
 REMEMBER:
Critical reading assumes that each author
offers a portrayal of the topic. Critical reading thus
relies on an examination of those choices that any
and all authors must make when framing a
presentation: choices of content, language, and
structure. Readers examine each of three areas of
choice, and consider their effect on the meaning.
 Lesson 8:
Formulating Evaluative
Statements about a text
read:
Formulating Assertions About
Text Content; and
Formulating Counterclaims to
Text Claims
 02

OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to;
• describe the process of making inferences
• use inference skills to make inferences based on information in
various kinds of texts
• identify debatable issues and claims
A. Formulating Assertions
About Text Content
DISCUSSION

In critical reading, you formulate evaluative

statements by making inferences and
drawing relevant and insightful conclusions.
All of us make inferences or intelligent
guesses everyday.
What is an Inference?

– is process by which readers use clues and “read

between the lines” to gather information and
evidences.
Example:
If your mother enters the house hurriedly, slams the
door, and throws her bag on the sofa, you will conclude
that she is extremely angry.
What is Inference Skill?

– is when evidences are not directly stated, it is when

the readers look for clues and suggestions provided
by the writer and use their knowledge and
experiences to fully understand the meaning of the
text to arrive at conclusions.
 Building Inference Skills (Bazerman, 2000)
● If a writer describes a person, try
● Try to read beyond the
to unerstand the person from how
words. Fill in details and
she moves, what she says, what
information based on the
she looks like. Try to build a
writer’s suggestions.
picture of the person in your
mind, you can infer things about
a character from the way a person
● Question youself as you read
behaves.
and supply the answers on the
basis of the writer’s clues and
yoir own experiences. ● If you find that you cannot easily
○ Why is this person doing answer a question about what you
what she is doing? have raed, remember to use
○ What can i infer from the inference sills. Return to the part of
scene? the reading where you expect the
answer.
 REMEMBER:

In making inferences, be sure not

to assume too much by goinf beyond
the available information; otherwise,
you inferences might become incorrect.
B. Formulating Counterclaims
to Text Claims
4 Parts of an Argument:

Issue Claim
– is an arguable, – is the debatable
controversial topic or thesis or key point
subject

Evidence Assumption
– is the supporting – are the things that the author
detail given by the believes to be true but may or may
author for the claim not true (sometimes authors do not
state their assumptions)
Example:
● Arguable Issue: Should performance-enhancing drugs be allowed in sports?
● Debatable Claim: Performance-enhancing drugs should be allowed in sports. (This
is a claim of policy)
● Evidence: The use of performance-enhancing drugs in the modern Olympics is on
records as early as the games of the third Olympiad, when Thomas Hicks won the
marathon after receiving an injection of strychnine in the middle of the race.
○ (It can be anything that could persuade the reader, such as facts, statistics,
expert opinions, research, personal experience, or others’ experiences.)
● Assumption: Using drugs to cheat in sport is not new, and drugs are much more
effective today than they were in the days of strychnine.
○ (It is the unstated linnk between claim and evidence, and it is logically
necessary for the claim to be true. For instance, if you always go to the library
to borrow books, we assume that you like to read. If you exercise three times a
week, we assume that you value fitness or a health-conscious.)
Example:
● Arguable Issue: Are women more likely than men to be
murdered at work?
● Debatable Claim: A recent study found that women are more
likely than men to be murdered at work. (This was a claim of
fact by the writer of a newspaper story, Associated Press, 1993)
● Evidence: Forty (40) percent of the women who died on the
job in 1993 were murdered; 15% of the men who died on the
job during the same period were murdered.
● Assumption: (No assumption was given by the writer.)
 Lesson 9:
Determining Textual
Evidence to Validate
Assertions and
Counterclaims made
about a Text read
 03

OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to;
• distinguish one kind of propaganda technique from the rest of the
various propaganda techniques;
• describe the types of biases in a writer’s choice of words
 INTRODUCTI
ON
As a critical reader, you do not only
discover information and ideas
within a text, such as the author’s
viewpoints, arguments, evidences,
and conclusions, buut you also
evaluate the information and ideas
to decide what to accept and what to
believe.
 DISCUSSION
● You read to assess both credibility and the validity of the text.
This means that you need to think critically while reading
critically.
● To further develop your critical thinking, you have to do two
more things:
○ (a) recognize common propaganda devices, and
○ (b) detect bias in the author’s choice of words.
A. Recognizing Common
Propaganda Devices
 What is Propaganda
Technique?

- is a kind of persuasive technique - it is a method or approach of

that creates an emotional appeal invalid, misleading
to accept a specific belief or reasoningthat skillfully
opinion, to adopt a paticular influences and changes
behavior, or to perform a certain readers’ or viewers’ reson and
action, which may perhaps be emotions to make them
political, commercial, religious, believe in something or
or civil in nature. someone, buy an item, or vote
a certain way.
● The most common persuasive techniques applied by politicians,
advertisers, journalists, radio personalities, and others who are
interested in influencing human behavior are:
1. Name Calling.
2. Glittering Generalities.
3. Transfer.
4. Testimonial.
5. Plain Folks.
6. Bandwagon.
7. Card Stacking.
1. Name Calling.
 This is synonymous with mudslinging or character
assassination.
 The technique consists of attaching negative labels or bad
words to identify opponents or “targeted” persons and things.
Examples:
■ philanderer
■ plunderer
■ voracious like a pig
■ drama queen
■ drama queen
2. Glittering Generalities.
 This technique is the opposite of name calling. Although the
words are used by the propagandists are often vague and
common, such as “good, fair, honest, nice, and best” the
implication og these words is favorable to the “target.”
 If the intention of name calling is to discredit, the purpose of
glittering generalities is to dignify even without citing any
supporting information or reason.
3. Transfer.
 This technique makes use of a kind of reasoning that influences
the “targeted” audience to transfer their positive feelings about
something to a product or idea being promoted even if that
particular something has nothing to do with the product or idea.

Example:
○ Using the Philippine flag as a backdrop for a political event makes
the implication that the event is patriotic in the best interest of the
Philippines, and a political activist’s closing his speech with a
prayer associates his action with the church (or being religious).
4. Testimonial.
 In this technique, propagandists rely on famous person’s
endorsement to give a product or cause a stamp of approval,
hoping that the extended audience will follow the admired
personality’s example.
Examples:
○ An actor speaking at a political rally;
○ An athlete’s picture on a health product
○ A picture of a celebrity using a particular brand of cosmetics
5. Plain Folks.
 This method is used by propagandists to convince the
audience that the speaker (or the person soliciting the
public’s support) is from humble origins whom they can trust
and who has their interests at heart.
 The speaker or person tries to make them believe that he is
similar to them and can understand them by using ordinary
language and mannerisms.
Examples:
○ A prominent politician eating at the food court of a mall
○ The wife of a senator shopping for groceries
6. Bandwagon.
 The method makes you (or any reader or viewer) think that since
everyone else is doing soemthing, you are expected to do it, too. It
creates the impression that you will be left out unless you “jump on
the bandwagon” (or follow someone else’s example).
 The technique embodies a “join-in-the-crowd” or “keeping-up-
with-the-Joneses” philosophy.
Examples:
○ A picture of a big crowd at the opening of a supermarket
○ An advertisement saying that “everyone is rushing down to their
car dealer to get themselves the limited edition of ABC sedan.”
7. Card Stacking.
 A propagandist resorts to this technique to make the best
casepossible for his argument and the worst case for the
counterargument (or oppposing viewpoint ). This is done by using
facts (or collecting cards) that support his argument, leaving out
those that weaken it, and leading the audience into accepting the
presented facts as a conclusion.

 This appoach is the most difficult technique to detect because only

statements favorable to the argument are provided. The audience
needs to discover what facts are missing to make an informed,
correct decision.
B. Detecting Bias in Author’s
Choice of Words
 - is another technique that
What is 01 can affect your ability to
analyze a reading
Bias? material.

- refers to a subjective or
02 personal point of view
towards someone or
something.

- person’s bias is directly

03 revealed when he says or
writes “I support that” or
“I oppose that.”
To detect bias, consider the following:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Connotative Use of Omitted The

Words. Stereotypes. Information. Writer’s
Background
.
1. Connotative Words.
A connotation is a meaning of a word beyond simple dictionary
definitions. Connotative words have an extra an extra “emotional
charge,” in which positive, negative, or neutral.
Examples:
• The words thin, slender, and skinny have similar dictionary
definitions, but slender has a postive connotation, skinny is negative,
and thin is neutral.
• The words student, scholar, and egghead are synonymous, but you
would not want to be called an egghead, you would rather opt to be
opt to be called a student, but you would prefer to be considered a
scholar.
2. Use of Stereotypes.
A stereotype is a set idea that people have about what someone or
something is like. It is an often unfair and untrue belief and untrue
belief that many people have about all people or things with a
particular characteristic.
Examples:
• “Be nice to that Ilocano suitor of yours. Ilocanos are
hardworking.”
• “All women should stay home and men should work.”
3. Omitted Information.

Deliberately omitting important information is a

form of bias. Any information that does not
support the writer’s purpose, belief, or cause is
intentionally left out or deleted.
4. The Writer’s Background.

It is always helpful to know the writer’s background to determine bias.

Is the information being provided slanted in his favor? Is it intended to
benefit him, his organization, or his cause?
THANK YOU!

GOD BLESS!