Critical Responses Task 1

Lina Mukhopadhyay ARW-ppt1

1.
2.

Task prompt
Things to consider before you begin to compose A sample text: introduction and body paragraphs Some common relationships between ideas and how to reflect them through language

3.

4.

5.

Examples from your texts and my feedback

Overview

Choose any one concept in English Language Teaching (ELT) or Applied Linguistics and write a brief essay based on the following points 1. Why do you like this concept? Give at least 2 reasons. 2. What pedagogical implication(s) does the concept have? Write the essay with a tripartite structure (introduction - body - conclusion) and use appropriate linkers to signal change of ideas.

Task prompt

Things to consider before you begin to compose

Who is/are going to be the likely reader(s) of your text?

1.
2. 3.

Elementary learners/ school learners?

Pre-service/In-service teachers? Your tutor?

TARGET READERS

Which ideas are you likely to use in the first/ introductory paragraph?

There is no strict set of rules for this. But generally in this kind of an essay which is a semi-formal one, in the first paragraph you need to
a)

Introduce the concept to your readers in your own words (a short definition) State your stance on the concept (e.g., you like the concept and list the reasons) Signal to your readers that you are going to discuss each of these points in the essay

b)

c)

An introductory paragraph: A sample

Feedback refers to a concept where teachers give comments on learner performance, spoken and/or written. Feedback given to second/ foreign language learners, can help them learn better by drawing attention to their strengths and weaknesses. (S1: topic introduction - definition; S2: thesis statement) Though this concept is not unique to the context of SL learning but it plays a crucial role in advancing language skills.

(S2: elaboration + link with the domain of ELT)

Hence, I like this concept and would like to discuss the reasons behind liking this concept in the rest of my essay. I would conclude my essay with some implications of using feedback in ESL classrooms. (S3: signal to state purpose and organization)

I like the concept of feedback in the context of English language education as it can serve as a (valuable) learning tool by drawing learners attention to their strengths and weaknesses.(S1:stance) Feedback is generally provided by teachers in the form of comments based on learners written and/ or spoken production. (S2: definition)Though this concept is not unique to the context of SL learning, it can play a (crucial) role in advancing language skills. (S3: elaboration) So, in my essay I would discuss the reasons why I like this concept and conclude my essay with some suggestions for using feedback in ESL classrooms. (S3: signal about purpose)

Another style of writing

Establish a line of argument (provide a stance) Signal intention (what will be discussed and how) Control voice (use of modals and adjectives)

3 essential moves

Body paragraph: A sample

My first reason for liking the concept of feedback is that from a learners point of view. (S1: signal reason: a claim) Teachers who have provided me with feedback on my essays have helped me reflect on several aspects such as development of content, use of language and organizational details in those essays. (S2: causation + example)
Based on the teachers input I have worked consciously to develop my writing and over a period of years I have seen the benefits of working on my writing style on the basis of feedback I received (S3:result).

Some common relationships between ideas and how to reflect them through language

Based on the training from an intensive speaking course in Australia, the Indian nurses were able to communicate with patients in their host country.
The pre-service teachers had to prepare lesson plans before every teaching session. This led them to write in a planned manner and they perceived a development in their writing abilities post their practice teaching sessions.

Cause and effect

Discourse Analysis

Thesis statement

This essay/paper/study argues for the impact extensive reading has on building vocabulary knowledge in adult ESL/ EFL learners.
This study was undertaken to examine whether the Socratic method of questioning result in the development of critical thinking skills in young ESL learners.

Claim and example

Good readers are those who are able to read relatively fast and with full comprehension. For instance if a child in grade three reads 100 words in five minutes and retells the content with 80% accuracy, then it can be concluded that the child is a good reader.

Conclusion (cause and effect)

In sum, the findings of our study show that linguistic complexity of texts affect comprehension in adult ESL learners. The higher the proficiency levels of the learners, the less difficult it is for them to process linguistically complex texts. At higher levels of proficiency, learners have access to more vocabulary and therefore can process linguistically complex texts with greater ease than learners at same age but with lower proficiency levels.

Examples from your texts

Introductions

Formative assessment is a term that is widely used in the field of education. It refers to the assessment of a learner, at different points of time, throughout the length of a course in real life situationsI believe that formative assessment can be used to great effect in classroom, positively affecting the learning process and pedagogic practices.

Formative assessment is a model of assessment where learners are assessed at several points of time in a course using different types of tests. This model is widely used in the field of English language education. A case in point is the wide scale application of the continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) model at the secondary level of education in India. I like this concept because I believe it can positively affect the ESL/ EFL learning process and related pedagogic practices. So, in this essay I would give evidences to demonstrate the usefulness of this concept for both ESL learners and teachers (in India).

There have been major developments in the field of ELT in the recent past which brought into light, several new aspects related to ELT which were not considered earlier. I would like to talk about one such topic i.e., learner behaviour. This aspect proves that ELT not only deals with teaching/teachers but also learning/learners.

A factor that influences learning of a second/ foreign language is affective factors. These factors refer to learner internal aspects like motivation, risk-taking ability, anxiety and personality traits of learners. In ESL/ EFL classroom a teacher needs to take into account the various affective factors that learners bring into the class. They need to offer instruction to employ the factors in a beneficial manner and create a conducive environment for learning. In this essay, I would argue for the usefulness of affective factors in the ESL classroom with relevant reasons and examples.

Examples of claims without evidences

Curriculum renewal plays a vital role in every teaching learning scenario. It has great value in English language teaching and other disciplines.

ESL Curriculum renewal models create scope for improving upon the existing system of syllabus, text books, method of instruction, and assessment . Therefore, it has the potential to play a crucial role in bringing about positive changes in the lives of the main stakeholders of language education, namely learners and teachers.

Every language has its own concept of every object in the world.

Every language in this world has a unique label or name for every object/ concept. For instance the concept of water is labeled as water in English, pani in Hindi, wasser in German, agua in Spanish and so on. When some languages share the same origin, they have cognate labels for a concept. So the labels either have the same root or pronunciation or both as in the case of water and wasser above.