Counterargumentation at the primary level: An intervention study investigating the argumentative writing of second language learners (original) (raw)
Related papers
2016
While the ability to present a written argument convincingly is important for tertiary level students, research has shown that the written argument is one of the most difficult written genres for students to master. In this regard, many studies have been conducted on this genre and it was found that one of the moves which students encountered the most difficulty with was the move which handled counter-arguments. Novice writers have been known to avoid this particular move even though skilled arguers are expected to demonstrate an ability to raise counter-arguments and quash them strategically in order to strengthen a chosen claim. This study applied the robust two-layer move-step approach popularised by Swales (1990, 2004) to explore this particular move in argumentative essays. The qualitative analysis of this study included an examination of the linguistic features used by writers to communicate their intentions in this move and its subsequent steps. It was found that a move which...
While the ability to present a written argument convincingly is important for tertiary level students, research has shown that the written argument is one of the most difficult written genres for students to master. In this regard, many studies have been conducted on this genre and it was found that one of the moves which students encountered the most difficulty with was the move which handled counter-arguments. Novice writers have been known to avoid this particular move even though skilled arguers are expected to demonstrate an ability to raise counter-arguments and quash them strategically in order to strengthen a chosen claim. This study applied the robust two-layer move-step approach popularised by Swales (1990, 2004) to explore this particular move in argumentative essays. The qualitative analysis of this study included an examination of the linguistic features used by writers to communicate their intentions in this move and its subsequent steps. It was found that a move which handled counter-arguments might contain a combination of three steps and these were steps which raised a counter-argument, acknowledged the value of a counter-argument, and rejected a counter-argument. The findings of this study have pedagogical value because it can assist classroom practitioners in preparing teaching materials, particularly for a second language classroom at tertiary level. ABSTRAK Keupayaan untuk menulis karangan argumentatif merupakan satu kemahiran bahasa yang sangat berguna terutamanya bagi pelajar di institusi pengajian tinggi. Dapatan kajian lepas pula menunjukkan bahawa penulisan argumentatif merupakan satu genre penulisan yang paling sukar dikuasai pelajar. Ini telah menarik minat ramai penyelidik untuk membuat kajian ke atas genre penulisan tersebut, dan juga didapati bahawa langkah yang paling sukar untuk ditulis ialah langkah berkenaan hujah balas. Disebabkan kekangan ini, hasil penyelidikan lepas telah menunjukkan bahawa ramai pelajar novis telah cuba mengelakkan diri daripada menulis hujah balas dalam esei mereka sedangkan langkah ini adalah penting untuk mengukuhkan lagi pendirian penulis dalam esei. Kajian ini mengaplikasikan pendekatan genre berbentuk 'gerak-langkah' yang dicadangkan oleh Swales (1990, 2004) untuk menganalisis unsur maklumat utama berkenaan dalam esei argumentatif. Kajian kualitatif ini juga melihat ciri-ciri linguistik yang lazim digunakan oleh penulis berpengalaman untuk merealisasikan niat komunikasi mereka. Dari kajian, didapati bahawa langkah berkenaan hujah balas terdiri daripada kombinasi tiga gerak iaitu membangkitkan hujah balas, mengakui nilai hujah balas dan menolak hujah balas. Justeru dapatan kajian ini amat bernilai dari segi pedagogi kerana ia dapat membantu pengajar dalam usaha menyediakan bahan pengajaran khasnya dalam pengajaran bahasa di institusi pengajian tinggi.
It is generally acknowledged that counterargumentation is a key factor contributing to the persuasiveness of argumentative essays; however, recent research has revealed that students tend to neglect alternative viewpoints when responding to argumentative writing prompts. This study used a pretest-posttest design on experimental and control groups with 125 participants at a Chinese university. The control group received instruction in argumentative writing (which typically ignores counterargumentation in mainland China), while the experimental group received instruction in argumentation which included counterarguing and refuting. The results of the study demonstrate the efficacy of explicit classroom instruction in counterargumentation. Text analysis on posttest scripts showed that the inclusion of counterarguments and rebuttals was significantly positively correlated with the overall score of an argumentative essay using the evaluative rubric of a high-stakes test. These findings may have important implications for writing prompts and rubrics as well as argumentative writing pedagogy in China and beyond. It is proposed that counterargumentation be considered in the writing prompts and rubrics of high-stakes English tests, and included in classroom instruction on argumentative writing.
Language Learning, 2016
This 8-year longitudinal case study of Fabiola, a Spanish-English bilingual, investigated her argumentative writing development, focusing on her use of evidence to support and develop arguments over time from high school through university. Data sources included 36 writing samples. Texts across grade levels and course types were analyzed to determine changes in evidential types (quotations and paraphrases), evidential functions, and reporting verbs used to introduce evidence. Interview transcripts were analyzed to identify Fabiola's changing perspectives on use of evidence in argumentative writing. Evidentials were found to vary according to course type, but more dramatic changes (in type, function, and range of reporting verbs used) were found over time as language proficiency and writing expertise developed, providing longitudinal support for other studies that have examined writers at only one point in time.
Scrutinizing Argumentation in Practice (Argumentation in Context). Frans, van Eemeren, Bart, Garssen (Eds). (pp.151-174). Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2015, 2015
ABSTRACT: Argumentation strategies constitute a crucial aspect of argumentation. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relations of the argumentative strategies observed in the writing of adolescents’ texts within language evaluation tests, to the elaboration of their theses and the evaluation of their argumentative competence. Despite the diversity of argumentative strategies employed, their standpoints are not fully elaborated and so their argumentative competence is diminished. These findings are important for the designing of argumentative teaching.
Commentary on “validation of a scheme for assessing argumentative writing of middle school students”
Assessing Writing, 1998
Yeh's article presents two studies that attempt to validate methods of assessing the quality of argumentative essays characteristic of those written by middle school students. Essentially, these studies are an effort in construct validation (Cronbach & Meehl, 1955). The criterion measure consists of holistic ratings of the quality of the essays made by experienced language arts teachers. The constructs that Yeh investigates to account for variance in the holistic ratings include clarity of the argument claim, strength of supporting reasons, strength of refutation of counter arguments, the extent to which the structure of the argument is developed, the degree of author's voice, and the number of conventional mistakes in punctuation and spelling. These constructs are operationalized in terms of characteristics of the argument texts that the language arts teachers rate. The two constructs that account most for the variance in holistic ratings come from the second study and consist of the extent of development of the argument structure and the number of conventional mistakes: The more complete the argument structure, the higher the holistic rating, and the fewer the conventional mistakes, the higher the rating. These two factors account in approximately equal the variance in holistic ratings. t proportion for about 60 per cent of The proportion of variance accounted for by these constructs is a high one and provides substantial support for the validity of the two constructs.
The Relationship Between Argumentative Speaking and Writing Among EFL Students
The Relationship Between Argumentative Speaking and Writing Among EFL Students, 2023
This study looks at the connection between argumentative writing and speaking among sixth-semester EFL students at Moulay Ismail University in Morocco's English Studies department. In order to achieve this objective, a total of 80 undergraduate students who were learning English as a foreign language (EFL) were selected as participants. Participants were then given both speaking and writing examinations to assess their argumentation skills in these two areas. Regression and correlation analyses were performed in SPSS on the study's data. The findings show a substantial difference between speaking and writing in contentious discourse, in addition to a high positive association. Argumentative speaking was statistically proven to predict a great proportion of argumentative writing. The findings suggest integrating argumentative speaking and writing in teaching and assessment practices in a balanced way. The two skills can be taught along with each other to facilitate correspondences between the two modalities in argumentative genre. The study ends with further implications, research limitations and recommendation for future endeavors.
The Effects of a Cognitive Apprenticeship Model on the Argumentative Texts of EFL Learners
Journal of Education and Learning
In the present study, a quasi-experimental pre-post test design was used to assess the effects of an argumentative writing strategy (POW+TREE) on the performance of grade five and six students of Greek origin who were learning English as a foreign language (EFL) in a Greek setting. The Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) cognitive apprenticeship model was utilized to improve the text composition skills of the students. In the experimental group (N=77), participants received instruction on general and genre-specific strategy use for planning and writing argumentative essays, on procedures to apply self-regulation (goal setting, self-monitoring, self- reinforcement, and self-instructions), and on establishing additional skills (vocabulary, grammar-drill instruction, good word choice, interesting openings etc.). The control group (N=100) was supported through a traditional curriculum in writing (focusing on spelling and grammar). Findings of the study showed that strategy instru...