Lesson 2 English for Academic and Professional Purposes

1. OBJECTIVES
• Explain what critical reading is;
• Annotate, outline, summarize, and question
the writer’s claim in a text;
• Evaluate whether an argument is
sound/logical or not;
• Analyze a text by applying the different ways
in reading critically;

2. READING TEXTS CRITICALLY

3. Gary Goshgarian
Critical reading is
an active process
of discovery.

4. • Girls most likely do well in academics
during high school years but boys get
ahead of them in college.
• Female teenagers are more concerned
with their physical appearance than male
teenagers.

5. • Involves scrutinizing any information
that you read or hear
• Means not easily believing the
information offered by a text
• Is an active process of discovery
Critical reading

6. Francis Bacon, The Essays
Read not to contradict
and confute; nor to
believe and take for
granted; nor to find talk
and discourse; but to
weigh and consider”

7. 1. The ability to pose questions
2. The ability to analyze a problem in
all its dimensions
3. The ability to find, gather, and
interpret data, facts, and other
information relevant to the
problem
Requirements in Critical Reading

8. 4. The ability to imagine alternative solutions to the
problem, to see different ways in which the question
might be answered and different perspectives for
viewing it
5. The ability to analyze competing approaches and
answers, to construct arguments for and against
alternatives, and to choose the best solution in the
light of values, objectives , and other criteria that one
determines and articulates
6. The ability to write an effective argument justifying
one’s choice while acknowledging counter-arguments
Requirements in Critical Reading

9. 1. Annotate what you read.
Ways to help you become a critical reader

11. 2. Outline the text.
Example:
Thesis Statement:
Supporting details;
Point 1:
Point 2:
Point 3:
Ways to help you become a critical reader

12. Thesis Statement: The concept of Standard English is
problematic because there is no clear definition of
what standard is.
Point 1 : The author gives a scenario in the
Philippine classrooms in which English teachers get
frustrated because of students’ grammatical errors.
Point 2 : The author mentioned that research
studies are being conducted in order to improve
teaching English as a second language but failed to
mention what those specific studies are.

13. Thesis Statement: The concept of Standard English
is problematic because there is no clear definition
of what standard is.
Point 3 : The common errors that Filipino
college students commit in their writings are
mentioned.

14. 3. Summarize the text.
Ways to help you become a critical reader

15. 4. Evaluate the text.
- the most challenging part
- you question the author’s
purpose and intentions, as well as his
assumptions in the claims
Ways to help you become a critical reader

28. LET’S PLAY
Trip Ubusan!

30. THE
WRITING
PROCESS

31. A thesis statement is…
➢ the claim or stand that you will develop in
your paper
➢ the controlling idea of your essay
➢ gives your readers idea of what your
paper is all about
Developing Your Thesis Statement

33. 1. A good thesis statement is focused and
not too broad.
x Eating fast food is bad
and should be avoided.

34. 1. A good thesis statement is focused and
not too broad.
√ Filipinos should eliminate the regular
consumption of fast food because the fast
food diet leads to preventable and
expensive health issues, such as diabetes,
obesity, and heart disease.

35. 2. A good thesis statement is centered on a
debatable topic.
x There are high numbers
of homeless people living
in Metro Manila.

36. 2. A good thesis statement is centered on a
debatable topic.
√ Homeless people in Metro Manila
should be given access to services, such as
regular food donations, public restrooms,
and camping facilities, because it would
improve life for all inhabitants of the city.

37. 3. A good thesis statement picks a side.
x Secondhand smoke is bad and can cause heart
disease and cancer; therefore, smoking should be
outlawed in public places, but outlawing smoking
is unfair to smokers so maybe non-smokers can
just hold their breath or wear masks around
smokers instead.

38. 3. A good thesis statement picks a side.
√ Secondhand smoke is just as harmful as
smoking and leads to a higher prevalence of
cancer and heart disease. What is worse, people
who inhale secondhand smoke are doing so
without consent. For this reason, smoking in any
places should be banned.

39. 4. A good thesis statement makes claims that
will be supported later in the paper.
x Humans should relocate
to Mars.

40. 4. A good thesis statement makes claims that
will be supported later in the paper.
√ It is too late to save earth; therefore,
humans should immediately set a date
for their relocation to Mars where, with
proper planning, they can avoid issues of
famine, war, and global warming.

41. • means finding the connection of one
point to another and establishing a link
from one idea to another
• Outlining
–Introduction
–Body
–Conclusion
Organizing Your Paper

42. 1. What are your common writing practices?
2. Are they effective? Why or why not?
3. Have you experienced using the following expressions
in your writing?
a. In my humble opinion…
b. I think…
c. For me…
d. In summary…
e. As a conclusion…
What can you say about the expressions above?

43. OBJECTIVES
• Identify the different kinds of reaction
paper;
• Appreciate the craftmanship of writing a
review; and
• Write an insightful reaction paper on a
social issue or common experience

44. Let’s play
MUKHA MO!

45. THE
REACTION
PAPER

46. GRADED RECITATION
1. What are the importance of reviews and
reaction papers?
2. Why should people write a reaction
paper?
3. How do reviews change the way you look
at a movie, product, or place?

47. THE
REACTION
PAPER
• Involves writing about personal feelings or perceptions
on a certain field
• Requires a considerable thought and deliberation
• Is not a careless comment to an issue

48. TIPS IN WRITING A REACTION PAPER
1. Read carefully and understand what the
article, book, or video is talking about in order
to avoid unnecessary material.
2. Develop an outline before writing.
3. List down key points as you thoroughly discuss
them by writing what was learned, what he
agrees, or disagrees regarding the topic.
4. Write justification of his opinion.
5. Include two or more real-world examples.

49. TIPS IN WRITING A REACTION PAPER
6. State how the discussed points are related to
public relations.
7, Make the writing as brief as possible.
8. After discussing the points, you should have a
conclusive point at the end.
9. Proofread your work to correct any
grammatical mistakes.
10. Write the name of the author of the work you
are responding to. (APA style of documentation)

55. INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY
Write a reaction paper about the TEDx video. Make sure
that you do the following when writing one.
1. Get readers interested in the event.
2. Summarize the event.
3. Try to look at the event from different angles.
4. Use words for effect, whether this is to emphasize
what you want to say or to be ironic about
inconsistencies you notice.
5. Come up with original insights about the event.

56. • Synopsis
• Analysis
• Learning Insights
• Policy Recommendation
• References

57. Rubric
• Content (10). This includes the relevance of the event and your
reaction; the informative and entertainment value of your
paper; the societal importance of your paper
• Organization (10). This includes the appropriate use of
transitional markers; the correct use of paragraphs; the logical
flow of ideas.
• Language (10). This includes the use vocabulary words to
heighten the reader’s experience; the use of wit, metaphor,
simile, and irony.
• Mechanics (10). This includes the correct use of grammar,
spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and sentence sense.

58. HUDDLE TIME
1. What is the difference between a reaction paper and
a diary entry?
2. Should you have a definite stand about a topic by the
end of the review? Why or why not?
3. Can reaction paper influence the world? Why or why
not?
4. Why does the academe value reaction papers?
5. What is the social value of reaction papers?

59. RUBRIC FOR PEER ASSESSMENT
Presentation skills 20
Mastery of the content 20
Language use 10
Total 50
*Give comments/suggestions.

60. RUBRIC FOR PEER ASSESSMENT
• Content (10). This includes the relevance of the
event and your reaction; the informative and
entertainment value of your paper; the societal
importance of your paper
• Organization (10). This includes the appropriate
use of transitional markers; the correct use of
paragraphs; the logical flow of ideas.
• Language (10). This includes the use vocabulary
words to heighten the reader’s experience; the
use of wit, metaphor, simile, and irony.