ARW@LM 13-11-13

Academic Reading and Writing Writing a critical response _ Worksheet 1 Group Activity
Refer to the following questions to write a critical response of the text titled Nurseries, streets, and classrooms: Some comparisons and deductions by McNamara (1983). How to write the critical response paper? Use a binary scale of strengths/weaknesses or usefulness/limitations to evaluate the text. These are a list of ideas that can be included in your critical response: I. Comments on the content of the paper 1. What is the stance of the author? 2. Who is the target reader of the text? 3. What is the main idea of the text? (draw a text map to represent the main ideas and links between them) 4. What is your stance? How can you support your stance? Give relevant evidence (text support, elaboration, exemplification) [You need to prove - How will the text be useful/ not useful to the target readers?] 5. Through your stance present two or three connected ideas (for instance if your stance is positive towards the paper select two/three strengths of the paper) II. Comments on language/ style/ clarity of presentation of the paper (some points to consider: Passive/active constructions; use of 1st/2nd/3rd person; use of academic domain related (here ELT) vocabulary) Comments on organization of the paper Any other point that strikes you as interesting (or controversial)

III. IV.

Note that in your critical review/response, you need not consider all the points and sub-points listed above, but more importantly whichever points you wish to include has to be substantiated by textual and/or circumstantial evidences. What do you need to submit? 1. A list of your ideas in the form of a text map/ graphic organizer. You will use this text map to write the critical response. So once you have come up with the text map show it to me before you proceed to write the paper. 2. A critical review/response to the text with a title, thesis statement and proof to support the thesis statement with proper referencing details. Your response should be between 400-500 words.

Evaluation criteria
CONTENT A relevant graphic organizer/text map provided Idea set I and at least one other point ?(II/III/IV) from the list of ideas to provide strengths/weaknesses or usefulness/limitations of the paper Relevant text details, elaboration and exemplification Text has a clear tripartite structure with a thesis statement, and supporting details. All ideas (inter and intra-sentential) are connected with relevant linkers Formal academic language used Conventions of referencing according to APA stylesheet, 5th Edn, 2009) No instance of plagiarism found

ORGANIZATION

LANGUGAE & ACADEMIC CONVENTIONS

ARW@LM 13-11-13