Synthesizing an argument

1. Synthesis (or “putting things
together”)
(Week 4)
W R I T I N G I V
(HE285)
Prof. Dr. Ron Martinez
drronmartinez@gmail.com

2. Goals for the week
• (1) the analysis and evaluation of content
knowledge
• (2) the writer’s development of a position, and
(3) the presentation of that position in a
coherent manner

3. Today’s agenda
• Go over vocabulary (briefly)
• Go over “Debate” homework
• Review Essay 2 and important concepts
• Jigsaw reading
• Develop arguments for this weekend’s essay

4. From Cambridge Advanced Learner’s
Dictionary

5. Vocabulary (from last week)

6. Wingate (2012, p. 147)
• “…it is the development of a position,
reflected in ‘the large-scale structuration of
the essay’ [...] rather than the evidence for
individual claims, that determines the quality
of an essay.”

7. 3 typical difficulties (Groom, 2000)
• “solipsistic voice” (just giving opinion)
• “unaverred voice” (just stating other people’s
opinions)
• “unattributed voice” (stating other people’s
opinions as if they were your own)

8. From Cambridge Advanced Learner’s
Dictionary

10. The “stigma” debate
• Download questions online, answer the
questions.

14. Essay 2

15. Good argument?

16. Wingate (2012, p. 147)
• “…it is the development of a position,
reflected in ‘the large-scale structuration of
the essay’ [...] rather than the evidence for
individual claims, that determines the quality
of an essay.”

17. Missed opportunities?

18. Online worksheet
• Download the worksheet and try to make the
argument stronger.

19. Jigsaw reading
• Belcher (2007) (“Seeking acceptance in an English-only
research world"), and Vasconcelos et al. (2007) ("Scientist-
friendly policies for non-native English speaking scholars")
• If your name is Alexandre, Aline, Allexandra, Amanda, Ana
Laura, Bruna, Camila or Kely, please read Belcher (2007)
and do a Reading Engagement Log for that article for
Wednesday (bring to class).
• If your name is Lais, Leandro, Lucas, Maria Claudia,
Mauricio, Othelo, Patricia, Plinio or Tatiana, please read
Vasconcelos et al. (2007), and complete a Reading
Engagement Log for that article for Wednesday (bring to
class).

20. Jigsaw Reading
1. Find another person who read the same
article you read. Compare your notes.
2. With that same partner, find two people who
read the other article and summarize the
information in your article.
3. Provide highlights of points that you thought
were interesting, important, etc.

21. SYNTHESIZE!
• How does the information you just learned fit
into the arguments you have seen so far?
• Do they perhaps support your position? Can
they be used to help your arguments in any
way?

24. Do for homework, bring to class
Flowerdew’s
position (+
arguments)
Casanave’s
position (+
arguments)
Flowerdew’s
responses to
Casanave
How that
whole debate
relates to the
Hanauer and
Englander
(“Mexican
Scientists”)
paper
YOUR
POSITION
(Try to state in
one or two
sentences
max.)

25. Talk to a partner about your revised
(synthesized) position
Flowerdew’s
position (+
arguments)
Casanave’s
position (+
arguments)
Flowerdew’s
responses to
Casanave
How that
whole debate
relates to the
Hanauer and
Englander
(“Mexican
Scientists”)
paper
YOUR
POSITION
(Try to state in
one or two
sentences
max.)

26. WEEKEND
HOMEWORK

27. See sample online!
• Essay 3 question: To what extent are non-
native English speaking (NNES) researchers at
a disadvantage? Write a critical analysis of
the challenge faced by NNES scholars who
need to publish in English. Arrive at your own
conclusion based on an argument that draws
on relevant literature.

28. Good news:

29. No reading engagement log
• I want you to focus on the essay – please turn it
in!
• The skills worked on now comprise elements that
will be formally assessed on the midterm essay,
which makes up 15% of your total grade.
• Don’t assume that you will be able to catch up.
• Showing me you can do it now provides me
evidence so that you can have “benefit of the
doubt” if the midterm and final essays are for
some reason not “up to snuff.”

30. SUBMIT FORM AND EMAIL ME!!
• To avoid possible confusion and glitches, please submit
all essay assignments both by online form and by
email. (Send them at the same time.)
• If by Monday morning I am unable to locate your
assignment in the Submission location, I will then
check my email (drronmartinez@gmail.com).
• If your essay is not in either location, it will be given no
credit. (But see below.)
• If I find that you have submitted after the deadline, it
will receive a maximum of 7 points if received within
24 hours of the deadline, and no credit any time later.

31. HOMEWORK
• Write Essay 3 (send in form & email me).
Remember to check rubric and see sample
online.
• Online, download and read the SciELO document
(only Section 2, Section 4, and Section 5.2.8. --
very short!), and also the blog post (also online).
• What are the “causas chave e persistentes do
baixo desempenho internacional dos periódicos
do Brasil?” (according to what you will read).