English for Academic Purposes, Essays (high school) of English

Download English for Academic Purposes and more Essays (high school) English in PDF only on Docsity! HANDOUTS IN EAPP WHAT IS A SUMMARY? • A summary is a restatement of the most important information of a text, using your own words. • Summary is a powerful reading strategy, which increases comprehension and retention of information. • It can be completed in writing, but also orally, dramatically, artistically, visually, physically or musically. DEFINITION, PURPOSE, RULES AND TECHNIQUES IN SUMMARIZING ACADEMIC TEXTS • Buckley (2004), in her popular writing text Fit to Print, defines summarizing as reducing text to one-third or one-quarter its original size, clearly articulating the author’s meaning, and retaining main ideas. Diane Hacker (2008), in A Canadian Writer’s Reference, explains that summarizing involves stating a work’s thesis and main ideas “simply, briefly, and accurately” (p. 62). • Summarizing is also essential skill that is needed in the workplace and in the community. In some cases, writing a summary is an excellent learning strategy that allows students to monitor their own progress in learning course material. BASIC RULES IN SUMMARIZING A. Erase things that don’t matter. Delete trivial material that is unnecessary to understanding. B. Only write down important points. If it is not something that will help you understand or remember, then don’t write it down. Think of it this way . . . If you had to pay money for every word you write down, which words would you choose to include in your notes? C. Erase things that repeat. Delete redundant material. In note taking, time and space are precious. If a word or phrase says basically the same thing you have already written down, then don’t write it again! D. Trade, general terms for specific names. Substitute superordinate terms for lists (e.g., flowers for daisies, tulips for roses). Focus on the big picture. Long, technical lists are hard to remember. If one word will give you the meaning, then less is more. E. Use your own words to write the summary. Do not just copy the sentences from the original text. However, do not inject your opinion in your summary. SUMMARIZING IS: • KEEPING - Keep Only The Important Information And Main Ideas. • DELETING - Do Not Include Supporting Details In Your Summary. • PARAPHRASING - Use Only Your Own Words!!! THINGS TO NOTE IN WRITING A SUMMARY • SUMMARIES SHOULD BE BETWEEN 10-25 PERCENT OF THE ORIGINAL TEXT’S LENGTH (1 % FOR NOVELS) • IF THE SUMMARY IS MORE THAN 25 % OF THE ORIGINAL TEXT’S LENGTH, YOU NEED TO DELETE MORE DETAILS AND KEEP ONLY THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION. TRICKS ON WRITING A GOOD SUMMARY • TEXT FEATURES - text features such as titles, subtitles, bold, colored, margins, notes, etc. Are clues to a text’s most important information--- information you may want to include in your summary. • VOCABULARY - if a text gives you a list of important vocabulary in it’s preview, or your teacher provides vocabulary prior to a story reading, use these vocabulary words as important information that should be included in your summary. • TOPIC SENTENCES - when reading a short story, identify the topic sentence/main idea in each paragraph. A topic sentence holds the most important information in a paragraph. Therefore, a summary can be written simply by paraphrasing the topic sentences into your own words. • REPORTER’S NOTES - this includes the who, what, where, when, why and how. Identify the answers to each of the items enumerated above and write them into a paragraph form. You now have the framework for your summary. • ORGANIZERS - organizers are very helpful in writing a summary. Not only will it help you shorten a text, it will also serve as your guide in writing a summary. TECHNIQUES IN SUMMARIZING • 1. Outlining. An outline is a map of your essay. It shows what information each section or paragraph will contain and in what order. • I. Main Idea • A. Supporting Details • B. Supporting Details • II. Main Idea • A. Supporting Details • B. Supporting Details • 2. Somebody Wanted But So Then. Each word represents a key question related to a text’s essential elements: • Somebody—Who is the text about? • Wanted—What did the main character want? • But—What was the problem encountered? • Example Benjamin Franklin – Scientist and Inventor • I. Experiments with Electricity A. Studied nature of Electricity B. Discovered Lightning Equals Electricity C. Invented Lightning Rod D. Other Scientific Work 1. Inventions 2. Bifocal Glasses 3. Franklin Stove 4. Daylight Saving Time 5. Scientific Studies 6.Charted Gulf Stream 7. Worked on Soil Improvement II. Importance as a Scientist A. Scientific Honors B. Writing Translated into Other Languages C. Experts’ Comments PRECIS A précis is a concise summary. It should contain only the essential points, statements, or facts with the focus on reproducing the logic, organization, and emphasis of the original text. Ex.  reading a bunch of books and articles that might be important for a test SUMMARIZING - Summarizing is usually used in stories/news/movies (synopsis)  When you summarize, you significantly shorten a piece, retell it in your own words, touching on the main points of the passage.  It should contain the main idea. ABSTRACT  A summary of the contents of a book, article, or speech and usually used in research.  usually in one paragraph of 300 words or less that includes: 1) the overall purpose of the study and the research problem(s) you investigated; 2) the basic design of the study; 3) major findings or trends found as a result of your analysis; and, 4) a brief summary of your interpretations and conclusions. (CHAPTERS 1- 5) A CRITIQUE/REACTION PAPER MUST BE:  ACCURATE - It provides accurate description of the material being critiqued by giving its summary and background information (who, what, when, where, why)  EVALUATIVE - Critic make his judgment convincing by giving three or more supporting details from the material (depending on the length), like lines, scenes, dialogues, words and symbols.  BALANCED - Critique shows balance by pointing out weaknesses, if the overall judgment is positive, and strong points if the overall judgment is negative. GENRES, STYLE AND TECHNICAL LEXIS Literary Devices - Literary devices help to construct the author’s meaning. - Literary devices help to define the author’s/reader’s purpose. - Literary devices are found in all types of writing: - FICTION - In this type of work, the author can make up the whole entire story. Authors can also choose to include factual information in a made-up story. The author can have wizards creating magic spells or it can be about a 12 year old girl who has a secret crush. - NONFICTION - This can also be called “informational” material. These types of books provide information that is factual. Nothing is make-believe in these types of materials. More specific examples of this type of genre would be. - Symbolism is when an author uses an object or reference to add deeper meaning to their story. Examples of symbolism - Storms often represent conflict or high emotions. Flowers can symbolize youth or beauty. Autumn often represents decline or growing old. Popular novels/poems that contain symbolism…The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe. - Imagery refers to descriptive language that evokes sensory experience... Imagery can be visual: “a blinding sun.” Imagery can also be auditory: “the chiming of the bells.” Imagery can appeal to taste: “the bland taste of starchy bananas.” Imagery can convey a scent:  Use motivating introductions - Direct statement of fact - Brief, interesting story - Quotation - Trivia about the subject - Question  Be firm and consistent - shifting to different patterns is avoided  Support opinions with facts - providing facts makes your ideas objective  Do not forget the readers/listeners  Use inspiring language  Avoid exaggeration Ways to Present Ideas Convincingly “the aroma of dirty sweat socks.” Imagery can arouse the sense of touch: “snow falling on your nose.” Popular literary works that contain imagery. Macbeth by William Shakespeare, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Preludes by T.S. Eliot. - Similes indirectly compare two different things, by using the words “like”, “as”, or “than”. Examples of similes…“as proud as a peacock”, “fight like a lion”, “slower than a turtle”, Popular literature that contains similes.. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Birches by Robert Frost. WHAT ARE CRITICAL APPROACHES? - Are different perspectives when looking at a piece of work. Formalist criticism - This approach regards literature as “a unique form of human knowledge that needs to be examined on its own terms.” All the elements necessary for understanding the work are contained within the work itself. Of particular interest to the formalist critic are the elements of form—plot, setting, tone, imagery, etc.—that are found within the text. A primary goal for formalist critics is to determine how such elements work together with the text’s content to shape its effects upon readers. Feminist criticism - This approach concerns itself with stereotypical representations of genders. It also may trace the history of relatively unknown or undervalued women writers, potentially earning them their rightful place within the literary canon, and helps create a climate in which women's creativity may be fully realized and appreciated. One will frequently hear the term "patriarchy" used among feminist critics, referring to traditional male-dominated society. "Marginalization" refers to being forced to the outskirts of what is considered socially and politically significant; the female voice was traditionally marginalized, or discounted altogether. Marxist criticism - This approach focuses on the economic and political elements of art, often emphasizing the ideological content of literature; because Marxist criticism often argues that all art is political and illustrates the principles of class struggle. The Marxist critic simply is a careful reader or viewer who keeps in mind issues of power and money. Biographical criticism - This approach “begins with the simple but central insight that literature is written by actual people and that understanding an author’s life can help readers more thoroughly comprehend the work.” Hence, it often affords a practical method by which readers can better understand a text. The biographical critic focuses on explicating the literary work by using the insight provided by knowledge of the author’s life. WRITING PROCESS IN CRITIQUE MAKING: 1. Know well the nature of the writing assignment, subject and its analytical elements. 2. View/Read the assignment with the goal of preparing to write a critiques/reaction paper. 3. Outline your presentation. 4. Draft and edit your paper. CONTENT ORGANIZATION: 1. Summary of the work being critiqued 2. Background information 3. The critic's overall judgment of the material 4. Supporting details/facts about the material. 5. A paraphrase of the overall judgment; final thoughts of the critic, like suggestions