If applied to a work of literature, for example, it can become the foundation for a detailed textual analysis. If you disagree with a text, what is the point of contention? If you agree with it, how do you think you can expand or build upon the argument put forth?Ĭonsider this example: Which of the following tweets below are critical and which are uncritical? Figure 1.2 “Lean In Tweets”Ĭritical reading has many uses. These rhetorical strategies are covered in the next chapter. For example, does the author want to persuade, inspire, provoke humor, or simply inform his audience? Look at the process through which the writer achieves (or does not achieve) the desired effect and which rhetorical strategies he uses. Do not just consider what the text says think about what effect the author intends to produce in a reader or what effect the text has had on you as the reader. This step is essential in analyzing a text, and it requires you to consider many different aspects of a writer’s work. Instead, thinking critically means approaching a work as if you were a critic or commentator whose job it is to analyze a text beyond its surface.Ī text is simply a piece of writing, or as Merriam-Webster defines it, “the main body of printed or written matter on a page.” In English classes, the term “text” is often used interchangeably with the words “reading” or “work.” In this case, “critically” does not mean that you are looking for what is wrong with a work (although during your critical process, you may well do that). This level of understanding begins with thinking critically about the texts you are reading. It refers to analyzing and understanding the overall composition of the writing as well as how the writing has achieved its effect on the audience. Reading critically does not simply mean being moved, affected, informed, influenced, and persuaded by a piece of writing. Learning the basics of critical reading and writing will help you swim.įigure 1.1 “High School versus College Assignments” summarizes other major differences between high school and college assignments. Educationally, you are moving into deeper waters. You will be expected to engage seriously with new ideas by reflecting on them, analyzing them, critiquing them, making connections, drawing conclusions, or finding new ways of thinking about them. You must do more than just understand course material and summarize it on an exam. The quantity of work expected of you increases, and the quality of the work also changes. In college, academic expectations change from what you may have experienced in high school. This chapter will also cover reading, note-taking, and writing strategies, which are necessary skills for college students who often use reading assignments or research sources as the springboard for writing a paper, completing discussion questions, or preparing for class discussion. The same skills used for reading a textbook chapter or academic journal article are the same ones used for successfully reading an expense report, project proposal, or other professional document you may encounter in the career world. In this chapter, you will learn about the concept of critical reading and why it is an important skill to have-not just in college but in everyday life. However, regardless of your field of study, honing your writing, reading, and critical-thinking skills will give you a more solid foundation for success, both academically and professionally. When you are eager to start on the coursework in a major that will prepare you for your chosen career, getting excited about an introductory college writing course can be difficult.
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