LLE7495-05425 (20201) - Compreensão e Produção Escrita em Língua Inglesa V (PCC 36 h/a)

Hello

 

You will be writing a Pro-Con Essay. A pro-con essay encourages the development of critical thinking by examining issues from different perspectives, which demands profound research. That requires you to look at both the pros (positives) and the cons (negatives) of a given topic. 

 

Your essay, however, should not just be a list of pros and cons. Instead, you should synthesize the information, determine your own position on the topic, and state your position clearly, that is, it should be based on: “there are many different points to consider, and after evaluating all of them, here is my opinion.”

 

Introduction

The introduction should follow the pattern, with a hook and thesis statement*. Here is an example:

[proKrashen]

Krashen's Monitor Model has attracted enormous attention from psychologists, fellow linguists and educators. Although his theories have been criticised for a perceived lack of scientific rigour and for his downplaying of the importance of language output and grammar instruction, it has been extremely influential in language teaching pedagogy, and it is the basis for ESL instruction at Frankfurt International School.

[conKrashen]

Krashen's Monitor Model has attracted enormous attention from psychologists, fellow linguists and educators. It has been extremely influential in language teaching pedagogy. However, it has been criticised for a perceived lack of scientific rigour and for his downplaying of the importance of language output and grammar instruction, and most likely will be not accepted as the basis of any international school.

[examples based on here]

 * the thesis statement answers your (unstated, implicit) research question and acts as your essay’s main claim; since it is not logical to answer a question with a question, it has to be a declaration, as the word “statement” implies. 

 

Paragraphs

The main body usually consists of at least two paragraphs. Usually, one presents the points against the issue, with its supporting evidence and the other presents (or the others present) the points for the issue with its supporting evidence. Alternatively, the paragraphs present one single topic each with the points against the issue and the points for the issue, with the supporting evidence. See the images demonstrating both ways below.

Conclusion

 

Transitions

Paragraphs are linked with the use of transitions (see below).

 

Note 1: do not include opinion words (I believe, I think, etc) in any part of the essay.

Note 2: this is your first version for feedback for the final version.

 

Remember to:

- look at the example essay (on the main page) which was adapted for this course.

- proceed to the revision phase of your text before turning in by using this checklist (on the main page). This is an important phase, since the essay will be marked down in case the aspects mentioned are not taken into consideration.

- send the file with your name + assign2first. Example: celsoassign2first.doc