Cry Freedom Critique
Cry Freedom, set in 1975 in the South-East of South Africa, was Briley’s (1997) most successful non-fiction book. Through this impressive, true-telling story Briley (1997), remarkably describes the risk of fighting against political injustice in South Africa. Donald Woods, the white editor who narrates the chronicle of Steve Biko – the South African black consciousness movement leader-, hears about a police raid in the black township crossroads in Cape Town. Woods does not believe in the demands of black people but, he can not accept police cruelty. Especially noteworthy is the harsh decision the editor takes. He is determined to act against brutality.
The style of the book is extraordinarily detailed and striking pictured. Briley’s (1997) book wouldn’t have been more persuasive even if had omitted certain facts. In this breathtaking and moving book the reader learns about the motives of those who collaborated with South Africa violent political system of the time. Images as well as dialogues are very convincing and poignant.
By reading this remarkable chronicle the reader will experience and learn about the truth story of thousand of innocent people who died in Africa just because they were black. Undeniably, Briley’s (1997) masterpiece is impossible not to be read.
Reference
Briley, J. (1997). Cry Freedom. Penguin Readers.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Language Analysis
Language analysis
Writing academically involves language proficiency, strategy and language skill development. Therefore, composing is also required. This issue entails the ability to report and/or transform information and knowledge into new coherent pieces. Unquestionably, composing is one of the most challenging skills to be developed at academic level. To facilitate and improve academic writing skills formal instruction, understanding and acquisition of the fundamentals are required.
This assignment aims at examining Myles’ (2002) article to analyze and provide examples some of the different language conventions and fundamentals at advance literacy level.
Concerning quotations, two dissimilar types were found. One described as short quotation including the name of the author, year of publication and the page number for the reference, a signal phrase that includes the author’s last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses should be added. Quotations marks, which quote the exact words of the author, are also present in these types of quotations. For example, according to Ellis (1985), it is through analyzing learning errors that we elevate “the status of errors dorm undesirability of a guide to the inner working of the language learning process” (p.53).
Another type of quotation is referred as a long one where quotation marks are omitted and a different type of layout is used. It starts with an introductory phrase, followed by a longer quotation done in a new line. For example: as Yau (1991) points out:
[A]lthough we should not cripple our students’ interest in writing through undue stress or grammatical correctness, the influence of second language factors on writing performance is something we have to reckon with and not pretend that concentrating on the process would automatically resolve the difficulty caused by these factors.
Omission is another aspect to take into account when analyzing a text. There are several sorts of omissions: an omission of less than a sentence could be found in the text, indicated by the use of dots.
By comparing skilled and less-skilled writers, the emphasis is placed on “students´ strategic knowledge and the ability of students to transform information . . . to meet rhetorically constrained purposes” (Grabe & Kaplan, 1996, p.116).
Insertion of can be used when changing a part of a word in a quotation, for example from an upper case to a lower case letter. The letter that has been changed can be identified through the use of square brackets, as for example:
“[L]earners lack the necessary information in the second language or the capacity to activate the appropriate second-language routine. But such an account says little about why certain linguistic forms transfer and others do not.”
Introductory phrases, in text citations and use of reporting verbs are all strongly related. Accordingly examples can be analyzed together. Introductory phrases could have different layouts, being the source and the main idea paramount issues. In addition, the main idea is sometimes introduced by a reporting verb. Examples of reporting verbs found are: analyze, propose, and argue.
Accordingly, writing at academic level requires not only understanding of language conventions but also formal instruction, practice and experience to develop cognitive strategies and skills needed.
Reference
Myles, J. (2002). Second Language Writing and Research: The Writing Process and Error Analysis in Students Texts. TESL-EJ Magazine, 6, (2). Retrieved September 2008, from www-writing.berkeley.edu/TESl-Ej/ej22/a1.html
Writing academically involves language proficiency, strategy and language skill development. Therefore, composing is also required. This issue entails the ability to report and/or transform information and knowledge into new coherent pieces. Unquestionably, composing is one of the most challenging skills to be developed at academic level. To facilitate and improve academic writing skills formal instruction, understanding and acquisition of the fundamentals are required.
This assignment aims at examining Myles’ (2002) article to analyze and provide examples some of the different language conventions and fundamentals at advance literacy level.
Concerning quotations, two dissimilar types were found. One described as short quotation including the name of the author, year of publication and the page number for the reference, a signal phrase that includes the author’s last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses should be added. Quotations marks, which quote the exact words of the author, are also present in these types of quotations. For example, according to Ellis (1985), it is through analyzing learning errors that we elevate “the status of errors dorm undesirability of a guide to the inner working of the language learning process” (p.53).
Another type of quotation is referred as a long one where quotation marks are omitted and a different type of layout is used. It starts with an introductory phrase, followed by a longer quotation done in a new line. For example: as Yau (1991) points out:
[A]lthough we should not cripple our students’ interest in writing through undue stress or grammatical correctness, the influence of second language factors on writing performance is something we have to reckon with and not pretend that concentrating on the process would automatically resolve the difficulty caused by these factors.
Omission is another aspect to take into account when analyzing a text. There are several sorts of omissions: an omission of less than a sentence could be found in the text, indicated by the use of dots.
By comparing skilled and less-skilled writers, the emphasis is placed on “students´ strategic knowledge and the ability of students to transform information . . . to meet rhetorically constrained purposes” (Grabe & Kaplan, 1996, p.116).
Insertion of can be used when changing a part of a word in a quotation, for example from an upper case to a lower case letter. The letter that has been changed can be identified through the use of square brackets, as for example:
“[L]earners lack the necessary information in the second language or the capacity to activate the appropriate second-language routine. But such an account says little about why certain linguistic forms transfer and others do not.”
Introductory phrases, in text citations and use of reporting verbs are all strongly related. Accordingly examples can be analyzed together. Introductory phrases could have different layouts, being the source and the main idea paramount issues. In addition, the main idea is sometimes introduced by a reporting verb. Examples of reporting verbs found are: analyze, propose, and argue.
Accordingly, writing at academic level requires not only understanding of language conventions but also formal instruction, practice and experience to develop cognitive strategies and skills needed.
Reference
Myles, J. (2002). Second Language Writing and Research: The Writing Process and Error Analysis in Students Texts. TESL-EJ Magazine, 6, (2). Retrieved September 2008, from www-writing.berkeley.edu/TESl-Ej/ej22/a1.html
Critical Incident Technique
Critical Incident Technique
Flanagan, J. (1954). Psychological Bulletin: The critical Incident Technique. University of Pittsburgh. Retrieve August 2009, from http://caece.campusuniversidad.com.ar/mod/resource/view.php?id=2962
Flanagan (1954) illustrates the development of a technique of examining activity requirements known as the critical incident technique (CIT). Five steps are included in the procedure: setting up the general objective of the study of analysis, development and designing of criteria for the collection of the incidents, alternative for the collection of data, the analysis of such information and the interpretation and informational feedback of the statements of the prerequisites of the activity. Accordingly, CIT basically consists of a set of techniques for gathering data of human deeds in specified contexts. The results obtained would provide the foundations for the analysis and reflection of future human actions in similar situations.
Flanagan, J. (1954). Psychological Bulletin: The critical Incident Technique. University of Pittsburgh. Retrieve August 2009, from http://caece.campusuniversidad.com.ar/mod/resource/view.php?id=2962
Flanagan (1954) illustrates the development of a technique of examining activity requirements known as the critical incident technique (CIT). Five steps are included in the procedure: setting up the general objective of the study of analysis, development and designing of criteria for the collection of the incidents, alternative for the collection of data, the analysis of such information and the interpretation and informational feedback of the statements of the prerequisites of the activity. Accordingly, CIT basically consists of a set of techniques for gathering data of human deeds in specified contexts. The results obtained would provide the foundations for the analysis and reflection of future human actions in similar situations.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Summary analysis
Summary analysis
Reid (1994) describes the main characteristics of a summary. The author claims that the general purpose of a summary is to give a limited amount of information to a specific audience.
However, summary writing is not an easy task. In order to write an accurate summary, you not only have to extract the main ideas but you also have to be capable of expressing these main ideas, trying to avoid repeating the exact phrases of the original material. Moreover, good summaries are clear and balanced. That is to say, the reader should not find difficulties in understanding the main ideas of the material.
According to Pintos (2008), the above summary partially fulfils the requirements needed. The introductory phrase “[i]n her book (. . .) Reid (1994) describes the main characteristics of a summary” (as cited in Pintos, 2008, p.20), contains the two essentials required: the source and the main idea. However, a supporting sentence, which underscores the general purpose of the summary, is not properly developed. Although summary writing seems a challenging task, the use of appropriate connectors will direct the reader to the understanding of the main idea developed in the body of the summary. Moreover, these linking devices balance and clarify the information provided. That is to say, if the above mentioned data is well- balanced, accurate and clear, the reader will not face any difficulty in understanding the core of this summary. Academic writing implies the use and understanding of certain specific formal elements.
Pintos (2008), comments that by analyzing grammatical and discourse competences, as well as by constructing knowledge, learners will be able to become members of a discourse community. However, this will be accomplished by reading and writing texts that promote advanced literacy. To be precise, being a writer at academic level implies becoming proficient in language use and developing reading and writing skills.
Reference
Pintos, V. (2008) Unit 3: Academic Writing. Universidad CAECE: Buenos Aires, Argentina. Retrieved August, 2009 from
http://caece.campus universidad.com.ar/mod/resource/view.php?id=273
Reid (1994) describes the main characteristics of a summary. The author claims that the general purpose of a summary is to give a limited amount of information to a specific audience.
However, summary writing is not an easy task. In order to write an accurate summary, you not only have to extract the main ideas but you also have to be capable of expressing these main ideas, trying to avoid repeating the exact phrases of the original material. Moreover, good summaries are clear and balanced. That is to say, the reader should not find difficulties in understanding the main ideas of the material.
According to Pintos (2008), the above summary partially fulfils the requirements needed. The introductory phrase “[i]n her book (. . .) Reid (1994) describes the main characteristics of a summary” (as cited in Pintos, 2008, p.20), contains the two essentials required: the source and the main idea. However, a supporting sentence, which underscores the general purpose of the summary, is not properly developed. Although summary writing seems a challenging task, the use of appropriate connectors will direct the reader to the understanding of the main idea developed in the body of the summary. Moreover, these linking devices balance and clarify the information provided. That is to say, if the above mentioned data is well- balanced, accurate and clear, the reader will not face any difficulty in understanding the core of this summary. Academic writing implies the use and understanding of certain specific formal elements.
Pintos (2008), comments that by analyzing grammatical and discourse competences, as well as by constructing knowledge, learners will be able to become members of a discourse community. However, this will be accomplished by reading and writing texts that promote advanced literacy. To be precise, being a writer at academic level implies becoming proficient in language use and developing reading and writing skills.
Reference
Pintos, V. (2008) Unit 3: Academic Writing. Universidad CAECE: Buenos Aires, Argentina. Retrieved August, 2009 from
http://caece.campus universidad.com.ar/mod/resource/view.php?id=273
Connecting dots
Connecting dots
In 2005, Stanford University graduates listened to Jobs’ (2005) Commencement address. Jobs’ (2005) speech dealt with three stories. The first one was about connecting dots – trivial experiences that later would become significant. The second focused on love and loss. Being fired from his company he decided to begin another one. The last story dealt with death. Diagnosed with cancer, he learnt another lesson: “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way (. . .) to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose”. Jobs’ (2005) speech finished with a straightforward advice “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.”
Reference
Jobs, S. (2005), Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement address. USA: Stanford University. Retrieved June 2007, from http:youtube.com/watch?v=UF8R6Z6KLc
In 2005, Stanford University graduates listened to Jobs’ (2005) Commencement address. Jobs’ (2005) speech dealt with three stories. The first one was about connecting dots – trivial experiences that later would become significant. The second focused on love and loss. Being fired from his company he decided to begin another one. The last story dealt with death. Diagnosed with cancer, he learnt another lesson: “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way (. . .) to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose”. Jobs’ (2005) speech finished with a straightforward advice “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.”
Reference
Jobs, S. (2005), Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement address. USA: Stanford University. Retrieved June 2007, from http:youtube.com/watch?v=UF8R6Z6KLc
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