Argument and Evidence

For this week, I have learned about unit 4. The focus skill is Argument and Evidence. For the background readings is Reading 4.3 Ruby (1954) ‘What is the evidence?’ Reading 4.4 Aik and Edmonds (1976) ‘Statistics’ and Reading 4.5 Aik and Edmonds (1976) ‘Crooked and fallacious thinking’. The reading text is Reading 4.1 ‘Body language that speaks to muggers’. The portfolio task is guided response to critical question.

Firstly, reading 4.3 was presented by ila and Fazley. During the presentation they speak to fast and sometimes I can’t understand what are they really want to say. But, from the presentation, the evidence is a reason or set of reasons that somebody uses to show that something is true or correct. The evidence is the facts, signs, or objects that make you believe something is true. There are two types of evidence which is tangible evidence and eye-witnesses evidence. The example for the tangible evidence which is evidence that we can see is the famous case of the kidnapping of the infant son of Charles Lindbergh that led to the conviction and execution of Bruno Hauptman. The eye-witnesses evidence is not truly true because it can change anytime. It is hard to make sure the evidence. From the case, there is no evidence because the case is bias. As a conclusion for this topic, many of us are imperfect observer, and even when we observe well, our memories may play tricks on us. Don’t ever trust to what you have heard, see and read.

Then, reading 4.4 about statistics was presented by Fahmy and Subhi. They did not use the OHP during the presentation but they use their laptop. The introduction is about their concern towards use and misuse of statistics. Statistics can be defined as the tool for us to make the maximum use of quantitative measurement and assessment and it refers to information about any phenomenon or active expressed in numerical form. The important of statistics on human affairs is various from our trendy to associates facts closely with figures. There are 4 common statistical slips which is Unqualified averages, Fallacious sampling, Percentages unaccompanied by actual numbers and Misleading presentation. Next, the misuse of statistics is statistics is not true, doesn’t present all minor is true, is not actually accurate but still can be use. We also learned about new word which is ‘layman’ that can be defined as a normal people like us.

Next, for reading 4.5 was presented by Nor and Pnut. I like their group presentation because they use mind map and make us easy to understand. Their topic is Crooked and Fallacious thinking. The word crooked can be defined as trying to make people belief something by making it more complicated and fallacious can be defined as a misunderstanding about the message that people are trying to share. There are 5 common forms of crooked and fallacious. The first common is Transfer device which is use status to delivery something. As example is qualified person of specialized professions. Next is Circular argument which is give impression of meaningful talk or speech and no facts to prove. As example is money is the root of evil. Then, False analogy which is use to support argument to prove something but in fact it proves nothing. After that, Equivocation which is words use may be ambiguous. The ambiguous can be defined as one word but has double meaning. The ambiguous words can give rise to a lot of fruitless disputes and misunderstanding. It is also something that cannot be properly answered unless the key term of the questions is properly defined. Lastly, Either or assumption which is assume people with his or her own assumption. The fallacious and crooked thinkers assume that there is no middle ground between two extremes.

This is the last presentation in our class. After this, we will continue learning and discuss with each other.

Positioning

For this week, I have learned about unit 3 which is the focus skill about positioning. The background reading is Reading 3.3 Wignell (1995) ‘Critical Literacy; a linguistic perspective’. Next is reading 3.4 Kress (1994) ‘Speech and speakers’. For the practise text is about Reading 3.1 ‘Please let me go to your school’. The portfolio task is guided response to critical questions.
Then, for this week there were two groups present about reading 3.3 and reading 3.4. For the reading 3.3, Rozaida and Atikah present about this topic. Regarding to this group, linguistic is study of language and language is a human communication. From the text book, there were two types of text which is text A and Text B. The text A is a discussion and text B is a report. Thus, even a simple text able to manipulate and influence the reader. The text that combines with pictures helps the reader understanding. So, the text from the writer is really important for the reader. All of that discover element of the language.
After that, reading 3.4 had been presented by Hayatt and Teha. The topic is Speech and speakers: the formation of individuals and genre. Discourse is serious conversation, modes of talking and sexism which is discrimination. Then, the effect of this is lack of work. For example, there were two types of women in office. First is Miss Seductress and second is Miss Winner. To explain the situation, this group call another people to act like Miss Seductress, Miss Winner and a Boss. It is really interesting and everybody in the class understands about the situation. From that, we can say that Miss Seductress is touches everyone, direct eye contact, make her body to do the talking, attract the men, get good job after seducing her boss and she love laughing, bewitchingly. Then, Miss Winner is confident, relax posture, co-ordinate outfit, a lot of friends and well-modulated conversation. It is about two type’s women that get their job.

Next, is about language and language a users. Language can be defined as a systematic means of communication by the use of sounds or conventional symbol. Language also is considered to be an extremely human made of communication. Then, the language user is medicated through experience of skills of writing and speech text on social occasion which is speaker and knowledge. Language has a different look to different speakers or writers. For the reading position is construct by discusses which provide instruction about how to read a text. Children is somebody that parent taught to be good by their parent, so when they become worth with their parent taught it called nurture. Then, speaker is individual person but the other meaning; speaker is part of a language.
During the class, Miss Syida gives explanation about the two topic. I really understand although this topic is hard to understand.

Perspective

For this week, I had learned about new topic. Firstly, last group finished their presentation with the 10 elements about the topic reading 1.3. Then, the next group precedes their presentation with the topic reading 1.2 which is Martin (1987) ‘Stories ad facts’. This group consists of Muaz, Wan Chai and Afif. They had explained about the definition for stories and fact. For me, story can be defined as a description of people and events that are not real but the fact can be defined as a description of people and events that real and give impact to all the people. Essentially, this group should present their topic last week but they did it this week. People can make up a story but they can’t make the story is a fact. But, the story will become a fact if it really happen and give impact to the surrounding.

Subsequently, for the second week I had learned about unit 2. The focus skill for this unit is Perspective. For the background reading, I had learned about reading 2.2 which is Lee (1992) ‘Language and perspective, ideology’ and reading 2.3 which is Thwaites et al (1994) ‘Texts and textualities’. The topic reading 2.2 was presented by Dada, Wawa, Zulikha and Liyana. Thus, they had explained about the different between language, perspective and ideology. In this topic, we can know that everybody have their perspective towards a thing because everybody have different idea. As example, in the text there are two different newspapers that write about the same issue but they describe with their own perspective. When the reader read the newspaper they will never know whether it is true or not but they just believe it. If every writer has their perspective then it will produce variety of news. As a reader they will just follow what the writer have write. We will know that some of the linguistic reflexes of speaker perspective. So, before we write something we should considers about the perspective, language and ideology to deliver good message or news. Before they end their presentation they have ask one question which is what the 3 elements of language is. The answer is symbol, sound and words.

For the reading 2.3, my group which is consists of Faed, Atien, Shimode and Kathy. We have explained about the different between text and textualities and how to using it. Text can be defined as a combination of signs. Before we write a text we should create a sign. From the sign we can explain in the text. Thus, every society has their own meanings with their sign that only they will understand. When we write texts we should arrange it with introduction, content and conclusion. We cannot start to write the texts with conclusion because it’s hard for people to understand what we want to tell to them. Different groups will have different ideas of what is suitable, and member of one group may try to challenge the ideas and taste of another group. For the textualities it can be divide into two which is textual analysis and textual production. The textual analysis will start with sign, connotations and codes, denotation, myths but textual production will start with myths, denotation, codes and connotations, signs. A myth is a set of sign which implies extremely familiar and influential social structure of thinking. The myths that influence texts are not simply true or false because it will affect people. In the practice text, we have to do reading 2.1 ‘Battling the bullies’. We need to submit it next week. For the portfolio task is guided response on ‘Battling the bullies’.