Module 5 : CRITICAL READING
device gives them relevance and clarifies
INTERTEXTUALITY
● It refers to work whose meaning is
shaped by referencing other texts.
● Other texts help add meaning to
the current text.
● The reader gets to understand the
context of the piece through other
text which is parallel to it.
● Is the modeling of a text’s
meaning by another text. It is
defined as the connections
between language, images,
characters, themes, or subjects
depending on their similarities in
language, genre or discourse.
➢ The definition of intertextuality
was created by the French
semiotician Julia Kristeva in the
1960s. She created the term from
the Latin word intertexto, which
means “to intermingle while
weaving.” Kristeva argued that all
works of literature being produced
contemporarily are intertextual
with the works that came before it.
Also…
Intertextuality does NOT require citing or
referencing punctuation (such as
quotation marks) and is often mistaken
for plagiarism (Ivanic, 1998).
FUNCTION OF INTERTEXTUALITY
A majority of writers borrow ideas from
previous works to give a layer of meaning
to their own works. Since readers new
texts they sift through archives, this
their understanding of the new texts
Importance of Intertextuality
Intertextuality shows how much a culture
can influence its authors, even as the
authors in turn influence the culture.
HYPERTEXT
● Is a nonlinear way of showing
information.
● It is characterized by the external
links embedded in a text by the
writer. Here, the reader can read
the text in a non-linear way,
because he is led to others links
outside the main text.
● It enables the reader to arrive at
the intended interpretation
● It is taken through given
links/commentaries directly
connected to the text being read
CRITICAL READING
● Engaging in what you read by
asking yourself questions such as,
‘what is the author trying to say?’
or ‘what is the main argument
being presented?’
● Critical reading involves
presenting a reasoned argument
that evaluates and analyses what
you have read. Thus, Critical
Reading, in the MOST strict sense
in advancing one’s understanding
TYPES OF CLAIMS IN ARGUMENTATION
CLAIM
- It is a single statement
- The topic of an argument
- It is not a question
- It is phrased against the status quo.
- The central argument of thesis
Statement of the text.
- It is what the writer tries to prove in
the text by providing details, explanations,
and other types of evidence
CLAIM OF FACTS
- It is a statement of something that
has existed, exists, or will exist.
- It argues whether something is true
or untrue.
- It’s argument must have potential
controversy.
- It must be specific as to time, place,
people Involved, and situation.
- It may be based on the author’s
point of view, which you may find untrue.
Example:
● Excessive alcohol consumption may
lead to many illnesses.
● The existence of nuclear weapons
has prevented the outbreak of World War III
CLAIM OF VALUE
- It is based on preference such as likes
dislikes (good or bad)
- It shows that everyone has a bias of
Sorts, often embedded in social, religious,
and/or culture values.
- It involves interpretations of the text
determine what id good. bad, peasing, etc.
- You can OPEN UP your topic by comparing
and contrasting your problem with a similar one
in another time and/or place.
Example:
● Honesty is the best policy
● The most beautiful women are found in
the Philippines
CLAIM OF POLICY
- typically provide a solution or another series
of questions in response to the claims of facts
- It is a statement that indicates that action
must be taken in specific policies.
- Claims of policy are often procedural,
organized plans.
- A counterclaim of policy posits that
the problem exists, it's good to solve it
certain way, but there is a better solution
than the one you have proposed.
- It could involved a new procedure
regarding prize, or making this
interpretation part of some pedagogy.
Example:
● To attract more students, this
University must review and revise its
curriculum.
● Philippines should protects its
domestic industries with tariffs and quotas.
LOGICAL FALLACIES OF THINKING
● These are errors in reasoning that invalidate
and argument. As a critical reader, you have to
Identify and examine fallacies and manipulative
language found in the text.
● It is therefore important that you know
What are some of the common fallacies.
 Appeal to Occurs when a If you do not
Fallacy Description Example Force threat instead of admit that
reasoning, is evolution is not
used to argue. real, we will
include you
False Occurs when an Either you fully
from the group
Dilemma arguer presents devote yourself
his/her to the company
argument as one or you quit.
of only two Appeal to Occurs when Please do not
options despite Pity the element of fire me for being
the presence of pity is used absent all
multiple instead of month, I have a
possibilities. logical sick mother and
reasoning. a special child to
Appeal to Occurs when The writer does support
Ignorance something is not talk about
instantly the connection Appeal to Occurs when You can't
concluded to be between the Consequenc unpleasant believe that
true just victim’s killer es consequences of colonialism is
because it is not and his sister, so believing bad because if it
proven to be there must be something are were, then we
false and vice none. pointed out to would not be
versa show that the civilized
belief is false
Slippery Occurs when a If we ban
Slope series of computer shops, Bandwagon Occurs when an Most Filipinos
increasingly then students argument is want to have fair
superficial and will not be able considered to be skin because
unacceptable to do research. valid because it they think they
consequences is And if they do is what the look beautiful.
drawn not have tools majority thinks Therefore,
for research, having fair skin
these students must be the real
will fail their standard of
subjects. beauty

Complex Occurs when Have you Attacking Occurs when I cannot accept
Questions two or more stopped cheating the person someone tries to your argument
points are rolled on exam? refuse an because unlike
into one and the argument by me, you were
reader is attacking the not educated at
expected to character of a Harvard
either accept or person instead University.
reject both at of attacking the
the same time, ideas of the
when one point argument
may be
satisfactory
while the other
is not.
Appeal to Occurs when Bill Gates, the Wrong Occurs when Liver damage
Authority the argument co-founder of Direction the direction leads to
quotes an expert microsoft, between cause alcoholism
who is not recommends the and effect is
qualified in the effective fabric reserved
particular softening
subject matter properties of Complex Occurs when We were not
Downy fabric Cause the explanation able to solve the
softener. for an event is problem because
reduced to one of limited time,
Anonymous The Authority Expert claim thing when even if all the
Authority in questions is that eating there are other other groups
not mentioned peanuts causes factors which were able to do
or named pimples also contributed so
to the event.
Hasty Occurs when Martha, the
Generalizati sample is not foreigner form Irrelevant Occurs when an We must support
on significant or France, is very Conclusion argument which the fight for
enough to impolite. French is supposed or gender equality
support a people are mean prove between men
generalization and rude something and women.
about a concludes Woman have
population something else suffered enough
instead. violence at
False Occurs when a Drugs are like home. Violence
Analogy writer assumes massages: they against women
that two make you feel must be stopped
concepts that good
are similar in
Straw Man Occurs when Opponent: We
some ways are
the position of should relax the
also similar in
the opposition law governing
other ways
is twisted so the allowed
Accident Occurs when a Jaywalking is that it is easier smoking areas in
general rule is not allowed, so to refute the city.
applied to a you should not Fallacy: We
situation, even have done that should not do it
when it should even when you because the
be an exception were being number of
chased by smokers might
terrorists increase.

Post Hoc Occurs when a Dina saw a Affirming Any argument If you are
general rule is black cat when the of the form: If drinking wine,
applied to a they went home. Consequent A is true then B you have a
situation. even Along the way, is true. If it true, problem.
when it should they crashed into therefore A is Therefore, If
be an exception. a tree. The black true you have a
cat must be the problem you are
reason why they drinking wine.
met an accident
Denying the Any argument If you are 4. Establish your credibility by citing reliable sources.
Antecedent if the form: If A drinking wine, 5. Limit your position paper to two pages.
is true then B is you have a 6. Analyze your target readers and align your
true, Id A is not problem. arguments to their beliefs, needs, interests, and
true then B is Therefore, If motivations.
not true you are not
drinking wine, 7. Summarize the other side's counter-arguments
you do not have and refute them with evidence.
a problem 8. Use an active voice as much as possible. This will
make your tone dynamic and firm.
Inconsisten Occurs when a Frank is older
cy arguments than Jake, Jake 9. Arrange your evidence logically.
contradict one is older than 10. Check your paper for fallacies and revise
another Noli, and Noli is accordingly.
older than Frank

Paragraph One – Issue and Position

MODULE 6 : ACADEMIC WRITING

POSITION PAPER
• Utilize this paragraph to clearly outline the main
- It is an essay that presents an
problems associated with your topic.
opinion about an issue - typically that
• The point of the paragraph is to provide a
of the author or some specified entity.
basic foundation as to the current situation
- It is a critical analysis of current facts,
associated with your topic.
data and research literature.
• After generally describing the issue, give your
- It present the arguable opinion about
country’s policy regarding the issue, and state
an issue.
specially why your country supports that policy.
• Policy statements can often be as short as
Purpose:
stating your country supports a certain action
- Help you understand your nation’s view
followed by a detailed qualification regarding this
and interests on the various issues that you w
policy decision.
discuss during the conference.
• This section of your position paper should not
- To generate support from the readers
exceed five to six sentences.
Though strong and valid assertions
- To generate support on an issue. It
describes a position on an issue and the
Paragraph Two – Detailed Background Information
rational for that position.

GUIDELINES:
• This paragraph is an opportunity for you to
1. Begin the writing process with in-depth
show the depth of your knowledge about the
research about the issue at hand.
past and current situations regard your topic. Be sure
2. Be aware of the various positions about
to discuss:
the issue and explain and analyze them
a. Historical origin of the problem, particularly why
objectively.
the problem arose.
3. Reflect on your position and identify its
b. How does the issue relate to the international
weaknesses.
community and why is it of international
concern.
c. Previous actions taken to try and solve the
problem (if any)
d. Successes and failures of past actions and
they succeeded or failed
e. Problems that continue to exist or ones
that have not yet been addressed.
Paragraph Three - Proposed Solutions
Regard ng the Issue
• This paragraph is the one that will set your
paper apart from the others.
• After identifying the problems in paragraph
two, utilize this paragraph to list your
solutions to all the problems you
enumerated above.
• The quality of your solutions could be a
great determinant in the overall evaluation
of your position paper
• Mechanically, your position paper should
follow the guidelines set forth by the
conference, such as margin width and font
size.
• Limit your position paper to one-two
pages, and do not write about both topics
in the same position paper.
ARTICLE CRITIQUE
★ A critique is not (only) a criticism
★ A critique is a specific style of essay
in which you identify, evaluate, and respond
to an author's ideas, both positively and
negatively. It is usually applied to academic
sources.
★ You are expected to engage with the
article rather than just summarize it, by
considering its content carefully, and from
different angles.
★ Your critique must be objective, so
support it with evidence rather than instinct
or emotion.
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
A research proposal sets out the broad topic you
would like to research (substance), what the research
would set out to achieve (aims and objectives),
how you would go about researching it
(methodology), how you would undertake it
within the time available (outline plan) and what
the results might be in relation to knowledge and
understanding in the subject (potential outcomes).
PURPOSE
➢ Research proposal is intended to convince
others that you have a worthwhile research project
and that you have the competence and the work-plan
to complete it.
➢ The purpose of a proposal is to sell your idea
to the funding agency. This means that the investigator
must convince the funding agency that:
➢ The problem is significant and worthy of study
➢ The technical approach is novel and likely to
yield results
➢ The investigator and his/her research team
is/are the right group of individuals to carry out
and accomplish the work described in the research
proposal.
ELEMENTS OF A RESEARCH PAPER:
➔ Title
➔ Abstract
➔ Table of Content
➔ Section A: Introduction
➔ Section B: Review of the Related Literature
➔ Section C: Methodology
➔ Section D: Ethical/ Legal Consideration
➔ Section E: Time Schedule
➔ References
MODULE 8: PROFESSIONAL
CORRESPONDENCE
BUSINESS LETTERS
★ a letter from one company to another,
or between such organizations and their
customers, clients, or other external parties.
★ An effective business letter elicits the
expected response from the readers. This
can be achieved through a concise, tactful,
an accurate writing style.
★ They are used for different purposes;
like placing orders, making inquiries’,
making credit request, requesting claims and
adjustment, to apologize for a wrong or
simply to convey goodwill. etc.
★ Even today, they are very useful
because it produces a permanent record,
they are confidential, formal and delivers
persuasive, well-considered messages.
★ Style of letter depends on the
relationship between the parties concerned.
PARTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER
1. Letterhead
2. Date
3. Inside Address
4. Attention Line
5. Salutation
6. Body
7. Complimentary Close
8. Signature Block
9. Identification Initials
10. Enclosure notation
11. Copy notation
12. Reference line
LAYOUT ~
1. BLOCK - Each line of every part begins at the left
margin. At least one line space between each part.
Time saving method and beautiful to look at, also
known as American style.
2. INDENT - New paragraphs begin about 1.5
centimeters to the right of the left margin. This style is
also known as Hanging style. This method consumes a
lot of time, looks shabby , therefore out of practice.
3. SEMI BLOCK/MODIFIED BLOCK - Some parts are
typed in block method and other parts are indented.
Return address, date, closing and signature start just
to the right of the center of the page or may be flush
with the right margin. Most widely followed method
in our country, especially in the government. offices.
MEMORANDUM
➢ also called as "memo", is meant to inform as
well as to persuade people within an organization.
➢ A written statement you prepare specially for
a person or communicate an order to give them
information about a particular method.
➢ A memorandum is considered “inside”
correspondence.
➢ It follows the inverted pyramid structure.
➢ A memo should be designed to get your
message across quickly. Busy people do not want
to waste time reading unnecessary information.
➢ It’s purposes are:
o To Inquire
o To Remind
o To Inform
o To Promote Goodwill
Format and Mechanics
o Use enumerations to list important items
o Use solid capitals and centering to emphasize an
important detail
o Use columns with headings to make reading and
understanding easier
o Use underlining and side headings to show natural
breaks
o Use bullets to emphasize several points
o Use boldface and italics when appropriate
o Use color coding to attract attention
ELECTRONIC MAIL
- a system in which people in any part
of the world can communicate from one
computer or device to other devices.
Few common email habits that cause
problems...
o Changing the topic without changing the sub
o Including multiple subjects
o Misaddressed recipients
o Displaying addresses of recipients who are s
o Replying vs. Forwarding
APPLICATION LETTER FOR COLLEGE
ADMISSION
★ It shows your interest in the university
you are justifying why you are qualifies at
the same time.
★ It also serves as a cover letter for all
your other college admission documents.
★ It follows a standard letter format
★ It presents your academic
qualifications, accomplishments, and
reasons for applying for admission.
INTRODUCTION:
➢ State who you are and what you are
applying for.
➢ State an eye-catching statement
about yourself.
➢ Show your enthusiasm to study in the
university you are applying to.
BODY
➢ Present your academic qualifications,
extracurricular involvement, community activity
engagements, and some personal qualities with
specific evidence.
➢ Organize your thoughts and segregate them
into paragraphs. You may separate paragraphs by
theme (one for academic qualification and one for
extracurricular activities)
➢ State the benefits the university can obtain by
admitting you. Do not just give facts; explain how
these facts will benefit the university.
CONCLUSION
➢ Indicate your interest for an interview.
➢ Indicate how the interviewer can contact you.
➢ Express you hope for a positive response from
the Admission Director.
➢ Say thank you.
RESUME
➢ It is a tool that summarizes your skills,
educational background, experiences and other
qualifications.
➢ It helps you market your skills to a prospective
employer.
FUNCTIONS:
● It informs the employers of the skills that you
can bring to the company.
● It shows how qualified you are for the job.
● It functions as a persuasive document which
allows you to proceed to the next stage of the
recruitment process, the interview.
TYPES:
● Reverse Chronological
● Functional
JOB APPLICATION LETTER
★ It is a type of personal business
correspondence which states your intention
to work in a particular organization.
★ It is enclosed every time you send
your resume.
★ It can be a response to a job
advertisement, an unsolicited inquiry to a
prospective employer as part of your direct
mail strategy, or a letter to a recruitment
agency.
FORMAT AND MECHANICS
➢ Always sign the letter.
➢ Use a letterhead w/c includes your full name,
address, phone number & email address.
➢ Use a business letter format.
➢ Use 1-1.5 margin on all sides.
➢ Have an appropriate page fill.
➢ Use font size of at least 10-12.

INTRODUCTION:
➢ Introduce yourself and state your
purpose.
➢ Indicate the source of info in learning
about the job vacancy.
➢ Add interesting statement about
yourself.
➢ Show your enthusiasm to work in
company.

BODY:
➢ Present your qualifications with
specific evidence: experience, trainings,
academic and personal qualifications.
➢ Organize your paragraphs accordingly.
(1 for work experience, 1 for education)
➢ Explain the employers benefits if they
hire you.
➢ Lastly, suggest your strongest
credentials position.

CONCLUSION
➢ Indicate your interest for an interview
at a time most convenient to the employer.
➢ Indicate how the interviewer can
contact you.
➢ Express an expectation of a positive
response from the employer.
➢ Thank the employer.