WRITING
Teaching argumentative
writing: Tips and strategies
Diana Mazgutova offers some advice on teaching argumentative writing to ESL university students.
Introduction argumentative texts. The purpose of argumentative essay is concerned,
this article is to provide an accurate that is not sufficient. What is essential
'Argumentation should be taught description of the major components in argumentation is the reflection of
alongside reading, writing, and of an argumentative essay so that the writer's main argument through
arithmetic (as the 4th “R”) because ESL teachers can increase their the title. In fact, the title must always
learning in many subject matter students' understanding of the essay be catchy, i.e. it should act as a 'hook'
domains requires students to be structure and help them overcome for the target audience and, at the
adept at comprehending and the challenges they might experience same time, be brief and clear, i.e.
evaluating arguments' (Britt & Larson, when writing. the writer should avoid using lengthy
2003, p. 794). imprecise language in the title.
It is important for the learners to To help their students to produce
One's ability to formulate and always remember the major purpose effective titles for their essays,
produce convincing arguments both of argumentation, which is organising teachers should encourage them to
orally and on paper constitutes and presenting a clear and well- construct their title only when the
an essential academic skill. As reasoned claim in order to convince essay draft is close to completion,
pointed out by Wolfe (2011), the target audience to accept or at since the title does depend on the
most writing assignments require least, to seriously consider the writer's final argument.
students to engage in some sort frame of reference.
of argumentation. Argumentative The Introduction
essay writing is undoubtedly one of Argumentative writing might be
the most frequent types of written characterised as having the following Just like the essay title, the
assignments students are expected to distinctive characteristics: first, the introduction should ideally begin with
produce regardless of the discipline central argument or claim must be some catchy (intriguing, shocking,
they pursue. University students are precise and clear and second, the surprising or just fascinating in itself)
generally assumed to already possess arguments presented in the essay information. In other words, it must
a certain ability to construct well- must be grounded in sufficient grab the reader's attention and
developed persuasive arguments. convincing supporting evidence. So motivate them to plunge into reading
The research conducted in the past what should a good argumentative the essay further. There are several
as well as more recent studies have essay look like? effective strategies that students
however shown that although the could choose to use when writing an
structure of an argumentative essay The Title opening paragraph to their argument
seems to be generally straightforward, essays, for example, posing a puzzling
many students experience The essay title should clearly state question, which will be attempted
considerable difficulties when writing the topic; however, as far as an to be answered in the essay, citing
“ Just like the essay title, the introduction should ideally begin with
some catchy (intriguing, shocking, surprising or just fascinating in itself)
information. In other words, it must grab the reader's attention …
July 2013 Volume 22 No. 3 www.onlineMET.com
” 49
WRITING
“ … the thesis should not merely announce
an interesting quote (by a famous
person or someone renowned in
the field of research) or presenting
some outrageous factual evidence or the subject matter of the essay, but it should
striking statistics. Whichever strategy
constitute the idea that can be argued against.
”
or strategies the writer decides to
use, they should remember to keep
it brief and make sure that it links
well to their thesis statement, i.e. the
main argument, which will contain the subject matter of the essay, but it b How recent is the source? It is true to
the central idea of the whole essay should constitute the idea that can be say that often the source could be
and present some viewpoint that can argued against. Secondly, the thesis old, but despite that fact, contain
be challenged or questioned by the should be narrow rather than broad some reliable and accurate data.
reader (The Writing Center, 2003). since the narrower the claim is, the Some information (in certain areas
more effective the argument will be. of research) however needs to be
One of the most common flaws of Finally, the thesis should be stated more current if it is to be cited as
the introduction in an argumentative briefly, i.e. in one or two sentences, the supporting evidence. Thus,
essay is the presence of very general and highlight the main reasons whether the source should be
unsupportable claims. For example, behind the argument. All specific necessarily up-to-date depends on
sweeping statements such as 'Since evidence and examples to back up the the topic of the assignment.
ancient times, people have always thesis should, however, be reserved
wondered ...' or 'We have often for the main body, which would c What is the author's purpose? When
believed that ...' should be avoided. follow the introduction. deciding which evidence to use,
the writer should take the point of
'The act of arguing in academic writing The Body view of the author of the evidence
is the act of entering a conversation' into account. If the author is
(Graff and Birkenstein, 2006). It is true Each paragraph in the body of an biased, i.e. advocating one
to say that argumentation can be seen argument essay should begin with particular view of a topic, being
as having a conversation with the a topic sentence, which should one-sided, rather than neutral and
reader. Indeed, similar to entering a introduce the main argument of the objective, one needs to be careful
conversation where one needs to be paragraph and make it clear how the when choosing to use that source
aware of what others have said before paragraph’s evidence will support the as supporting material.
one responds, in argumentation, it overarching claim of the essay. The
is important that the writer should rest of the paragraph should describe Another challenge a student
establish for their audience what has and explain the evidence that will might encounter when writing
been said with regard to the topic support the topic sentence. Students argumentative essays is the so
prior to stating and illustrating their should be careful when selecting the called “my-side” bias, when they are
own claims. So, in the introduction, supporting evidence to introduce in focusing only or largely on reasons or
the writer should first set the context the paragraph. Regardless of what claims to support their own position,
or present the background to the type of source a student uses, it must completely excluding any possible
topic by summarising other authors' be credible, i.e. reliable, accurate, and counter arguments or other-side
written works so that the readers trustworthy (Weida, 2009). To assess views. Empirical studies suggest
have a clearer picture of what is being the credibility of the material, one that, without explicit instruction,
argued about and why in the essay. should ask the following questions: only a small number of students
succeed in mentioning the opposing-
Every argumentative essay must a Who is the author and is he/she side information in their written
contain a thesis statement, which respected in the field of research? compositions (Wolfe & Britt, 2008).
should remind the writer to keep In fact, this question is important Therefore, I always emphasize to my
the essay focused and organised and to consider because that would students the necessity of considering
importantly, possess the following make it easier for the student the opposing side of an argument and
characteristics: Firstly, the thesis writer to determine the accuracy including the counterclaim, i.e. an
should necessarily be a debatable and reliability of the supporting argument that negates or disagrees
or arguable statement or claim. evidence the author provides with the thesis. Once the counterclaim
Providing the thesis is a generally in their written work. Teachers is included, it should be responded to
agreed on or accepted factual should discourage their learners with the rebuttal, i.e. the writer's own
statement, there is no reason for the from using websites whose authors argument that negates or disagrees
writer to attempt to persuade people cannot be determined as well as with the counterclaim. In order to
(Purdue OWL, 2009). Indeed, the sites like Wikipedia, developed demonstrate that the student has
thesis should not merely announce collaboratively by multiple users. thoroughly researched the topic,
50 Modern English Teacher July 2013 Volume 22 No. 3
WRITING
“ Another challenge a student might encounter when writing argumentative
essays is the so called “my-side” bias, when they are focusing only or largely
on reasons or claims to support their own position …
they might choose to include several
counterclaims.
REFERENCES
Britt, M. A. & Larson, A. A. (2003)
”
Diana Mazgutova
'Constructing representations of
The Conclusion arguments'. Journal of Memory and
Language. 48, pp.794-810
After moving from general to specific
information in the introduction and Brizee, A. (2009) 'Argument Papers:
body, the essay conclusion should Conclusions'. 01 March 2013. Purdue
begin pulling back into more general University <http://owl.english.purdue.
information that restates the main edu/owl/resource/724/04/>
points of the writer's argument
(Brizee, 2013). Generally, I remind Graff, G. & Birkenstein, C. (2006)
my learners to keep their conclusion They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter Diana Mazgutova had been
simple, not trying to introduce any in Academic Writing. New York: teaching English at the Institute
new points. What should be done W. W. Norton for English Language Teacher
in the final part of the essay is the Education in Uzbekistan before
restatement of the essay topic and Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab). she moved to the UK to pursue
central claim. Additionally, the writer (2009) 'Logic in Argumentative her MA TESOL. Currently Diana
should explain why the readers need Writing'. 26 May 2009. Purdue is doing her PhD in Linguistics in
to align with their position. Finally, University <http://owl.english.purdue. Lancaster University and teaching
the conclusion could call for action edu/owl/resource/659/01/> EAP at the International Study
and/or overview some future Centre and on the EAP/Study
research possibilities. The Writing Center. 'Thesis Skills Summer Programmes in
Statements'. 23 March 2003. Pasadena the Department of Linguistics
Overall, one of the most efficient City College <http://www.pasadena. at Lancaster University. Her
strategies to follow when writing edu/divisions/english/writing/ professional interests include
argumentative essays is the Preacher's documents/dbdistin_524.pdf> academic writing and second
method, which says: language acquisition.
Weida, S. (2009) 'Using Research and
• Tell what you're going to tell Evidence'. 11 March 2013. Purdue Email:
[email protected] them (The Introduction) University <http://owl.english.purdue.
edu/owl/resource/588/02/ >.
• Tell them (The Body)
Wolfe, C.R. (2011) 'Argumentation
• Tell them what you told them Across the Curriculum'. Written
(the Conclusion). Communication. 28, 2, pp.193-219
Wolfe, C. R. & Britt, M. A. (2008)
'Locus of the myside bias in
written argumentation'. Thinking &
Reasoning, 14, pp.1-27
July 2013 Volume 22 No. 3 www.onlineMET.com 51
