Students at the master’s level are already quite proficient at writing in English as a second language, ranging from low advanced to superior levels (ACTFL scale). In many cases, students can present information clearly and accurately. However, a recurring difficulty lies in moving beyond reporting toward genuine engagement with ideas. Too often, papers summarize what others have written without entering into the problems and questions those texts raise.
This course is designed as an opportunity to develop a different kind of writing: argumentative and dialogical writing. Our focus will not be on expressing opinions alone, but on understanding and responding to arguments. This involves reading texts carefully, identifying the central issues they raise, and formulating a response that engages those issues directly. Your task will be to enter into a dialogue with the author—writing for an audience of critical readers—with the aim of clarifying and deepening understanding, rather than simply asserting a position or “winning” an argument.
This means learning to reconstruct an argument accurately, to recognize what is at stake in it, and to develop a reasoned response that takes the strongest possible objections into account. The emphasis is not merely on stating what you think, but on showing that you understand the position you are responding to and can engage it thoughtfully.
In addition, we will work on key aspects of academic writing. These include writing clear and focused introductions, structuring arguments effectively, developing coherent body paragraphs, and crafting conclusions that bring the discussion to a meaningful close. Attention will also be given to style, with the aim of helping you write in a way that is both precise and readable.
- Kursleiter*in: Gary Lovan