In societies where values and opinions are varied and diversified, thinking through and arguing controversial issues are important steps for you to constructively engage in controversies. This course is designed to develop your critical thinking skills and disposition through reading, writing, and discussing contemporary controversial issues in English. The skills and disposition include:
-analytic skillsde;skills to analyze reasoning and arguments so that you can display the claim and support of the given discourse -evaluative skillsde;skills to assess the overall cogency (strengths and weaknesses) of the reasoning/arguments -organizational skillsde;skills to arrange your thoughts in such a manner that you can write an extensive critique of the discourse -adequate attitudes and behaviorsde;disposition to handle controversial situations in a constructive manner
As a course to develop your critical thinking skills, this course starts with a short overview of argumentation studies based upon recent scholarly research and pedagogical approaches. After familiarizing yourselves with basic concepts on argument, we will think through actual controversial topics: environmental issues, sports and arts, and health. On each of the topics, we will start with reading extended arguments to have common sense on the topic. Then we will have in-class discussion/presentation to 'think through' the topic.
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