Counterargumentation and the cultivation of critical thinking in argumentative writing: Investigating washback from a high-stakes test

Liu, Fulan; Stapleton, Paul

doi:10.1016/j.system.2014.05.005

Cited by 66 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…However, emerging literature has merely demonstrated the positive impact of SFL on ESL learners' critical thinking in the traditional classroom where hardcopy textbooks are used (cf., Ryan, 2011). In addition, the SFL-based critical thinking, characterized by students' understanding of writing from the triadic relationship among meaning, linguistic features, and context is obviously more enriched thinking than what has been revealed among EFL learners in previous studies (e.g., their awareness of challenging authority in the process of writing; Liu & Stapleton, 2014), in that it provides multiple constructs (e.g., register, lexico-grammar) for language learners' orchestration of cognitive activities (e.g., analysis or evaluation). The study particularly reveals that the students' SFLbased critical thinking skills could be exemplified in their literacy practices where they used their knowledge to analyze and evaluate texts, and regulate writing.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

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Developing College EFL Writers’ Critical Thinking Skills Through Online Resources: A Case Study

Zhang

2018

Sage Open

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This study reports on how the supplementation of online resources, informed by systemic functional linguistics (SFL), impacted English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) student writers' development of critical thinking skills. Through qualitative analyses of student-teacher interactions, interviews with students, and students' written documents, the case study shows that through 1 semester of intensive exposure to SFL-based online resources in a college Chinese EFL writing classroom, EFL writers were able to develop critical thinking skills in regard to the construction of effective academic writing, although it was a process of encountering and overcoming challenges. Through teacher mediation and their own efforts, they could adjust to the online resources-based classroom, exemplified by their utilization of SFL-related categories offered through online resources to analyze and evaluate the interrelationship between language features and the content manifested in valued texts, and regulate the content of their own academic writing.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…In the meantime, these findings complement previous studies that ignore linguistic challenges of EFL students and focus on teaching EFL students' critical thinking at the non-linguistic level, such as questioning strategies (cf. DeWaelsche, 2015) or the use of counterargument in writing (e.g., Liu & Stapleton, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing College EFL Writers’ Critical Thinking Skills Through Online Resources: A Case Study

Zhang

2018

Sage Open

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“…Besides, the negotiation process is more likely to be realized when writers consider opinions in opposition to their own (or others') arguments and integrate them into their overall final positions by presenting counterarguments and rebuttals. However, such studies as Cheng and Chen (2009), Qin and Karabacak (2010), Perkins et al (1991), Stapleton (2001), and Liu and Stapleton (2014) reveal that far fewer counterarguments and rebuttals were generated by students in their argumentative essays despite their importance. The result of our study is in accordance with their findings.…”

Section: Counterarguments and Rebuttalmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The results indicate that the Taiwanese students' arguments are less extended and complex, that both groups are weak at handling oppositional structures, and that Taiwanese students are able to construct certain argument features similar to American students when composing in Chinese. Liu and Stapleton (2014) made an experiment in which the experimental group was trained in counter arguing and refuting while the control group was not. The findings show that classroom instruction was effective in helping the Chinese students incorporate alternative views in their argumentation.…”

Section: Related Studies Based On Toulmin Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

What Makes Proficient Writers' Essays More Persuasive? A Toulmin Perspective

2020

International Journal of TESOL Studies

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Although many studies have been done based on the Toulmin model, only a few involve EFL students at different proficiency levels. The present study compares the English argumentative essays of first-year students with those of the fourth-year students in terms of the use of Toulmin elements and argument complexity. Altogether 62 timed argumentative writings were selected from Spoken and Written English Corpus of Chinese Learners. Toulmin elements, namely Claim, Subclaim, Data, Warrant-Backing, Counterargument-claim, Counterargument-data, and Rebuttal were investigated, as well as Data length, Warrant-Backing length, argument depth and width. The results show that the two groups of essays have almost no difference in the use of Toulmin elements except Warrant-Backing, and that the fourth-year students perform better in argument complexity. It is concluded that the use of the Toulmin elements cannot clearly differentiate proficient writers; however, argument complexity showed improvement.

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“…The argument-counterargument structure might not be given proper attention to in their EFL writing instruction. Liu and Stapleton (2014) argues that argumentative writing instruction in mainland Chinese universities generally neglected the teaching of counterargument and rebuttal. Liu (2005) notes that in contrast to American writing textbooks, Chinese writing textbooks do not treat "anticipating the opposite side" as a crucial element in argumentative essays.…”

Section: The Relationship Between the Presence Of Argument-counterargmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Analysis of Argument-Counterargument Structure in Chinese EFL Learners’ Argumentative Writing

2017

JSE

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This study aims to analyze argument-counterargument structure of English argumentative essays written by Chinese EFL university students, based on the adapted Toulmin’s (2003) model of the argument structure constituting four elements (i.e. claim, data, counterargument and rebuttal). It also measures whether there is a correlation between the use of counterargument structure and the participants’ overall essay quality assessed by an online AWE (Automated Writing Evaluation) program. Three hundred and ninety students with various majors in a Chinese university submitted their argumentative essays in English online. The results demonstrated that half of the participants developed a one-sided model of argumentation while the other half of them used argument-counterargument structure in their essays. The participants’ use of counterarguments affected the overall quality of their essays. Pedagogical implications of these findings are also discussed.

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Counterargumentation and the cultivation of critical thinking in argumentative writing: Investigating washback from a high-stakes test

Cited by 66 publications

References 28 publications

Developing College EFL Writers’ Critical Thinking Skills Through Online Resources: A Case Study

Developing College EFL Writers’ Critical Thinking Skills Through Online Resources: A Case Study

What Makes Proficient Writers' Essays More Persuasive? A Toulmin Perspective

The Analysis of Argument-Counterargument Structure in Chinese EFL Learners’ Argumentative Writing

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