Final reflection

For the presentations for the whole topic that have been done by my classmate just nice. However, there still have some topics that need further information from lecturer. For the reflection for the whole ‘critical literacy’ course itself I think quite killer because every time I need to settle down my task for this subject, I will suffer migraine in the middle way to complete it. Overall for the course is fine actually because it teach us to be critical thinking in anything that we read or write. Hence, not only for academic purpose but also in our daily life. Of course when we studying something we will learn something from it. In this course I have learn how be critical thinking and thinking out of the box, so it will be good to be continue. I think, to completing one assignment for this course I suggest more time will be given to make sure students more relax and lecturer guidance must involve to make sure the task are complete on time.

Reading 5.4-Metaphor

The information in this unit that I found interesting is about how metaphor can make sense in our world. In this chapter, Lee was focuses on explaining the relation between the writer’s choices of metaphor and how these choices may influence the reader. As Lee makes clear, metaphor plays a key role in enabling us to talk about and construct the world, and allows language users the flexibility to cope with rapidly changing circumstances. It is not merely a device occasionally employed by poets but facilitates communication throughout the language. According to study guide, the framework Lee develops includes the role of metaphor in language, the effect of metaphor on the reader and interest s and motivations, which lead to the use of certain metaphors. His points are illustrated using a range of texts, including a detail analysis of the role of metaphor in the discourses associated with nuclear weapons or ‘nukespeak’. According to Lee, the meanings of words are not necessarily fixed. Their meanings are dependent on how people use and understand them in particular context. Lee illustrates his observation that the metaphors we use reflect our perspective and ideology, by examining the metaphor of ‘argument in war’. Here the language of war such as ‘indefensible’, ‘strategy’ and ‘on target’, is used to describe the process of argument. In this reading, Lee argues that by using metaphor in our daily discourse we are able to make sense of our world, and communicate that sense to other. He claims that ‘our world is structured through the relationships that we establish between different situations. The metaphors we choose, however, are reflections of both our personal and cultural perspective. Thus, the choice of metaphorical language in a text can help us understand the writer’s perspective and ideology.

Reading 5.3-Types of exposition

The information that I found interesting is about the important of exposition in our culture. In this chapter, Martin focuses on a type of text him term ‘exposition’. The characteristic feature of these texts is that they attempt to justify something, to provide reasons to support some thesis. He also distinguishes between two types of exposition based on differences in the purposes they achieve. The two types he identifies are ‘analytical’ and ‘hortatory’ expositions. The former attempt to persuade the recipient that something is true, while the latter try to persuade the recipient to do something. The first type of exposition is ‘analytical exposition’ which are often associated with academic speaking and writing. The second type of exposition is ‘hortatory exposition’. Hortatory exposition, which includes texts such as political speeches, letters to the editor and office memos, designed to change employee behavior. Having identified the different type of exposition, Martin examines how the producers of expositions employ reasoning, personality and metaphor to achieve their ends. This examination involves a discussion of key differences between spoken and written language. In this chapter, Martin also identifies the defining characteristics and functions of various forms of exposition within our culture. In doing so, he alerts us to clues within the text that will enable us to discover a writer’s perspective, ideology and intention, and to evaluate the argument presented. There not much term that hardly to understand. I think with further reading will help a lot in understanding this topic.

Reading 4.5-Crooked and fallacious thinking

In this chapter the information that I found interesting is about how crooked interrelated with fallacious thinking. This is about an argument about crooked and fallacious thinking is not only evidence of illogical mental process and poor communication skill but is also manipulative tool in the hands of speaker/ writers wishing to influence and effect the judgment of their listeners / readers. In other hand, especially in context where there is an intent to persuade someone towards a particular belief or course of action, we are likely to encounter instances of crooked and fallacious thinking. For this reasons it is included in a course on critical literacy as it is important to be able to interrogate the logic contained in the argument in the text. Here we can say that much human misunderstanding and blunder arises because many people are aware of the fact that their trends of thoughts, and thus their communication processes, are frequently muddled, illogical and fallacious. But while such innocent, through troublesome, blunders may well be good humouredly regarded as part of human weaknesses, we should be aware that there are thinking people who consciously take advantage of the general ignorance and weaknesses of others. In persuasions and discourses such as people, subtly use crooked tricks of argument to insidiously influence their listener or reader. It would therefore be wise to look at the more common forms of crooked and fallacious trends of thought. However, aware as we are the danger of brute ‘reasons’, we should look at more types of cloudy thinking and unfair argumentation. There some concept that I cannot understand especially about the picture shown and the statement examples.

Reading 4.4-Statistic

In this chapter, the information that I found interesting is about how statistic can change the numerical perception. The word of ‘statistic’ itself has two meanings. According to the reading book, define statistic when it is used with a plural verb, it refer to information about any phenomenon or activity expressed in numerical form, such as vital statistic, college-enrolment figures, and opinion poll percentage. In its singular sense, it denotes the art and science of collecting, presenting, analyzing and interpreting numerical data. In other words, it is, in the second sense, the tool for us to make the maximum use of quantitative measurements and assessments. However, in this chapter is concerned with the use and misuse of statistics and is intended to caution readers into a more informed response to texts that link facts and figures. The importance of statistics in human affairs is obvious from our tendency to associate ‘facts’ closely with ‘figures’. On the other hand, raw, undigested and voluminous figures that are carelessly accumulated are useless and even meaningless. But figures that are systematically collected and properly analyzed can be used as the basis for rational decisions and conclusion. According from example given in reading books says that a table that shows the quantity of bus-tickets of each denomination sold will, for example, help the bus proprietor to decide on whether he should have more buses running short or long distances. Indeed, in an age of science when man tries to be rational, objective and systematic in as many activities as possible, the art and science of statistics is an indispensable analytical tool. I think there are no difficult terms that hardly to understand.

Reading 4.3-What is the evidence?

The information that I found interesting is about how evidence can be define. This chapter begins with the famous case of the kidnapping of the infant son of Charles Lindbergh and examines the evidence, wholly circumstantial, that led to the conviction and execution of Bruno Hauptmann. Ruby goes on to talk about the quality of evidence in other famous cases, including historical treatments of past events. In all case, he argues that a reader should maintain a critical stance towards everything that is read, always asking the question ‘what is the evidence?’ before drawing a conclusion. Evidence is divided into two type which is circumstantial evidence and testimonial evidence. Both evidence have their own weaknesses. The weakness of circumstantial evidence is not altogether trustworthy as a basis for determining guilt. Here we can conclude that we can buy eyewitnesses to give confession to the court nor the weaknesses of testimonial evidence is the eyewitnesses who testify that they themselves have seen the accused commit the crime not all can remember the actual time and places because of unfortunately incident which is not being planned. Therefore, the eyewitnesses cannot really recognize what was happen clearly. This chapter for me is quite confusing to determined what is the issue to be discuss either we need to compare or came out with what type evidence in each story. At last, after get explanation from my classmate who are more understand about the story, then I can understand.

Reading 3.4-Speech and speaker

The information that I found it interesting is about how texts construct particular identities for their readers through a process called ‘positioning’. In this reading, Kress starts by stating that ‘our experience of language is the experience of text’ which means that our ability to use and understand language reflects how texts have shaped us as people, including our understandings of who we are , and our attitude to other people, and the world in general. Other than that, Kress’s also state his argument is that texts shape the behavior and attitude both of participants within them and of the readers who access them. In the section “Discourse and readers”, Kress use the notion of ‘discourse’ to explain how texts shape people’s identities. ‘Discourse’, which refers to ways of speaking or writing which promote a particular view of world and how it should be. By other words, a particular perspective or stance. Additionally, when we speak or write, the discourses we can draw on and are competent to use will vary. It is depending on the purpose of our speaking and writing as well as other social factors such as the discourses we have learnt to use in our family life, education and work. Besides, we should think of the ways in which your use of language reflects your different assumptions about how different people in different setting should behave. The writer shows these in reading book, which is about ‘Miss Seductress’ and ‘Miss Winner’ in a Cleo magazine. Kress describe readers who share this ideal reader’s view of the world as occupying the ‘reading position’ of the ideal reader. The readers who are most likely to occupy this position are those who accept the views expressed in a text as ‘natural’ and common sense. These woman think of themselves as feminists but at the same time want to conform to men’s expectations of women. It may not be easy because these texts may have already shaped how we think about the world. In order to examine how these texts position us, we also need to examine how we view the world. Only then can we make freer, more critical decision about how we want to lead our lives.