02-reaction Papers (how To Write)

English Methodology II Prof: R Correa (adapted from Prof . James Lett) 2009

REACTION PAPERS: SOME GUDELINES The topic for a Reaction Papers is very straightforward: you simply have to read the assigned text or chapters, think about what you have read, and then put your thoughts down on paper. The Reaction Paper is not a research paper that incorporates other sources of information; instead, it is a paper that contains nothing other than your own original thought and analysis. The Reaction Paper gives you the opportunity to demonstrate that you have read the assigned text or chapters carefully, that you have understood the conclusions presented in the readings as well as the reasoning that led to those conclusions, and that you have given careful thought and analysis to the implications of the textbook's arguments. Each Reaction Paper should be equally divided between two parts: a Summary and an Evaluation, labelled as such. The Summary, which must be half a page (250 words) in length, should encapsulate the essential ideas from the assigned readings in the textbook. Imagine that you are writing for an intelligent, curious reader who has no knowledge whatsoever of the text you're writing about. Your Summary should make your reader aware of the fundamental ideas presented in the paper under discussion. What are the main points made by Larsen –Freeman in the assigned paper? What are her principal arguments--i.e., what are her most important premises and conclusions? Your goal in your Summary is to convey, in only half a page, the most significant ideas from the paper, which means you will have to think very carefully about exactly which ideas are most important and why--your task is to distill the ideas from several chapters down to their critical essence that can be expressed in a very brief space. At the same time, your Summary will give you the opportunity to demonstrate not only that you have a very solid understanding of the ideas presented in the textbook, but that you can clearly explain those ideas to someone else. The Evaluation, which must be (300 words) in length, should present an original analysis of the assigned reading. What did you think of Larsen-Freeman’s presentation? What did you think about the quality of her reasoning? Were her arguments well-supported by evidence? To your knowledge, did she neglect to consider any significant evidence that would have an important bearing on her conclusions, either positively or negatively? Were her arguments persuasive? Why or why not? What questions did Larsen-Freeman leave unanswered? What questions did she inspire you to want to investigate? Has your thinking or understanding changed in any way as a result of having read the assignment? If so, how? Have you changed your mind about anything as a result of having read

the assignment? In short, the Evaluation gives you the opportunity to express the results of your original thoughtful analysis of the assigned readings. Assesment: Your Reaction Paper should take the form of a coherent, well-organized essay, with a logical structure that is apparent to the reader. You will be graded in part on how effectively you're able to communicate your ideas in written form, so be sure to pay close attention to such details as spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.