English for Academic Purposes Practice Activities English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Reading more efficiently Lesson 6 Expressing stance 1

Lesson 6 Reading more efficiently Expressing stance English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Reading more efficiently Lesson 6 Expressing stance 2

Expressing stance We saw an example of a text with a clear negative stance of the author (The review of the exhibition in Lesson 3) English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Reading more efficiently Lesson 6 Expressing stance 3

Expressing stance You will often read academic texts that contain an argument, or a summary of several arguments on a related topic. You will need to identify how the arguments and evidence are related, and on what premise the conclusions are based. A premise is a statement or idea that an argument is based on. Recognizing the evaluative language the author uses will help you to identify their stance on the strengths and weaknesses of these arguments. Identifying the author’s stance makes it possible for you to evaluate the main argument(s) discussed, and draw your own conclusions. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Reading more efficiently Lesson 6 Expressing stance 4

Expressing stance Stance is the opinion of the writer or speaker. Stance is typically expressed in phrases such as I think (that) … In my view… From my point of view…. Stance can also be expressed in adverbial phrases and verbs. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Reading more efficiently Lesson 6 Expressing stance 5

Expressing stance The text on p. 139 of your coursebook reveals the author’s stance at several points. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Reading more efficiently Lesson 6 Expressing stance 6

Expressing stance Here are two short texts about the ‘Little Albert’ experiment performed by John Watson in Which one (A or B) shows more clearly the author’s stance? Identify the features showing stance. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Reading more efficiently Lesson 6 Expressing stance 7

Expressing stance Text A Little Albert In the famous Little Albert experiment, a nearly 9-month-old baby is shown a white rat. The rat crawls up to the baby, on him, and around him. The baby seems interested in the rat and unafraid. Later, researchers again produce the rat and place it next to the baby, but this time the rat’s presence is accompanied by a loud, startling clang — a sound the baby clearly doesn’t like. This is repeated multiple times until the baby starts to cry at the mere appearance of the rat, loud clang or no. The fear extends to other furry things like a dog and a monkey, animals that previously provoked only mild interest. The researchers have taught Little Albert to be afraid. The experiment was conducted by John Watson in 1920 and was part of the psychologist’s attempt to prove that infants are blank slates and therefore infinitely malleable. It has been recounted in countless papers and textbooks. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Reading more efficiently Lesson 6 Expressing stance 8

Expressing stance Text B Little Albert Watson wanted to see if he could create a conditioned response in a baby. Enter 9-month old Albert B., Little Albert. At the beginning of the experiment, Albert was presented with a white rat, a dog, a white rabbit, and a mask of Santa Claus among other things. The baby was unafraid of everything and, in fact, seemed to like the rat. Then every time he touched the animals, scientists struck a metal bar behind him, creating a terrible loud bang. The baby hated the bang and soon, like Pavlov’s dogs, Little Albert grew terrified of the rat and the mask of Santa and even a fur coat. The particularly disturbing aspect of the experiment was that Watson didn’t even reverse the psychological trauma he inflicted. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Reading more efficiently Lesson 6 Expressing stance 9

Expressing stance Answers Text B contains more evaluative language and shows that the author disapproves of Watson’s experiment. Watson wanted to see if he could create a conditioned response in a baby. Enter 9-month old Albert B., Little Albert. At the beginning of the experiment, Albert was presented with a white rat, a dog, a white rabbit, and a mask of Santa Claus among other things. The baby was unafraid of everything and, in fact, seemed to like the rat. Then every time he touched the animals, scientists struck a metal bar behind him, creating a terrible loud bang. The baby hated the bang and soon, like Pavlov’s dogs, Little Albert grew terrified of the rat and the mask of Santa and even a fur coat. The particularly disturbing aspect of the experiment was that Watson didn’t even reverse the psychological trauma he inflicted. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Reading more efficiently Lesson 6 Expressing stance 10

Expressing stance Here is another academic text about the use of English as an international language. What is the author’s stance? Is she in favour of or against the use of English on the international scene? Identify the language which shows her stance. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Reading more efficiently Lesson 6 Expressing stance 11

Expressing stance The main argument used to support using English as a global language is that it facilitates business, trade and academic activities. It is claimed that without English, people would not be able to benefit from valuable international contacts which have been made possible by the rapid growth in the technology of communication. However, this argument does not take into account that those who do not have English as a first language find themselves at a disadvantage compared with their colleagues. In a recent study of international meetings within the corporate sector, researchers found that those with English as a first language were most likely to participate, especially when meetings involved the use of informal speech. There is also evidence that scientists who write up their research in languages other than English have their work ignored by the international community, and that research papers in English have a higher impact factor. Many countries do not have the financial resources needed to teach all their citizens a foreign language. And if governments are unable to educate all their citizens, only an elite minority will have access to the resources to achieve the level of language competence necessary to participate effectively on an international level. The result will be further disadvantage for marginalised groups in both advanced and developing countries. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Reading more efficiently Lesson 6 Expressing stance 12

Expressing stance Answer The second paragraph is relatively neutral in stance but the first and third paragraphs contain negative evaluation of the phenomenon. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Reading more efficiently Lesson 6 Expressing stance 13

Expressing stance The main argument used to support using English as a global language is that it facilitates business, trade and academic activities. It is claimed that without English, people would not be able to benefit from valuable international contacts which have been made possible by the rapid growth in the technology of communication. However, this argument does not take into account that those who do not have English as a first language find themselves at a disadvantage compared with their colleagues. In a recent study of international meetings within the corporate sector, researchers found that those with English as a first language were most likely to participate, especially when meetings involved the use of informal speech. There is also evidence that scientists who write up their research in languages other than English have their work ignored by the international community, and that research papers in English have a higher impact factor. Many countries do not have the financial resources needed to teach all their citizens a foreign language. And if governments are unable to educate all their citizens, only an elite minority will have access to the resources to achieve the level of language competence necessary to participate effectively on an international level. The result will be further disadvantage for marginalised groups in both advanced and developing countries. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Reading more efficiently Lesson 6 Expressing stance 14

Expressing stance Whatever you are reading, be aware of the author's background. It is important to recognize the bias given to writing by a writer's political, religious, social background. Learn which newspapers and journals represent a particular standpoint. English for Academic Purposes Practice activities Reading more efficiently Lesson 6 Expressing stance 15