New Speaker: Hey guys.
So what am I talking about?
So recently, I released a new segment where I talk about analyzing argument and I analyzed
an actual article with you.
I haven't done it before, but from what I can see, you guys are actually really enjoying
it.
I want to remind you guys that I am doing a analyzing argument livestream next Friday,
the 27th after school at 5:00 PM.
So if you have any questions for me I encourage you to start asking away.
I'll put the link to the livestream below for you guys so you can hit that link and
then go and set up a reminder for yourself.
There's also a chat section there for you to actually start answering your questions.
So do that because you know, I need questions to start off with, to answer.
If you get in early, then I'll probably start off with yours.
New Speaker: So heck yeah, let's answer this.
Asa has asked me, "Hey, Lisa.
This video was super helpful, but I was wondering if next time you could include a section where
you translate annotations and put it into a paragraph.
I know in order to get a high mark you shouldn't be focusing too much on the techniques, but
rather in a more holistic way.
It'd be pretty cool to see which ones out of the bunch you annotate you choose to include
in your analysis.
Thank you."
New Speaker: I eventually wanted to get up to this point
and talk more about structuring an essay and how to organize it in a body paragraph.
But I was trying to figure out what to do for this video.
Then I thought, "You know what, why not just do it now?"
Obviously, with analyzing argument or language analysis, however you want to call it, it's
a big section in the exam and there's a lot to cover.
So I'm not going to go into too much detail about how I actually structure the essay for
language analysis, because I think that is most suited to an entire video in itself.
But I thought I would at least just create one paragraph for you guys just to give you
a little bit of an idea of how I would go about it so you can walk away from this video
with a little bit of extra knowledge to help you with your language analysis.
New Speaker: So basically, in the paragraph that I've created,
you'll see that I don't use every single language technique that I have found, and that's the
whole point.
You want to be at that skillset where you can find so many language techniques, but
you're so good that you know that you can't analyze absolutely everything, so you go and
choose the gems out of the lot.
So choose the ones that you think will help you set yourself apart from other students.
For example, I always try to encourage my students not to necessarily always talk about
stats or rhetorical questions or inclusive language, because those ones are super obvious.
They're the ones that everyone can find.
New Speaker: So of course, you don't just strategize your
essay and choose techniques that you think no one else is going to write about.
Because, what if that rhetorical question is actually a really strong one where you
could elaborate and say something really insightful about it, right?
So it's all a balancing game.
Let's just get into the paragraph and give you guys a look.
What I do is I base paragraph according to ideas.
Now, every single author who creates an article has a main contention, but what we're after
now are the smaller ideas that the author makes in order to support that overall contention.
One idea that I have chosen to talk about is the idea of what school has become, or
the current school culture.
In my paragraph, I have included a few language techniques that I believe fit into this overall
idea.
New Speaker: So Frost highlights the current and unpleasant
school culture in an effort to rile support from other parents.
You can see here that this is the idea that I'm focused on.
His use of the metaphor, chained to their desk all day, suggests how children are being
imprisoned by their schooling.
Especially since it's seven days a week.
This may deter parents from supporting the principal's absenteeism policy, as they feel
as though their children are spending more than enough time at school.
New Speaker: You can see here that I've included one language
technique, and it's the metaphor.
The main reason why I've included this metaphor is because the idea that children are chained
to their desk all day really reflects the school culture and attitude of Frost's child
school.
New Speaker: Next I say, Frost compounds this idea of trapped
children through highlighting that school is now a childcare for big kids, rather than
a place to educate kids.
The childcare works to portray the school, and by extension the principal, as incompetent
at their job of raising an independent next generation.
As a result, disgruntled parents may resist the idea of a truancy policy as it becomes
apparent that more times at school is unlikely to equal better outcomes for the child.
New Speaker: I've inputted a second language technique
here, and I've really focused on the idea itself though.
I'm emphasizing the fact that this school, as it is right now, is just not a good place
to be.
You can see that I'm being consistent with this idea, because I start off the sentence
with, "Frost compounds this idea," showing the link with my own sentences.
New Speaker: Then I move on.
Moreover, Frost's declaration that school is now a remand system may further encourage
parents to support his case, as it is implied that children are being held custody by the
school.
His passion may strike a chord with other parents who feel alienated by the seemingly
impenetrable school culture, with which they find it difficult to contribute or influence.
New Speaker: So I finished off this paragraph with a third
and final language technique.
As you can see here, what I am focused on more as a writer of this essay is the idea
of school culture.
With that, I try to find language techniques that work with it.
I don't do it the other way around, where I base it off a language technique and try
to cram, I don't know, just ideas into a language technique or try to make it work that way,
because it's going to be a lot tougher for you.
Focus on the ideas and see which techniques fit into it.
New Speaker: Now, I found more techniques I think than
the three, that could have fit into this body paragraph, but I felt like these three pointers
were probably the strongest ones and the ones where I felt like I could really show off
my analytical skills.
So I talked about a metaphor.
I talked about how the place is a childcare.
The betrayal of the school, lack of childcare and the idea of trapped children or imprisoned
children, I worked off this idea.
Then I worked off this idea even further by talking about a remand system, which is legal
jargon for custody.
New Speaker: It's like these children are just being condemned
to this school, which is something that no parents would want.
And so, I really emphasized that.
So yeah, that's pretty much it.
I hope that answers your question, Asa.
I only used three language techniques, but it's not about the quantity.
It is about the quality of the work that you're portraying.
Sorry, I keep looking down because I've written my stuff here for you guys, but you'll notice
that these language techniques don't come one after another in the article, they're
kind of all over the place.
This is really important to enable you to be able to go and find different techniques
from different areas of the article, rather than just confining yourself to, "Oh, this
author has written this one paragraph.
Let me try to find all these techniques in this one paragraph and transport that into
one paragraph in my essay."
You know?
New Speaker: To sum up, main messages are, focus your paragraphs
on an idea.
It's not about quantity, it's about quality of your language techniques.
Try to find the ones that are going to show off your skill.
And fourth, you don't need to find language techniques in a chronological order.
You can pick them out wherever you please.
That's it.
New Speaker: If you find this interesting or if you're
not being taught this at school or you feel like the advice that I'm giving you is actually
really helpful, then I'd encourage you to go and check out my study guide that I created
with two other girls who achieved a study school of 50.
So we have an entire section there about analyzing argument, from analyzing itself, language
techniques, essay structure, writing up the essay, then showing you high essay responses
with annotations to ensure that you know what you're doing.
So I've got you covered, all right?
Don't stress.
New Speaker: So I will see you guys next week for the livestream.
It will be on Friday the 27th at 5:00 PM.
So as usual, I'm your Friday girl.
I'm always here on Fridays and you guys can ask me any of your questions related to analyzing
argument then.
Speak to you guys then.
Bye.