A reflection on my argumentation skills
Sometimes it can be a bit difficult to write an essay with a good flow of ideas in my head without having to brainstorm, outline, drafting and finally revise the final draft of the essay. My process of brainstorming involves gathering the inspiration for the writing I want to do and then generate ideas. Some of the techniques I use to brainstorm are free writing and bulleting. I prefer using freewriting technique because it allows me to write without having to stop continuously, and it helps me generate as many ideas without editing thoughts (Sieck). After brainstorming, I usually outline the main ideas that I have brainstormed by grouping them into different categories. I then draft the format of my essay, and upon completion, I must revise to analyze if the ideas flow well to make sense. An argument is where is a conversation where the parties involved usually have a view that is divergent regarding a particular matter. In my previous essay, I was able to argue so well because I was able to make use of the dialogic process for two opposing views. In my argumentation skills, I realized that it is essential to use evidence to support the depicted thoughts and figure out the advantages and disadvantages of different ideas in the argument and cons of the opposing argument.
It is imperative always to use evidence in an argument to support the idea you are depicting. This is because argumentation is regarded as the thought process that is used to develop and present the case. I realized that argumentation could be closely related to critical thinking and reasoning. I had to come up with reasons as to why I am supporting a specific argument and show what is right about the favoured idea (Sieck). Writing ideas out of nowhere will rarely persuade the reader to lean towards the side you are supporting. The evidence providence is supposed to show that it endorses the central claim of the thesis statement. The evidence should also be ample. Evidence can be collected and presented in forms of statistics, facts, textual or cases. I Can include proof that I have gathered from several sources and texts and can document it. To make sure that it is documented well, I introduce it properly and explain its importance to show my readers what I want them to glean from my argument. I then Explain each piece of evidence and prove hoe it elucidates my point and why it is significant. Finally, I usually build the evidence I have provided in my text and use it strategically to prove my argument.
Besides using arguments, it is crucial to consider the counterarguments by figuring out the pros and cons of the different positions on an argument. After that, weigh the positives and negatives of the claims to reach a reasonable conclusion (Sieck). After showing what Is significant about the favoured position, there is a need to shift the perspective—a shift to the opposing claim to show the cons of the opposing argument. Consideration of the other alternatives during an argument takes the argumentation to a further step because not all the arguments lead to the same position or conclusion.
It is also important to point out the disadvantage of the opposing argument without hurting the reader who might be supporting the counterargument. I was able to understand on how to admit to the value of the opposing view and the value it creates in the arguments while still pivoting to the side of my argument (Sieck). I also learnt that to write a compelling argument, and I must use clear and logical thinking to avoid logical fallacies. Sometimes one can get eager to fight against the opposing point of view hence ending up making misleading and illogical claims to prove the supportive side. From that, I can write to write persuasive and more convincing arguments.
For one to come up with a good argument, it is important to provide evidence to all the points that are provided in the claims in order to support your point of view. This has enabled me to draw conclusions out of an argument by using the points to weight the importance of each claim. It is also essential to come with advantages and disadvantages of the supporting and counterarguments in order to convince the reader on the points you are trying to depict in the essay. I can generate why the position I took is the better one and formulate claims and questions to provide the relevant evidence. After that, I rank the reasons by evaluating them according to their strength to come with the best conclusion. Besides, when supporting the counterargument, it is critical to provide evidence that supports your opposing view of that claim. This enables the reader to connect why you are trying to support one view and why you are against the other.
Reference
Sieck, Winston. “Argument Skills And How To Teach Them – Thinker Academy”. Thinker
Academy, 2020, https://thinkeracademy.com/argument-skills-how-to-teach/.