Be A Critical Reader, Listener Viewer

Topic 2: Be a Critical
Reader, Listener Viewer

 Reading effectively requires approaching texts
with a critical eye: evaluating what you read
for not just what it says, but how and why it
says it. Effective reading is central to both
effective research (when you evaluate sources)
and effective writing (when you understand
how what you read is written, you can work to
incorporate those techniques into your own
writing). Being an effective reader also means
being able to evaluate your own practices,
working to develop your critical reading skills
Critical Evaluation Defined
 • Reading critically is not a fast process. Many students
do not set aside enough study time for reading (and
rereading), and read everything either too quickly or at
the same speed. If you know what you’re reading for,
you can better distinguish information that can be
skimmed from that which should be more closely
examined, and make better use of your reading time.
 • Preview or survey the text before detailed reading
begins, looking for clues related to its purpose, its
relevance, its difficulty, and how it connects with ideas
or information you already know.
 • Be willing to struggle with the text in order to
understand it – but don’t get hung up on single, tough
details in first readings. Rather, hold confusing passages
in mental suspension, and continue to read with the idea
that what seems difficult to understand now may be
cleared up as you go along.
Making Important Distinctions
 Evaluation is making judgments about a text. If you were a
detective, this is when you would run with one educated guess
and build a case for or against a suspect’s credibility.
 Some guiding questions related to evaluation include:
 • Is the thesis strong?
 • Are the points argued well?
 • Are the examples valid?
 • Are the sources reliable?
 • Is the argument logically consistent? Convincing?
 • Does the argument contribute to the discipline?
 Ask Questions about
 why?
 the context of the text
 why written?
 where?
 when?
 who?
 how relevant?
 the structure of the text
 Do the parts fit together logically?
 Is there a clear argument?
 the arguments
 are they fair?
 the evidence used
 Is evidence given to support the point of view?
 is the evidence from an authority in this field?
 is the evidence evaluated from different
perspectives?
 the language used
 Is the language coloured to present some things as
 more positive than others?
 Are claims attributed clearly to specific sources?
Strategy for Critical
Reading, Listening
and Viewing
Critical Reading: Making
important distinctions when reading
 Distinction
between the
Person & the Idea
 Distinction
between Taste &
Judgment
 Distinction
between Fact &
Interpretation
Critical Reading: Making
important distinctions when reading
 Distinction
between Literal &
Ironic Statements
 Distinction
between an Idea’s
Validity & its
Expressive Quality
 Distinction
between Language
& Reality
Strategy for Critical Reading
 SKIM: Go over what you need to read
quickly to get the main ideas.
 REFLECT: Examine your views separately
from the author’s.
 READ: Read the whole work & underline or
highlight important ideas.
 EVALUATE: Make a preliminary judgment
& ask questions.
 EXPRESS YOUR JUDGMENT: Fully judge
what you have read, explaining clearly
where you disagree with the author.
Critical Listening
 We need to think,
evaluate & question
what we listen to on a
daily basis, whether it
is what our friends are
saying to us, or a talk
given by somebody, or
a debate between two
persons, or a speech
given by a personality,
or a radio or TV
program, etc., etc.
Strategy for Critical Listening
 Set aside preconceptions. Don’t let your
perception of the speaker interfere with the
message.
 Focus on the message.
 Identify key assertions & supporting
information.
 Evaluate the message. Make a
preliminary judgment & ask questions
about unclear points.
 Express your judgment. Judge & include
explanation for points raised by the speaker
with which you don’t agree.
Critical Viewing
 There are various
types of visual
communication
that needs to be
critically viewed by
us.
 These include:
 Statistical Graphs.
 Advertisements.
 Drama.
Critical Viewing
of Statistical Graphs
 These are numbers
or statistics
represented by
pictures, drawings,
or graphics,
including figurative
graphs, pie-charts,
and bar-charts,
among others.
Critical Viewing
of Advertisements
 These can be the
static form or the
dynamic form.
 Viewing ads
critically means
asking some
questions.
 An analysis of the
ad words, sounds,
& visuals needs to
be made.
Critical Viewing
of Drama
 There are various
types of drama,
such as movies,
sitcoms, mini-
series, episodic
drama, soap opera,
etc., etc.
 When viewing
drama, questions
need to be asked.
Questions to ask while/after
watching TV drama
 Is the plot logical or not?
 Is the setting conducive
to the plot or not?
 Is the drama just for
entertainment, or are
there lessons to be
learned?
 Are some elements
uncalled for or irrelevant
to the plot—such as too
many technical terms or
frequent obscene scenes
or too much violence?
Questions to ask while/after
watching TV drama
 Does the film-maker
have an agenda (such
as certain prejudices)
presented in the
drama, & is this
agenda suitable or not,
relevant or not, timely
or not?
 Does the drama have
anti-Islam rhetoric or
un-Islamic elements?

Be A Critical Reader, Listener Viewer

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Topic 2: Be a Critical

Reader, Listener Viewer

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