I first wanted to thank you for submitting latest assignment regarding Chapter 2 and 3 of Asking the Right Questions where you read the opinion piece by Pulitzer Prize Winning reporter, Eugene Robinson, of The Washington Post, entitled “Our justice system values wallboard over Black lives (Links to an external site.).” You were to do an argument analysis where you were to identify the Issue, Conclusion, and Reasons used in the argument. I look forward to reading your responses, however, again, I am concerned that I am not getting work from many of you. No more than 11 students have submitted their assignments in each of my Reading 4 classes.
This week, your assignment is to examine vague and ambiguous language in argument. Please read carefully Chapter 4 in Asking the Right Questions entitled “What Words or Phrases are Ambiguous?” I hope that as you read, you are able to understand the following ideas:
Identifying the precise meaning of key word and phrases in deciding whether you agree with someone’s opinion. If you fail to figure out the meaning of important words and phrases, you may react to the author’s opinion in a way that was not intended. (This will require that you look up words if you are uncertain about a word’s meaning).
The complexity of the English language because many of our words have multiple meanings. Vague words like freedom, equality, fake, success, or socialism. Pay close attention because “we often misunderstand what we read or hear because we presume that the meaning of words is obvious” (Browne and Keeley 38).
Locating key words and phrases which are ambiguous. Please read carefully the examples starting on page 39 regarding two issues: 1. Does a high income produce happiness? 2. Do reality shows create a misleading picture of how we live?
Of course, you need to define terms like “High Income” and “Happiness” in the first example, and the word “misleading,” in the second example.
The next step is to determine the key terms
When looking for key words and phrases, keep in mind why you are looking for issues, conclusions, and reasons. You need to make sure you are defining specifically the terms specifically because the more abstract the word or phrase, the more likely it is to have multiple interpretations and meanings.
The process of analysis of language ambiguity includes the following steps: 1. review the issue for possible key terms, 2. look for crucial words or phrases with the reasons and conclusions, 3. keep an eye peeled for abstract or vague word and phrases, 4. use reverse-role playing to determine how someone might define certain words and phrases differently.
Checking for Ambiguity requires that you understand the meaning of vague words. And you ask the question, what do you mean by that? Next, figure out if any of the words have different meaning. Then, you need to think about words that can substitute or alternative meanings for the vague wording.
Reading carefully the process of Determining Ambiguity (pages 40 – 45).
Reading the section on “Writing and Speaking as Critical Thinkers” (pgs. 45 – 48)
Complete the Practice exercises and Sample Responses on pages 48-50
FINALLY, YOU NEED TO READ THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS THAT USE VAGUE OR AMBIGUOUS LANGUAGE. Complete an analysis of vague or ambiguous language for each example. You must write your analysis of ambiguous language on a piece of paper and submit via CANVAS by Tuesday, October 13th at 11:59pm.
The paragraphs you must analyze follow:
Paragraph #1:
The risk to the American people remains very low. We have the greatest experts, really in the world, right here…Its going to disappear. One day its like a miracle it will disappear.
Paragraph #2: from the Republican Party Platform 2020
“President Donald J. Trump and the Department of Justice are working with local law enforcement to protect American communities. The Department of Justice announced more than $98 million in grant funding through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services COPS Hiring Program to allow 802 additional full-time law enforcement officers. The Trump Administration expanded Project Safe Neighborhoods to encourage U.S. Attorneys to work with communities to develop customized crime reduction strategies. The Department of Justice returned to their longstanding charging policy for federal prosecutors, trusting them once again to charge the most serious, readily provable offense.”
Paragraph #3: From the Democratic Party Platform 2020
“[A Biden Administration will] Create a new $20 billion competitive grant program to spur states to shift from incarceration to prevention. Invest in educational opportunity for all. Expand federal funding for mental health and substance use disorder services and research. Expand and use the power of the U.S. Justice Department to address systemic misconduct in police departments and prosecutors offices. Establish an independent Task Force on Prosecutorial Discretion. Invest in public defenders offices to ensure defendants access to quality counsel. Eliminate mandatory minimums.”
As a critical reader, you must identify ambiguous key words and phrases, like “miracle” or “crime reduction strategies,” or “competitive grant program” to name only a few. I want you to identify at least three vague words or phrases from each examples. Discuss why the phrase is vague and also what the phrase really means in your own words. Each analysis must be written in paragraph form and really examine the vagueness of language.
