UNIT 8 Interpretation
ACADEMIC FOCUS: FACT AND OPINION
INTRODUCTION
Unit 8 takes ‘interpretation’ as its theme. When students read or listen to something,
they need to interpret the material critically by questioning assumptions and working
out what is fact and what is opinion. ‘Fact and opinion’ is a convenient label to
describe the contrast between accepted facts such as Vitamin C intake is necessary
in the human diet and opinions such as Eating fresh fruit is the best way of taking
in Vitamin C. In academic contexts ‘opinion’ is often known as ‘stance’ and is also
related to ‘argument’. Both stance and argument are generally based on evidence, and
use evidence as support, but are not universally agreed as facts.
8A Reading gives practice in interpreting and navigating journal articles – a useful
skill for students to acquire in their academic studies, considering that journals and
textbooks are the two most frequently cited types of source. Journal articles are an
ideal way for students to see how in-text-referencing or citation (using, for example,
author-date systems) are employed by writers to support their stance. Writers can also
use in-text referencing to support their claims from different perspectives. An ability
to distinguish between a writer’s stance and supporting evidence and to interpret the
perspective in the citations should enable students to work out the structure of other
journal articles they encounter in their academic studies.
8B Writing focuses on citation and referencing, which are at the heart of academic
practice. Academic conventions relating to citation and referencing need to be
carefully presented and studied. Students first need to notice how material is cited in
reading texts, and then learn how to apply this to their writing. Academic conventions
require clear presentation of learning materials, as they are unlikely to be acquired
simply through noticing. Students engage with a range of reading texts which they can
then select from and synthesize into their own referenced essay. Students also write
their own References Section for the references they have used.
8C Listening provides students with the opportunity to interpret fact and opinion in a
listening text. The text in question is an interview with a university professor. Students
first identify perspectives such as environmental and economic perspectives, and
then differentiate between fact and opinion in the recording. Students continue to
practise note-taking and processing their notes. They also respond to the material in
the interview. All these skills and tasks help students to participate in an academic
context in a more effective way.
8D Speaking looks at informal discussions outside the classroom, which are a vital
source of social interaction and learning. Students can develop their critical skills
and ideas in such relaxed settings. Some students may find it difficult to access
conversations or discussions with multiple participants. Effective turn-taking can
greatly assist participation.
8E Vocabulary investigates prefixes which carry lexical meaning, such as pseudo-
meaning ‘false’. These are quite productive in many instances, in other words they
can produce a significant number of words, including newly created words. It is very
useful for students to understand the meaning of more technical prefixes such as
those in this module, which are all taken from texts in the unit.
088 UNIT 8 Interpretation
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