Teaching and Learning Argumentation in English: A Dialogic Approach

Abstract

Various instructional approaches have been laid out for conceptualizing argumentation talk and writing in English classrooms. One prominent, and historically durable, approach is formalist—teachers slot the teaching of argument into a form-based approach, usually using the 5-paragraph theme. This model too often fails to persuade students of the significance of argumentation—the social, ethical, and other work that argument writing and talk does in the world. Drawing on research examples from our ongoing work on argument talk and writing in English classrooms, we articulate a second model, a dialogic framework, conceptualizing argument writing as a multivoiced conversational turn in which the writer responds to previous utterances and anticipates future utterances.

Notes

Jennifer VanDerHeide, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University. Mary Juzwik, Ph.D., is a Professor at Michigan State University. Mandie Dunn is a Doctoral Student at Michigan State University.