CAES 1001
Academic Communication in English
(ACE)
Session 4
Developing an academic position and
critical argumentation
Quick Recap of Session 3
1. What can you do to avoid plagiarism in your assignments?
2. What is synthesis and why is it important?
3. Can you always trust AI-generated synthesis or summary? Why
or why not?
4. Why is it important to give and receive peer review?
Objectives
1. Develop a successful and well-justified academic stance
2. Integrate critical argumentation to strengthen the stance
3. Use appropriate language to signal critical argumentation
4. Express agreement and disagreement with the stance of others
in discussion
Objective 1
Develop a successful
and well-justified
academic stance
Activity 1a
Aim: Express a personal opinion about an ethical issue
Instructions: Complete Task 1
(Textbook, p. 76-77).
Activity 1b
Aim: Analyze the language of a successful academic stance
Instructions: Complete Tasks 2-3
(Textbook, p. 77-79).
Activity 1c
Aim: Identify stance in an academic essay
Instructions: Complete Task 4
(Textbook, p. 79-82).
Objective 2
Integrate critical
argumentation to
strengthen the
stance
Activity 2a
Aim: Understand a critical argumentation structure
Instructions: Read the critical argumentation structure
(Textbook, p. 83).
Activity 2b
Aim: Identify the differences between three possible
critical argument structures
Instructions: Complete Task 5
(Textbook, p. 84).
Activity 2c
Aim: Identify critical argument structure in an academic
text
Instructions: Complete Task 6
(Textbook, p. 85).
Activity 2d
Aim: Identify the differences between facts and opinions
Instructions: Complete Task 15
(Textbook, p. 93-94).
Activity 2e
Aim: Illustrate how facts can underpin diverse opinions
Instructions: Complete the task sheet (a/v in the
Session 4 folder).
Activity 2f
Aim: Practise expressing stance and using critical thinking skills
Instructions: Complete Task 7
(Textbook, p. 86).
Objective 3
Use appropriate
language to signal
critical argumentation
Activity 3a
Aim: Identify language used to signal counter-arguments & rebuttals
Instructions: Complete Task 8
(Textbook, p. 87).
Activity 3b
Aim: List hedging words & write in academic tone
Instructions: Complete Tasks 11-12
(Textbook, p. 91-92).
Activity 3c
Aim: Understand boosters
Instructions: Complete Tasks 13-14
(Textbook, p. 92-93).
Activity 3d
Aim: Practise writing counter-arguments & rebuttals
Instructions: Complete Task 9
(Textbook, p. 88-90).
Objective 4
Express agreement and
disagreement with the stance of
others in discussion - Preparing
for your Roundtable Discussion
in Session 6
Activity 4a
Aim: Understanding university discussions
Instructions: Complete Task 1
(Textbook, p. 29-30).
Activity 4b
Aim: Make your academic discussions critical
Instructions: Complete Task 1
(Textbook, p. 96-97).
Activity 4c
Aim: Use appropriate language for polite challenges
Instructions: Complete Task 2
(Textbook, p. 98-99).
Activity 4d
Aim: Practise critical questioning
Instructions: Complete Task 3
(Textbook, p. 99-100).
Key learning points of Session 4
• Academic writing requires a well-supported
position, justified with cited evidence and
arguments.
• Critical argumentation incorporates counter-
arguments and rebuttals to demonstrate multi-
perspective thinking.
• Critical stance development is signaled
through careful language choices, including
hedging and boosters.
• Critical discussions involve challenging
existing viewpoints in a polite manner which
leads to deeper learning.
Learning Transfer
Aim: Reflect on applying the skills learnt to other courses
Instructions:
Discuss what you learnt in this lesson (Session 4)
which is transferable to your study in the Common
Core courses or your faculty courses.
Reminders
• Complete one unit of Academic
Integrity (AI) Moodle
• PASS the Moodle = PASS the
course
• Read the writing assessment
instructions carefully and prepare
the outline for your writing
assessment
[Pathway: Log in HKU Portal > My
eLearning > CAES1001 Course
Moodle > Turnitin Assignment
Submissions]
References
We acknowledge the use of HKU ChatGPT-4o in the creation of some
content slides for educational and teaching purposes.