
Writing is hard. But critical writing — critical analysis formulated in carefully chosen words that encapsulates your argument perfectly — is even harder. Critical writing demands the formulation of main points backed up by supportive evidence and their integration in a logically flowing fashion to tackle the topic with relevance and brilliance. It is an iterative process of looking at the forest and immersing in the trees.
Critical Writing is an iterative process of looking at the forest and immersing in the trees.
Students are expected to write essays, do research projects, and analyse literature, but they are never taught to engage in the process of in-depth critical thinking and writing properly.
As a result, students often avoid fully engaging with the text in their haste to "find the answer". Their analysis can be likened to finding a bone at a paleontological dig and ending their search or pointing at the individual bones without trying to find the connections.
But critical analysis and writing don't have to be fraught with anxiety. When I guide students to engage with the text, we take the time to sift through the words patiently, examine the word choice, and question the author's rationale for choosing them but not others. It is an adventure that can open up new horizons and yield a dinosaur...
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