English for academic purposes

Critical Reading provides a systematic introduction to the process of analyzing and evaluating a written text. Students develop critical reading skills through the analysis of texts taken from authentic sources (journals, newspapers, magazines and websites) and a variety of academic disciplines. Students are encouraged to develop their comprehension and vocabulary skills, while at the same time forming a reasoned assessment of the effectiveness and validity of the text. There are opportunities for the further research, as well as writing tasks designed to allow students to synthesize the materials they have read and reach an individual conclusion. 

The book includes the following features:

• The material goes beyond the standard "reading-comprehension-plus-vocabulary" approach that many reading textbooks follow.
• Each chapter introduces a fundamental skill for developing critical awareness, including : considering place and date of publication ; identifying author bias and purpose ; evaluating scope of research ; distinguishing fact from opinion ; comparing the author's argument to other points of view and to the reader's own experiences ; and ultimately, evaluating the strength of argument and validity of the text with the goal of writing a critical review of an article.
• Students read and analyze authentic texts from diverse academic and general-interest sources and a variety of academic disciplines.
• Chapters follow a similar pattern with pre-reading discussion, comprehension and text analysis and a follow-up

Teachers can access e-space Documents for support materials including answer keys and tests.

• Critical Reading - Book - Table of contents

• Critical Reading - Book - Excerpt

• Critical Reading - Book - Excerpt

Tania Pattison has been involved in English language teaching for over twenty years, most of that time in EAP. She has worked as a classroom teacher, teacher trainer, and materials writer, and she has designed EAP curricula for three Canadian post-secondary programmes. She is a frequent conference presenter in Canada and overseas, and she is editor of IATEFL’s annual Conference Selections publication. Her credentials include a Master of Education in English Language Teaching, as well as additional qualifications in editing and ELT management. Based in Peterborough, Ontario, Tania is now a freelance writer and editor of ESL materials.