ALESA Wk 1 Reading for Academic Style

Read the extract from the book Civic life online: Learning how digital media can engage youth about
perspectives on civic engagement and citizenship for young people both online and offline. Answer the
following questions:

Topic: What does the author want to you know about young people as citizens?

Young people have the ability to bring positive influence towards politics, but they are also much less likely
to show interest towards it.

Evidence / reasons: What is / are the main reason(s) that the author gives for his position?

- Adult people often have negative views about politics

- The negative media portrayal of politics
- Politicians confrontational personality and overreliance on rhetoric
- More young people are simply more interested towards their own personal deeds than public life. Even
if they make some political activities, it is often because the issue in question is strongly related to
their personal life rather than because they feel strong civic responsibility to participate in such
activities.

Applying to your life: Can you think of any examples from your life that support the authors view?

- Mother tells me not to consider politician for my future career because politics is filled with
unethical competition and corruption
- Trump and Boris Johnson

Academic Writing Do you think this is a good piece of academic writing? Why?

I do not believe this is a piece of good academic writing because the structure of the essay is a little bit
confusing. Specifically, it does not contain a clearly stated thesis so it is initially a little bit hard to figure
out what the author is trying to say, undermining the clarity of the overall essay. Other than that, in this
excerpt the author gives no specific examples to support his or her ideas, making it unreliable.

Now read Generation Z: Who we are. Answer the following questions:

What does the author want to convince you of? Can you see any similarities with Reading 1?

Generation Z are independent, realistic, risk-taking people who have the necessary abilities to survive in a
world facing changes. As with Reading 1, this piece of writing accepts the idea that young people are
talented and well-educated.

What evidence does the author present?

- Quotes from Forbes magazine, one containing statistics that says only 6% of Zs are fearful about the
future
ALESA Wk 1 Reading for Academic Style
Are there any differences in the language of the two articles?

The first excerpt uses slightly more advanced language and complex syntax than the second one

Which do you think is the better piece of academic writing? Why?

I believe that the both passages have their own advantages. The first one makes use of many different
reasons to support its argument. The second ones quotes Forbes, and also have a clearer essay structure.