ADV.13.6. TRADE

I. UNDERSTANDING THE WRITER'S ATTITUDE 

2. IDENTIFYING THE MEANING BEHIND WORDS

Positive and negative associations

For English learners, sometimes it's a challenge understanding the meanings behind words. Many seemingly neutral words can have a negative or positive association because of how they're used with other words. For example, the verb cause would seem to be neutral but it's almost always followed by a negative noun or phrase. Instantaneous electronic records have caused alarm among privacy advocates. Here's some other seemingly neutral language with positive associations. There has been an understandable rise of mobile payments. The idea of cashless societies has been gaining momentum. The language below tends to appear with negative words and phrases. Some people say the idea of a completely cashless society is still far-fetched. This trend is symptomatic of a loss of our freedoms. A cashless society could have unintended consequences. Some language can have various associations. For example, the verb bring about has a very similar meaning to the verb cause but can be associated with positive, negative or neutral language. In the sentences below, it is first negative and then positive. Cashless payments have brought about significant losses in privacy. Mobile payment platforms have brought about added convenience for consumers. 3. IDENTIFYING ATTITUDE Reading for attitude   Sometimes a writer's attitude is not immediately clear. If, however, a writer quotes or refers to sources and people with a bias or stated opinion, then it's probable the writer shares that view. According to Dr. Jennifer Angstrom, the government has too much power. In the same way, if a writer criticizes sources and people supporting a position or expresses surprise, that can be just as informative. Surprisingly, many consumers are not concerned about a loss of privacy. Writers may at first appear to be objective, but on balance reveal their actual opinions by spending more time on one side of an issue. They may also present a balanced view early on, saving their true opinions until the closing paragraphs. Think about these things as you read A Cashless Society again.

II. IDENTIFYING OPINIONS IN A DISCUSSION 

2. REFERRING TO WHAT PEOPLE SAID

What people said

Here are some ways to refer to what someone said or wrote. Did you hear what he said about the economy? I read an excellent article in World Economy. The article said … Speakers often give their own opinion about what was said at the beginning or end of what is being referred to. What he said about the economy made a lot of sense to me.I don't see how he can claim that a pipeline is the magic solution.I actually found what he said to be quite persuasive.I'm having a hard time believing what he said about the environment. 3. PREDICTING WHAT THE SPEAKER WILL SAY NEXT Smart listening   Very often a good listener will know what information is coming next based on what was just said. For example, if you hear someone mention something for the first time, you would expect the speaker to then elaborate. I read an excellent article in World Economy. It suggested the pipeline wouldn't do environmental damage. If you hear a reference to something that is not well known, it will probably be followed by an explanation, elaboration or example. He talked a lot about the three Es: education, energy and the environment. Discourse markers   Discourse markers will very often give you an idea of what information is coming next. For example, markers like to be honest and the truth is indicate the speaker is probably going to give an opinion next. To be honest, what he said made a lot of sense to me. Other markers will tell you that a clarification, an addition, a summary or a contrast is coming up. He made promises on the environment. However, he seems to have forgotten all about that.

III. DEBATING FREE TRADE 

1. SPEAKING FORMALLY AND INFORMALLY

Informal and formal signposts

Signposts are words or phrases that help logically organize what you're trying to say. In both speaking and writing, they can help others understand you more clearly. Depending on the circumstances, use informal or formal signposts.

Synthesizing or clarifying

Use informal expressions like what I mean is or more formal expressions like to clarify to synthesize or clarify your thoughts. What I mean is, we don't know how it will end. To clarify, we just don't know what the outcome will be. Contrasting or reminding   Use informal expressions like you have to remember or more formal expressions like it's also worth noting to make a contrast or reminder. You have to remember it would be expensive. It's also worth noting it would be more costly. Stressing a point   Use informal expressions like sure or more formal expressions like indeed or as a matter of fact to stress a point. We've sure been at a trade disadvantage for a long time! As a matter of fact, we've been at a trade disadvantage for quite some time! Introducing alternatives   Use informal expressions like instead of or more formal expressions like rather than to introduce alternatives. Instead of protecting dying industries, why don't we try to become more competitive? Rather than protecting dying industries, why don't we try to become more competitive? Describing causal relationships   Use informal expressions like so or more formal expressions like therefore and thus to describe causal relationships. The two countries have different levels of tariffs, so it's not a level playing field. The two countries have different levels of tariffs. Therefore, it's not a level playing field. 2. ADJUSTING THE INTENSITY OF YOUR SPEECH Appropriate intensity   Intensity refers to the level of energy and emotion in a conversation. Here are some ways to demonstrate intensity:   Adverbs   Adverbs like extremely, totally and absolutely are a good way to add intensity. Adverbs like relatively and probably can reduce intensity. I'm absolutely opposed to tariffs. We believe that the tariffs are relatively high. Emotive expressions   Emotional expressions like it's hard to believe …, can you believe that … and they have got to … are another way to add intensity. It's hard to believe that they would risk a trade war! They have got to protect domestic industries! Can you believe that the tariff is 40%? Stress, volume and speed   Placing heavy sentence stress, raising your volume and slowing down your speech can also add intensity. We believe the trade situation will deteriorate significantly.

IV. WRITING TO INFORM 

1. THE EUROZONE

Trade agreements

Let's study some vocabulary from the reading related to trade agreements. You will need this vocabulary for your writing assignment. The global economy has a number of regional trade agreements. Customs duties were reduced in an effort to facilitate trade. Increasingly, there is freedom of movement of goods and services around the world. The NAFTA trade agreement has three member states: the US, Canada and Mexico. The Eurozone shares a common currency, the euro. 2. WRITING TO INFORM Informative writing   Good informative writing has a neutral tone and starts with a concise, introductory paragraph that clearly identifies the topic. There should be a preview of the key points in the text so the reader knows what to expect. NAFTA is a regional trade agreement among the countries of North America. It has had a profound effect on trade relations. From this introductory paragraph, the reader can expect to hear more about what NAFTA is and how it has affected the three member states. Each follow-up paragraph should include more specific information like explanations, examples and comparisons. The closing paragraph should be a logical conclusion or a summary restating the ideas put forth previously.   Read the text about the Eurozone again, keeping in mind what you've learned. 3. GIVING EXPLANATIONS Explanation expressions   Good informative writing gives clear explanations through paraphrasing and elaborating.   Paraphrasing and simplifying   Use expressions like these to paraphrase or simplify your explanation: In other words, Europe became more like one country. The member states basically gave up their individual currencies. To put it another way, Europe became a powerful player in the global economy. Elaborating   Use expressions like these to elaborate on a point: To be more specific, you would have seen a different currency in every country. What this meant was, doing business became much easier. To elaborate, regional trade agreements have become more the norm than exception.