argument 64 酒香作文小组 harry1oo1oo1第7次作业

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TOPIC: ARGUMENT64 - The following appeared in a memo from the Dean of the College of Education at Omni State University.

"Only seven of our state's high schools offer even one course in Latin, but over 80 percent of the graduates who study Latin at those seven schools enroll in college. Furthermore, a recent study shows that students who have mastered Latin perform much better in logic and critical thinking. Thus, in order to increase the percentage of our high school students who graduate from college as well as to ensure that they receive a better education in critical thinking, Omni State University should begin an intensive program to prepare our future teachers to teach high school Latin."

提纲: 1.开头的survey不合理，而且升学率高不能说明毕业率也高；

2.掌握拉丁语在逻辑和分析方面表现好，可能他们本身就这方面好，作者没有提供study的细节；

3. Omni State University开展这个项目一方面要看高中学校，学生是否愿意接受，另一方面要看大学教育是否适合高中的。
            
           
In this argument, the author comes to the conclusion that Omni State University should open an intensive program of teaching high school Latin in order to increase the college graduate rates and educate their critical thinking in a better standard. To support his assertion, the author cites some statistics and a recent study. At first glance, this argument seems conclusive, however, further demonstration discloses that it neglect some significant concerns which should be considered within this argument.

At the start of this argument, the author cites a survey to illustrate the entrance rates of students who learn Latin is high. However, this survey fails to support the author's assertion. The survey shows that 80 percents of students who study Latin go to college. Probably, the graduates are few and the high rate seems unimportant. Additionally, there is no statistics about the entrance rates of students who don't take Latin lessons in the seven schools or others. It is likely that this rate is higher than the rates of students who study Latin. Furthermore, perhaps it is the students who have excellent grades in high schools that have the rights to take the Latin course and the seven high schools have better teachers and educational environment than other schools, and then the rate is high without doubt.

Even if it is the study of Latin in high school that makes the entrance rates high, there is no evidence to indicate that taking Latin courses help to increases the percentage of students who graduate from college. They are absolutely two different things. Maybe the Latin course assists the students with the SAT, but it has nothing to do with the examinations in college.

Besides the survey, the author gives us a recent study to show that students who have mastered Latin perform much better in logic and critical thinking. The author doesn't provide any details the students who have mastered Latin.
It is most possible that those students do well in the logic and critical thinking before taking the Latin course. Besides, since this is a control study, the control group should be the same with the experimental group, the author shows no credible information. Accordingly, whether the Omni State University should open this program need further discussion.

Even if the Latin course has such benefits, it is inapposite for the university to begin the intense program. On one side, letting
college teachers to teach high school students may not bring expectant results in respect the education in college differ from that in high school and the teaching method may not fit for the high school courses. On the other side, if the high schools don't have the ability to open the additional course and students are uninterested in the course, it is hard and, in some sense, unreasonable to open the program.

In the final analysis of this argument, the conclusion made by the author fails to substantiate his assertion. To make the conclusion more conclusive, the author should cite a more precise survey about the entrance rate as well as provide more details about the study that whether there are some obvious changes of students in critical thinking after they mastered Latin.