Listening: Listening for Inference, Attitude, & Opinion (Advanced) C1 - Lesson 3: Critically Evaluating and Deconstructing Spoken Arguments from Any Source

C1 Critical Listening: Deconstructing Spoken Arguments CEFR Level C1 Lesson Goals In this lesson, you will move beyond comprehension to critical analysis. You will learn to deconstruct spoken arguments by identifying their core components, evaluating the evidence, and recognizing persuasive techniques. A Framework for Deconstruction To critically evaluate an argument, you must first break it down into its essential parts. An effective framework for this is to listen specifically for four components: The Main Claim (Thesis): What is the single, core message or conclusion the speaker wants you to accept? The Justification (Evidence): What facts, statistics, examples, or logical reasons does the speaker provide to support the main claim? Underlying Assumptions: What unstated beliefs or values must you share with the speaker for their argument to be persuasive? Rhetorical Devices: Is the speaker using neutral, objective language, or are they using emotionally charged words (emotive language) and o…