COURSE MANUAL

English I: Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing

B.A. LL.B., B.B.A. LL.B., & B.Com. LL.B.

Course Code: EN1101

Fall 2024
(AY 2024-25)

Faculty Members

▪ Prof. Arup Chatterjee

▪ Prof. Mosarrap Hossain Khan
▪ Prof. Nisha Nair
▪ Prof. Niyati Sharma
▪ Prof. Prerna Subramanian
▪ Prof. Priyadarshini Gupta
▪ Prof. Samudranil Gupta
▪ Prof. Vinod Kottayil Kalidasan

Course Coordinator: Prof. Albeena Shakil

 CONTENTS

PART I
General Information……………………………………………………………… Page 3

PART II
a. Course Description…………………………………………………………… Page 4
b. Course Aims……………………………………………………………………. Page 4
c. Intended Learning Outcomes…………………………………………… Page 4
d. Grading of Student Achievement……………………………………… Pages 5-6

PART III
a. Keyword Syllabus…………………………………………………………. Page 6
b. Course Policies……………………………………………………………… Pages 6-7

PART IV
a. Weekly Course Outline …………………………………………………. Page 8
b. Readings with Objectives……………………………………………… Pages 9-12

PART V
Details of Assessment……………………………………………………….. Pages 12-13

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 PART I

General Information

General Information on, English I: Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing,

offered by Jindal Global Law School of the AY 2024-25

The information provided herein is by the Course Coordinator. The following

information contains the official record of the details of the course.

This information shall form part of the University database and may be
uploaded to the KOHA Library system and catalogued and may be distributed
amongst first year Law students for B.A.LL.B. (Hons), B.B.A.LL.B. (Hons);
B.Com. LL.B. (Hons), B.A. (Hons) Legal Studies, B.A. (Hons) Criminology
and Criminal Justice; LL.B.; and LL.M. courses if necessary.

COURSE TITLE: ENGLISH I: Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing

COURSE CODE: EN1101

COURSE DURATION: 15 WEEKS x 4 HOURS PER WEEK = 60 HOURS

NUMBER OF CREDIT UNITS: 4 credits

LEVEL: B.A. LL.B., B.B.A. LL.B., & B.Com LL.B

MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION: English

PRE-REQUISITES: None

PRE-CURSORS: None

EQUIVALENT COURSES: None

EXCLUSIVE COURSES: N.A.

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 PART II

a. Course Description

In this course, the students will engage with the principles of critical thinking, sound
reasoning and argumentation through a close examination of literary texts. While we all
may think, not many of us think critically. This is a process that requires training and
development of specific skills – analysing information, evaluating arguments and
opinions, and solving problems. Through a series of reading, writing, and oral
assignments, the course will familiarise students with the mechanics of close reading,
and the relationship between language and logic in examining arguments. The course
also aims to introduce students to the conventions of academic writing and business
communication.

b. Course Aims

At the end of the course, the student will be able to:

▪ Develop an understanding of what is critical thinking

▪ Locate and analyze arguments through the mechanics of close reading
▪ Identify logical inconsistencies in arguments
▪ Apply critical thinking techniques to produce arguments effectively
▪ Recognize the difference between primary and secondary sources
▪ Learn the conventions of academic writing
▪ Develop effective communication skills

c. Intended Learning Outcomes

Course Intended Learning Weightage Teaching and Assessment

Outcomes Learning Tasks/
Activities Activities
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
(i) Understand the concepts 35% Reading literary End of Semester
used in critical thinking texts – primary Assessment /
and develop critical and secondary Final
thinking skills through sources Examination
analyses of literary texts. (50% of marks)
Class debates
(ii) Develop communication 30% and group &
skills discussions
Internal
(iii) Apply critical thinking to 35% Using primary Assessment
the act of writing and and secondary (50% of marks)
develop research skills. sources

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 d. Grading of Student Achievement

To pass this course, students must obtain a minimum of 40% in the cumulative aspects
of coursework, i.e., internal assessment (including moot, mid-term exam, internal
assignment) and end term examination. End of semester exam will carry 50 marks
out of which students have to obtain a minimum of 15 marks to fulfil the
requirement of passing the course.

The details of the grades as well as the criteria for awarding such grades are provided
below:

PERCENTAGE GRADE
GRADE GRADE DESCRIPTION
OF MARKS VALUE
Outstanding – Exceptional knowledge of the
subject matter, thorough understanding of
80 and above O 8 issues; ability to synthesize ideas, rules and
principles and extraordinary critical and
analytical ability
Excellent - Sound knowledge of the subject
matter, thorough understanding of issues;
75 – 79 A+ 7.5
ability to synthesize ideas, rules and principles
and critical and analytical ability
Very Good - Sound knowledge of the subject
matter, excellent organizational capacity,
70 – 74 A 7 ability to synthesize ideas, rules and principles,
critically analyze existing materials and
originality in thinking and presentation
Good - Good understanding of the subject
matter, ability to identify issues and provide
65 – 69 A- 6
balanced solutions to problems and good
critical and analytical skills
Fair – Average understanding of the subject
matter, limited ability to identify issues and
60 – 64 B+ 5
provide solutions to problems and reasonable
critical and analytical skills
Acceptable - Adequate knowledge of the
55 – 59 B 4 subject matter to go to the next level of study
and reasonable critical and analytical skills.
Marginal - Limited knowledge of the subject
50 – 54 B- 3 matter and irrelevant use of materials and, poor
critical and analytical skills
Pass 1 – Pass with basic understanding of the
45 – 49 P1 2
subject matter
Pass 2 – Pass with rudimentary
40 – 44 P2 1
understanding of the subject matter

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 PERCENTAGE GRADE
GRADE GRADE DESCRIPTION
OF MARKS VALUE
Fail - Poor comprehension of the subject
matter; poor critical and analytical skills and
Below 40 F 0
marginal use of the relevant materials. Will
require repeating the course
Absent - “Extenuating circumstances”
preventing the student from taking the end-
semester, or re-sit, examination as the case may
be; the Vice Dean (Examinations) at their
Absent Ab 0 discretion assign the “Ab” grade. If an "Ab"
grade is assigned, the student would appear for
the end-semester, or re-sit examination, as the
case may be, as and when the subsequent
opportunity is provided by the University.

PART III

a. Keyword Syllabus

Critical thinking, logic and language, sound reasoning, literary reading, academic
writing, communication skills, storytelling, close reading, interpretation

b. Course/Class Policies

To be announced by respective course instructors including regarding the usage of Cell

Phones, Laptops and Similar Gadgets

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

Learning and knowledge production of any kind is a collaborative process. Collaboration

demands an ethical responsibility to acknowledge who we have learnt from, what we have
learned, and how reading and learning from others have helped us shape our own ideas.
Even our own ideas demand an acknowledgement of the sources and processes through
which those ideas have emerged. Thus, all ideas must be supported by citations. All ideas
borrowed from articles, books, journals, magazines, case laws, statutes, photographs,
films, paintings, etc., in print or online, must be credited with the original source. If the
source or inspiration of your idea is a friend, a casual chat, or something that you
overheard, or heard being discussed at a conference or in class, even they must be duly
credited. If you paraphrase or directly quote from a web source in the examination,
presentation or essays, the source must be acknowledged. The university has a framework
to deal with cases of plagiarism. All forms of plagiarism will be taken seriously by the
University and prescribed sanctions will be imposed on those who commit plagiarism.

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Disability Support and Accommodation Requirements

JGU endeavours to make all its courses inclusive and accessible to students with different
abilities. In accordance with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (2016), the JGU
Disability Support Committee (DSC) has identified conditions that could hinder a
student’s overall well-being. These include physical and mobility related difficulties,
visual and hearing impairment, mental health conditions and intellectual/learning
difficulties e.g., dyslexia, dyscalculia. Students with any known disability needing
academic and other support are required to register with the Disability Support
Committee (DSC) by following the procedure specified at https://jgu.edu.in/disability-
support-committee/

Students who need support may register before the deadline for registration ends, as
communicated by the DSC via email each semester. Those students who wish to continue
receiving support from the previous semester, must re-register every semester prior to
the deadline for re-registration as communicated by the DSC via email. Last minute
registrations and support are discouraged and might not be possible as sufficient time is
required to make the arrangements for support.

The DSC maintains strict confidentiality about the identity of the student and the nature
of their disability and the same is requested from faculty members and staff as well. The
DSC takes a strong stance against in-class and out-of-class references made about a
student’s disability without their consent and disrespectful comments referring to a
student’s disability. With due respect for confidentiality, faculty and students are
encouraged to have honest conversations about the needs of students with disabilities and
to discuss how a course may be better tailored to cater to a student with disability.

All general queries are to be addressed to [email protected]

Safe Space Pledge

This course may discuss a range of issues and events that might result in distress for some
students. Discussions in the course might also provoke strong emotional responses. To
make sure that all students collectively benefit from the course, and do not feel disturbed
due to either the content of the course or the conduct of the discussions. Therefore, it is
incumbent upon all within the classroom to pledge to maintain respect towards our peers.
This does not mean that you need to feel restrained about what you feel and what you
want to say. Conversely, this is about creating a safe space where everyone can speak and
learn without inhibitions and fear. This responsibility lies not only with students but also
with the instructor.

P.S. The course instructor, as part of introducing the course manual, will discuss the scope
of the Safe Space Pledge with the class.

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 PART IV

a. Weekly Course Outline

INTRODUCTION TO CRITICAL THINKING, SKILLS OF

Weeks 1 & 2
LANGUAGE LEARNING AND COMMUNICATION
(LISTENING, SPEAKING, READING AND WRITING)

Weeks 3 & 4 INTRODUCTION TO STORYTELLING

(CRITICAL THINKING AND CREATIVITY)

READING POETRY
Week 5
(LISTENING SKILLS & CRITICAL THINKING)

INTRODUCTION TO ELEMENTS OF ACADEMIC WRITING

Weeks 6 & 7
(THESIS-EVIDENCE-EVALUATION; PLAGIARISM-CITATION)

Week 8 WRITING FIVE PARAGRAPH ESSAY

Week 9 ARGUMENTATION AND INFORMAL FALLACIES

READING FICTIONAL NARRATIVES

Weeks 10 & 11
(SPEAKING SKILLS, READING SKILLS & CRITICAL THINKING)

Week 12 BUSINESS LETTERS AND E-MAILS

READING NON-FICTION PROSE

Weeks 13 & 14
(SPEAKING, READING, WRITING & CRITICAL THINKING)

Week 15 REVISION

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 b. Readings with Objectives

WEEKS 1 & 2

INTRODUCTION TO CRITICAL THINKING, SKILLS OF LANGUAGE LEARNING

AND COMMUNICATION

Students will learn about:

▪ The art of questioning and critical thinking

▪ The key skills of communication - listening, speaking, reading and writing
▪ The purposes of writing- information and persuasion; tone, language, level of
formality
▪ Students will be introduced to the course through a selection of chapters from
Letters to a Law Student by Nicholas J. McBride

Reading: Nicholas J. McBride’s Letters to a Law Student

▪ Letter 1 - What Is Law?
▪ Letter 2 - Four Reasons for Studying Law

WEEKS 3 & 4

INTRODUCTION TO STORYTELLING

Students will learn about:

▪ The significance of stories for people

▪ Why and how stories are told?

Reading (any one of the following):

1. Amitav Ghosh. ‘Stories.’ The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the
Unthinkable (2016). Sections 1-18.
2. Audre Lorde. ‘The Transformation of Silence Into Language and Action’ (1977).
3. Chimamanda Adichie. A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions (2017).
4. Virginia Woolf. A Room of One’s Own (1929). Excerpts.

WEEK 5

READING POETRY

Students will learn to:

▪ Understand the way poems can be read as arguments; how the poet persuades
the reader
▪ Learn to formulate an interpretation of the poem using appropriate evidence
from both primary and secondary sources
▪ Recognize how syntax and structure can affect the reading of a poem

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Reading (any one of the following):
1. ‘The quality of mercy is not strained’ from The Merchant of Venice by William
Shakespeare and ‘Let me not to the marriage of true minds’, Sonnet 116, by William
Shakespeare
2. ‘An Introduction’ by Kamala Das
3. ‘The Sunshine Cat’ by Kamala Das
4. ‘Megan Married Herself’ by Caroline Bird
5. ‘Theme for English B’ by Langston Hughes

WEEKS 6 & 7

INTRODUCTION TO ELEMENTS OF ACADEMIC WRITING

Students will learn about:

▪ The thesis-evidence-evaluation template

▪ Components of an Academic Essay
▪ Primary and Secondary Sources
▪ Citation
▪ Avoiding Plagiarism

Readings:
1. Chapters 7, 8 and 9 from The Craft of Research, Third Edition (Chicago Guides to
Writing, Editing, and Publishing) by Wayne C Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M.
Williams (2008).
2. Handouts on ‘Overview of the Academic Essay’, ‘Developing a Thesis’, ‘Plagiarism in
Academic Writing’ and ‘Citation Guide’.

WEEK 8

WRITING THE FIVE-PARAGRAPH ESSAY

Students will be introduced to:

▪ Components of a five-paragraph-essay
▪ Searching for sources and practising citation

Reading: Handout on ‘Five-Paragraph-Essay’

WEEK 9

ARGUMENTATION AND INFORMAL FALLACIES

Students will be introduced to:

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 ▪ Understanding Arguments
▪ Four types of informal fallacies as part of everyday communication and academic
writing:
a) Fallacies of relevance
b) Fallacies of defective induction
c) Fallacies of presumption
d) Fallacies of ambiguity

Readings:
1. Chapter 4 from Introduction to Logic, Fourteenth edition, by Irving M. Copi, Carl
Cohen and Kenneth McMahon (2014).
2. Chapters 6, 7 and 8 from Critical Thinking Skills: Developing Effective Analysis and
Argument, Second edition, by Stella Cottrell (2011).

WEEKS 10 & 11

READING FICTIONAL NARRATIVES

Students will learn to:

▪ Critically examine a short narrative/story

▪ Engage in the mechanics of close reading, textual analysis, interpretation and
evaluation
▪ Analyse the contextual issues and questions of power and culture that surround
the text

Reading (any one of the following):

1. ‘Lajwanti’ by Rajinder Singh Bedi
2. ‘Echo’ by Laila Lalami
3. ‘The Free Radio’ by Salman Rushdie
4. ‘The Umbrella’ by Tove Ditlevsen
5. ‘Before the Law’ from The Trial by Franz Kafka
6. ‘The First-Class Compartment’ by Satyajit Ray

WEEK 12

BUSINESS LETTERS AND E-MAILS

Students will learn about:

▪ Various components of business letters

▪ Basic precepts of a good business letter
▪ How to use e-mails and write a formal e-mail

Particular attention will be given to Cover Letters, Grant and Internship Letters.

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Readings:
1. Chapter 6 from Business Communication by P. Subba Rao, B. Anita Kumar and C.
Hima Bindu (2012).
2. Unit 2 from Essentials of Business Communication by Mary Ellen Guffey and Dana
Loewy (2022).
3. Handouts on ‘Basics of Business Letters’, ‘Accentuating the Positives’, ‘Job
Applications’, ‘Internship Cover Letters’, and ‘Grant Letters I & II’

WEEKS 13 & 14

READING NON-FICTION PROSE

The students will learn to:

▪ Evaluate the claims made by the author and formulate a map of the argument in
the texts
▪ Locate instances of contradictions in the texts
▪ Learn to use critics to acknowledge as well as assess their claims about the text
▪ Engage in a synoptical reading of the texts and develop a comparative analysis of
the author’s claims

Reading (any one of the following):

1. M.K. Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj: Chapters IV-XIV
2. Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Nationalism in India’
3. Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s Annihilation of Caste
4. Jawaharlal Nehru’s ‘The Quest: The Panorama of India’s Past’ from The Discovery of
India

WEEK 15

REVISION

PART V

Details of Assessment

The course will evaluate student performance and learning outcomes based on at least
two internal assessments and a final examination. Assessments will include all
four components of communication: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Internal Assessments: 50% of the total marks for the course. Internal assessments
may include individual and/or group assignments designed by individual faculty
members. The details of the assignments and relevant dates/timelines for the same will
be announced by respective faculty members.

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One assignment will be based on writing a five-paragraph essay between 800-1000
words citing at least two academic sources (word count excludes citations). Topics for
the essay will be decided in consultation with respective course instructors.

Individual faculty may incorporate class participation as part of the internal assessment.
Class participation marks will not exceed 5% of the total marks for the course.

End-Semester/Final Examination: 50% of total marks for the course.

The syllabus for end-semester examination with weightage is as follows:

• Business Letters: 10%

• Nicholas McBride’s Letters to a Law Student: 10%
• Short Fictional Narratives: 10%
• Non-Fiction Prose Reading: 20%

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