Introductions Oral and Written Communication 1 Melita Koletnik

Introductions Oral and Written Communication 1 Melita Koletnik Korošec, Mag. phil.

Introductions and their function Introduction is the first paragraph (or paragraphs) of any written work. Function of introductions: Ø to capture the audience’s attention, Ø to give some background information on the topic, Ø to develop audience’s interest in the topic, Ø to guide the audience to the body.

Why write a good introduction? You never get a second chance to make a first impression. The introduction is an important road map for the rest of your paper. Ideally, the introduction will make your audience want to read your paper.

What goes on in an introduction? The introduction begins with a broad statement about the main idea. At the end of the 1980 s, an armed rebellion broke out in Kashmir against Indian rule. The next sentences are more specific, moving closer to the actual topic. Hospitals … were always treating young Kashmiris – shot in demonstrations, maimed by … The final sentence of an introduction is often a transition to the body. Hospitals were good places to get to the stories of young people cought up in the Kashmir tragedy.

Strategies for writing an effective introduction Think about the topic Open with an attention grabber Pay special attention to your first sentence Be straightforward and confident

Open with an attention grabber I Use an interesting example The Obama’s daughter Malia has been a keen (soccer) player in her Chicago youth league. Make a provocative quotation The headline read: The Blackest Day. Use a puzzling scenario Even despite the best intentions of David Beckham, soccer in the USA still hasn’t hit the big game. Yet, Sarah Morris in Washington tells us that in certain sections of the community the game is growing in popularity …

Open with an attention grabber II Use a vivid and perhaps unexpected anecdote, a personal touch For the son of a doctor who always blenched at even the mention of blood, I have spent far too much time during my reporting career in hospitals. Use a thought-provoking question From the late 19 th Century up to the 1970 s, an estimated 150, 000 native children in Canada were seized from their parents and sent far away to state-funded, church-run schools to learn how to think, speak and act like white people. Will the country ever come to terms with its disastrous results?

Four kinds of less effective introductions I 1. The place holder introduction The residential schools system was the greatest tragedy in Canada’s history. There are many aspects of the residential schools system. Each created different kinds of problems for the native people. 2. The “dictionary” introduction According to Wikipedia, the Canadian Indian residential school system was intended to force the assimilation of Canadian Aboriginal peoples into European-Canadian society. The purpose of the schools, which separated children from their families, has been described by many commentators as "killing the Indian in the child. "

Four kinds of less effective introductions II 3. The “dawn of man” introduction Since the dawn of man, soccer has been played only in Europe. 4. The “book report” introduction Angela’s Ashes is a memoir by Irish author Frank Mc. Court, and tells the story of his childhood in Brooklyn and Ireland. It was published in 1996 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography.

Sources http: //leo. stcloudstate. edu/acadwrite/intro. html http: //www. unc. edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/introducti ons. html http: //www. hamilton. edu/writing/introductions. html