Translating Argumentative Writing as a Constructive Activity

The aim of this paper is to contribute a discussion point in the discourse about what argumentative writing is, what elemental skills are involved, and how students develop them. At face value, there seems broad consensus that argumentative writing is vital to academic study, civic engagement, and even the perpetuation of democracy. But as contexts change, so do the things we teach and how we teach them. The authors present a case for what they view as a decomposition of the genre as it is learned and practiced among students. At the very least, they claim it is time to translate argumentative writing in our classes.