Improving Writing Skills through the Use of Toulmin’s Model of Argumentation
Improving Writing Skills through the Use of Toulmin’s Model of Argumentation

Summary/Abstract: The paper presents Toulmin’s model of argumentation and argues that it can be used in ESP and EAP classes to enhance argumentative competence and improve the writing skills of students. It also stresses the importance of teaching argumentation to students as part of their English classes, as this may help them in acquiring not only the language but also the discursive formats and text types (genres) of academic writing in general. Based on an analysis of argumentative and opinion essays written by students during the ESP seminars, the author highlights the fact that although the general format of these written genres is known to students, a scarcity of arguments and rhetorical strategies could be noticed. The author concludes that exercises illustrating the layout of arguments as proposed by the Toulmin model and the various argumentative schemes that can be used may improve both the writing skills of the students and their knowledge of research and academic discourse.

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