Envision, MLA Update

Book excerpt: For courses in Argument. This version of Envision: Writing and Researching Arguments has been updated to reflect the 8th Edition of the MLA Handbook (April 2016)* Explores writing, rhetoric, and research by considering the different modes of argument in contemporary culture A concise and practical guide, Envision: Writing and Researching Arguments, Fifth Edition is ideal for composition courses focusing on argumentation and research-based writing. Each chapter uses interactive and engaging lessons, and focuses both on analyzing and producing words (print materials, articles, blog posts, and even tweets) as well as on writing about images and other contemporary media (cartoons, ads, photographs, films, video games, websites, and more). In this way, it teaches critical literacy about all kinds of texts. Additionally, numerous student writing examples and professional, published readings-both with annotations-are provided to reinforce the writing lessons in each chapter and to demonstrate how students might successfully implement such strategies in their own texts. Students using Envision will learn how to analyze and compose arguments, design and conduct research projects, and produce persuasive visual and oral presentations. * The 8th Edition introduces sweeping changes to the philosophy and details of MLA works cited entries. Responding to the "increasing mobility of texts," MLA now encourages writers to focus on the process of crafting the citation, beginning with the same questions for any source. These changes, then, align with current best practices in the teaching of writing which privilege inquiry and critical thinking over rote recall and rule-following.