Vocabulary for Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking Vocabulary from http://www.problem-solving-techniques.com/Critical-Thinking-Vocabulary.html The following critical thinking vocabulary is a list of key words and phrases used in critical thinking, problem solving and decision making. Act as if: A behavior that encourages respect from others. Algorithm: A procedure used for solving a problem. Barriers to critical thinking: Threats to the critical thinking process. Begging the question:When one question leads to another question or series of questions. Broken windows theory: If windows are broken and left un-repaired then people walking by will assume no one cares and no one is in charge. Lawlessness will increase. Blind alleys: A path of investigation that takes you in a direction that won’t lead to the information you are looking for. Blue sky thinking: Sitting in a comfortable chair, getting a cup of warm tea, kicking back your feet and contemplating a deep subject. Check list: A list of questions that need to be answered in order to do a project, complete an objective or solve a problem. Cherry picking: To only do those things that most interest you. Climb out of one’s box: Leaving one’s comfort zone. Comfort Zone: Things that you feel comfortable with. Comparison studies: Comparing different products and services to determine the highest quality best value product. It is also called comparison shopping. Contagious behavior: Similar to an epidemic, the behavior of the general population is changed because of the behavior of a small percentage of people. Convergent Thinking: Bringing together facts and data from various sources and then applying logic and knowledge to come up with a problem solution or to achieve an objective. Data mining: The process of locating useful information when investigating. Differential Diagnosis: A form of scientific reasoning commonly used by doctors in the medical profession to diagnose a medical condition. It is used in other field as well. Digging deeper: Not taking things at face value and doing more investigation. Divergent Thinking: Is thinking outwards instead of inward. It is the ability to develop original and unique ideas and then come up with a problem solution or achieve an objective. Domino effect: Aspects are interrelated in decision making. When important components are addressed, many of the lesser components are addressed as a natural side effect. Face value: Not questioning whether something is correct or incorrect. Frame of reference: Experience, education, upbringing, culture and a wide array of other factors contribute to how someone views the world. Inflection point: An event that changes how you view the world, who you are, or your life in general. Information overload: When you feel buried in information and have difficulty knowing what to do next. Interpreter: A person who can explain difficult subject matter by restating it for people who want to learn about it, but aren’t in that particular field. Internal questions: Questions asked to help improve your life. Just in time learning: By using effective data mining you are able to learn what you need to know, when you need to know it. Laugh test: When the information is so ridiculous that you know it has to be wrong. Learning the ropes: A term commonly used that means non-intuitive learning. Right brain left brain crossover: Using both the right and left parts of the brain to make sound, rational and logical decisions you feel good about. Lessons learned: Is determining what went right, what went wrong and what could have been done differently after completing a project, achieving an objective, or solving a problem. Norm of thinking: What is reflected by radio, television, news papers, magazines and the Internet. Pareto Principle: A rough order of magnitude on how the world operates. It governs many scenarios in life in which 80 percent of the results come from 20 percent of the inputs. Point of Diminishing Returns: The point during investigation when your time and energy generate minimal worthwhile facts and data. It can be though of as the opposite of the 80/20 rule. It is determined by a personal decision based on knowledge, experience, reasoning, intuition and common sense. Razor sharp: Exceptional knowledge, reasoning, training, intuition, common sense, confidence and quickness. Real time: At that moment. Red flag: A bad feeling. Rocking chair test: A simple mental exercise that is done by imagining that you are in a rocking chair in the final years of your life. Ask yourself questions and use your personal history as a guide to help you decide on making any potential improvements to your future. Root cause: The primary cause(s) of a problem. Sanity check: Asking whether your thinking is logical and rational. Second opinion: Asking a trusted colleague or friend about his or her interpretation of information. Selection criteria: Deciding on what features and/or options that are important to you when doing a comparison study such as price, quality/reliability and usefulness. Self-reflection: Taking an honest look at your strengths, weaknesses and what you want out of life. Subconscious: A hidden resource for helping to do projects or achieving objectives. Sweet spot: When the price of a product is low in comparison to the service life remaining. Thinking through: Reviewing alternatives, options, risks, uncertainties and final goal helps ensure informed decisions and taking appropriate actions. Thin slicing: The ability to focus on a small set of critical variables to make a quick decision rather than consciously considering every possible variable. Thought experiments: Imagined scenarios to understand the way things are. Tipping point: Is the point at which ideas, or messages, or behaviors of a population changes rapidly. It is caused by contagious behavior. Train of Thought: A logical progression of thoughts that can lead to a rational solution when doing a project or achieving an objective. It can also be used when solving a problem or answering a question. A stream of logic is also known as a train of thought. Transference: When a method of critical thinking can be used in another field. Trial and error: Trying something to see if it works. If it doesn’t work, try something else. Weighing factor: The relative importance (ranking them) of each factor used in a comparison study. Wrapped around the axle: Looking at the same information again and again expecting it to yield something useful when it has little that you need.

Vocabulary for Critical Thinking Vocabulary

Critical Thinking Vocabulary from http://www.problem-solving-techniques.com/Critical-Thinking-Vocabulary.html The following critical thinking vocabulary is a list of key words and phrases used in critical thinking, problem solving and decision making. Act as if: A behavior that encourages respect from others. Algorithm: A procedure used for solving a problem. Barriers to critical thinking: Threats to the critical thinking process. Begging the question:When one question leads to another question or series of questions. Broken windows theory: If windows are broken and left un-repaired then people walking by will assume no one cares and no one is in charge. Lawlessness will increase. Blind alleys: A path of investigation that takes you in a direction that won’t lead to the information you are looking for. Blue sky thinking: Sitting in a comfortable chair, getting a cup of warm tea, kicking back your feet and contemplating a deep subject. Check list: A list of questions that need to be answered in order to do a project, complete an objective or solve a problem. Cherry picking: To only do those things that most interest you. Climb out of one’s box: Leaving one’s comfort zone. Comfort Zone: Things that you feel comfortable with. Comparison studies: Comparing different products and services to determine the highest quality best value product. It is also called comparison shopping. Contagious behavior: Similar to an epidemic, the behavior of the general population is changed because of the behavior of a small percentage of people. Convergent Thinking: Bringing together facts and data from various sources and then applying logic and knowledge to come up with a problem solution or to achieve an objective. Data mining: The process of locating useful information when investigating. Differential Diagnosis: A form of scientific reasoning commonly used by doctors in the medical profession to diagnose a medical condition. It is used in other field as well. Digging deeper: Not taking things at face value and doing more investigation. Divergent Thinking: Is thinking outwards instead of inward. It is the ability to develop original and unique ideas and then come up with a problem solution or achieve an objective. Domino effect: Aspects are interrelated in decision making. When important components are addressed, many of the lesser components are addressed as a natural side effect. Face value: Not questioning whether something is correct or incorrect. Frame of reference: Experience, education, upbringing, culture and a wide array of other factors contribute to how someone views the world. Inflection point: An event that changes how you view the world, who you are, or your life in general. Information overload: When you feel buried in information and have difficulty knowing what to do next. Interpreter: A person who can explain difficult subject matter by restating it for people who want to learn about it, but aren’t in that particular field. Internal questions: Questions asked to help improve your life. Just in time learning: By using effective data mining you are able to learn what you need to know, when you need to know it. Laugh test: When the information is so ridiculous that you know it has to be wrong. Learning the ropes: A term commonly used that means non-intuitive learning. Right brain left brain crossover: Using both the right and left parts of the brain to make sound, rational and logical decisions you feel good about. Lessons learned: Is determining what went right, what went wrong and what could have been done differently after completing a project, achieving an objective, or solving a problem. Norm of thinking: What is reflected by radio, television, news papers, magazines and the Internet. Pareto Principle: A rough order of magnitude on how the world operates. It governs many scenarios in life in which 80 percent of the results come from 20 percent of the inputs. Point of Diminishing Returns: The point during investigation when your time and energy generate minimal worthwhile facts and data. It can be though of as the opposite of the 80/20 rule. It is determined by a personal decision based on knowledge, experience, reasoning, intuition and common sense. Razor sharp: Exceptional knowledge, reasoning, training, intuition, common sense, confidence and quickness. Real time: At that moment. Red flag: A bad feeling. Rocking chair test: A simple mental exercise that is done by imagining that you are in a rocking chair in the final years of your life. Ask yourself questions and use your personal history as a guide to help you decide on making any potential improvements to your future. Root cause: The primary cause(s) of a problem. Sanity check: Asking whether your thinking is logical and rational. Second opinion: Asking a trusted colleague or friend about his or her interpretation of information. Selection criteria: Deciding on what features and/or options that are important to you when doing a comparison study such as price, quality/reliability and usefulness. Self-reflection: Taking an honest look at your strengths, weaknesses and what you want out of life. Subconscious: A hidden resource for helping to do projects or achieving objectives. Sweet spot: When the price of a product is low in comparison to the service life remaining. Thinking through: Reviewing alternatives, options, risks, uncertainties and final goal helps ensure informed decisions and taking appropriate actions. Thin slicing: The ability to focus on a small set of critical variables to make a quick decision rather than consciously considering every possible variable. Thought experiments: Imagined scenarios to understand the way things are. Tipping point: Is the point at which ideas, or messages, or behaviors of a population changes rapidly. It is caused by contagious behavior. Train of Thought: A logical progression of thoughts that can lead to a rational solution when doing a project or achieving an objective. It can also be used when solving a problem or answering a question. A stream of logic is also known as a train of thought. Transference: When a method of critical thinking can be used in another field. Trial and error: Trying something to see if it works. If it doesn’t work, try something else. Weighing factor: The relative importance (ranking them) of each factor used in a comparison study. Wrapped around the axle: Looking at the same information again and again expecting it to yield something useful when it has little that you need.

Music Styles Links

http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/extensions/freemind/flashwindow.php?initLoadFile=/wiki/images/0/0d/Pandora_Music_Mapv6.mm&startCollapsedToLevel=5&mm_title=Pandora_Music_Mapv6.mm

Music Styles Links

http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/extensions/freemind/flashwindow.php?initLoadFile=/wiki/images/0/0d/Pandora_Music_Mapv6.mm&startCollapsedToLevel=5&mm_title=Pandora_Music_Mapv6.mm

Business letter of introduction

from http://businessletterformat.org/business-letter-format/how-to-write-a-business-letter-of-introduction/

A business introduction letter is the process of introducing the business, a product, or a service to a company, to a group, or to the individual who can yields profits to the company.

A good business introduction letter should be first class mail because it is fast, accurate, reliable and economical.

Important rules to follow

Rule 1: A business letter of introduction should include the name of the person or the company name you contacting, the reasons and purposes for writing, and also some additional information about his company and his contact information.

Rule 2: A business introduction letter should be simple, clear, and  it should contains a maximum of 3-4 paragraphs. Try to write all the main points in the first paragraph of the letter.

Rule 3: Before writing the letter, organize the main points and what need to be included. Frame the sentences within the body of the letter, be specific and straight to the points about your intentions.

Rule 4: A business introduction letter should include the details of the senders address, telephone numbers, his background information, along with the main points, and the purpose of the letter.

Rule 5: Always keep track of the business letter and the place we are sending to, who is the concerned person, and his telephone number etc..

Rule 6: A business introduction letter should always be in direct form and it should be easy to mail and reaches the concerned person directly. Write the business letter clearly, specific to the point.

Rule 7: A business introduction letter should be pleasant; conversational tone is accepted and expected even though we are writing a formal letter.

Rule 8: A business letter consists of six parts: The heading, inside address, salutation, letter body, closing and signature.

Sample introduction letter

Dear Mr. Sam Smith,

It was a great pleasure meeting you in the trade fair organized by Industrial Trade Fairs Exhibition Council last week. I was very much delighted by the history of your organization. I have noticed from the last 15 years, your company is doing exceptionally well in all the fields and yielding good profits.

My name is Mike and I’m from Gk Publishers, we are specialized in corporate book publications, including annual reports, corporate profiles ,and corporate histories. We have been in business for 15 years and our staffs are well trained to meet many expectations. Having more than 100 employees, we have been contracted by over 20-30 corporate clients to produce both annual and special occasion publications.

During the chat with you last week, I came to know that you are celebrating the 25th anniversary of XYZ Industrious. I feel it would be a great occasion to produce your corporate history to celebrate your company’s 25th anniversary. We are specialized in publishing these types of corporate histories and we have been doing it for many companies.

As the 25th anniversary day is approaching, I would very much like to meet you and show you some of the corporate works we have done. It would be my pleasure to go over the details of our services.

Please feel free to call me at (999)-999-9999 so that we can talk and give you answers to any question you may have. If I do not get a call from you by the end of the week, I would like to take initiative to call and schedule and appointment with you.

Yours Truly,
Kumar Kovich
(999)-999-9999

Business letter of introduction

from http://businessletterformat.org/business-letter-format/how-to-write-a-business-letter-of-introduction/

A business introduction letter is the process of introducing the business, a product, or a service to a company, to a group, or to the individual who can yields profits to the company.

A good business introduction letter should be first class mail because it is fast, accurate, reliable and economical.

Important rules to follow

Rule 1: A business letter of introduction should include the name of the person or the company name you contacting, the reasons and purposes for writing, and also some additional information about his company and his contact information.

Rule 2: A business introduction letter should be simple, clear, and  it should contains a maximum of 3-4 paragraphs. Try to write all the main points in the first paragraph of the letter.

Rule 3: Before writing the letter, organize the main points and what need to be included. Frame the sentences within the body of the letter, be specific and straight to the points about your intentions.

Rule 4: A business introduction letter should include the details of the senders address, telephone numbers, his background information, along with the main points, and the purpose of the letter.

Rule 5: Always keep track of the business letter and the place we are sending to, who is the concerned person, and his telephone number etc..

Rule 6: A business introduction letter should always be in direct form and it should be easy to mail and reaches the concerned person directly. Write the business letter clearly, specific to the point.

Rule 7: A business introduction letter should be pleasant; conversational tone is accepted and expected even though we are writing a formal letter.

Rule 8: A business letter consists of six parts: The heading, inside address, salutation, letter body, closing and signature.

Sample introduction letter

Dear Mr. Sam Smith,

It was a great pleasure meeting you in the trade fair organized by Industrial Trade Fairs Exhibition Council last week. I was very much delighted by the history of your organization. I have noticed from the last 15 years, your company is doing exceptionally well in all the fields and yielding good profits.

My name is Mike and I’m from Gk Publishers, we are specialized in corporate book publications, including annual reports, corporate profiles ,and corporate histories. We have been in business for 15 years and our staffs are well trained to meet many expectations. Having more than 100 employees, we have been contracted by over 20-30 corporate clients to produce both annual and special occasion publications.

During the chat with you last week, I came to know that you are celebrating the 25th anniversary of XYZ Industrious. I feel it would be a great occasion to produce your corporate history to celebrate your company’s 25th anniversary. We are specialized in publishing these types of corporate histories and we have been doing it for many companies.

As the 25th anniversary day is approaching, I would very much like to meet you and show you some of the corporate works we have done. It would be my pleasure to go over the details of our services.

Please feel free to call me at (999)-999-9999 so that we can talk and give you answers to any question you may have. If I do not get a call from you by the end of the week, I would like to take initiative to call and schedule and appointment with you.

Yours Truly,
Kumar Kovich
(999)-999-9999

Business Letter Writing

from 

http://esl.about.com/cs/onthejobenglish/a/a_basbletter.htm

The basics of good business letter writing are easy to learn. The following guide provides the phrases that are usually found in any standard business letter. This basic of business letters are important because certain formulas are recognized and handled accordingly.

Think of a basic business letter in three steps:

1. Introduction - The reason for writing
   The introduction helps the reader understand in which context the letter should be considered. Possibilities include job interview inquires, business opportunity requests, complaints, and more. Each type of business letter has its own standard phrases which you can find in this this guide to different types of business letters.
2. Details - What you would like to accomplish
   The detail section of a business letter is extremely important. This is where you achieve your goals in writing a business letter.
3. Conclusion / Next Steps - What you would like to happen in the future
   Provide a call for future action. This can be a chance to talk in person, a follow-up letter or more. It's important and expected to make it clear what you would like for the next step from the person reading your business letter.

The phrases presented in this guide provide a frame and introduction to the content of business letters. At the end of this guide, you will find links to sites that give tips on the difficult part of writing successful business letters - arguing your business objective. By using these standard phrases, you can give a professional tone to your English business letters. Once you understand these basics, you can refine your business letter writing skills by focusing on different types of business letters, as well as other business documents to refine your skills for your business needs at your employers or your own small business organization.

The Start

The start of any business letter begins by addressing the recipient of the letter.

Dear Personnel Director,

Dear Sir or Madam: (use if you don't know who you are writing to)

Dear Dr, Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms Smith: (use if you know who you are writing to, and have a formal relationship with - VERY IMPORTANT use Ms for women unless asked to use Mrs or Miss)

Dear Frank: (use if the person is a close business contact or friend)

Note: If you are unsure how formal you should be, always choose a more formal form. Writing to a specific person is always preferred if at all possible.

The Reference

Begin by referencing a specific conversation or other contact means. If this is the first letter in a conversation, you can also provide the reason for writing.

With reference to your advertisement in the Times, your letter of 23 ^rd March,
your phone call today,
Thank you for your letter of March 5 ^th .

The Reason for Writing

I am writing to...

... inquire about
... apologize for
... confirm
... comment on
... apply for

Examples:

I am writing to inquire about the position posted in The Daily Mail.
I am writing to confirm the shipment details on order # 2346.
I am writing to apologize for the difficulties you experienced last week at our branch.

Once you have introduced the reason for writing your business letter, move on to stating more specifically the purpose of your letter. Here are a number of possibilities:

Requesting

Could you possibly?
I would be grateful if you could

Agreeing to Requests

I would be delighted to

Giving Bad News

Unfortunately
I am afraid that

Examples:

Could you possible forward your job requirements?
I am afraid that I will be able to attend the conference next week.
I would be delighted to give you a tour of our facility this coming month.

Enclosing Documents

I am enclosing
Please find enclosed
Enclosed you will find

Closing Remarks

Thank you for your help Please contact us again if we can help in any way.
there are any problems.
you have any questions.

Reference to Future Contact

I look forward to ...
hearing from you soon.
meeting you next Tuesday.
seeing you next Thursday.

The Finish

Yours faithfully, (If you don't know the name of the person you're writing to)

Yours sincerely, (If you know the name of the person you're writing to)

Best wishes,

Best regards, (If the person is a close business contact or friend)

Sample Letter

Here is a sample letter using some of these forms:

Ken's Cheese House
34 Chatley Avenue
Seattle, WA 98765
Tel:
Fax:
Email: kenny@cheese.com

October 23, 2006

Fred Flintstone
Sales Manager
Cheese Specialists Inc.
456 Rubble Road
Rockville, IL

Dear Mr Flintstone:

With reference to our telephone conversation today, I am writing to confirm your order for: 120 x Cheddar Deluxe Ref. No. 856

The order will be shipped within three days via UPS and should arrive at your store in about 10 days.

Please contact us again if we can help in any way.

Yours sincerely,

Kenneth Beare
Director of Ken's Cheese House

More Detailed Help with Business Letters

If business letter writing is important to your career, I'd consider purchasing 3,001 Business and Sales letters. This reasonably priced package provides templates of English business letters for just about any business situation imaginable. For more detailed help with standard business writing skills, I highly recommend these business English books.

Now that you understand basic business letter writing style, you can use this guide todifferent types of business letters to refine your skills for specific business purposes such as making inquiries, adjusting claims, writing cover letters and more.

Basic Business Resources

• Interview Basics
• Finding the Right Job
• Writing Your Resume

Business Language

• Leading a Meeting
• Participating in a Meeting
• Useful Business English

Business Vocabulary

• Business and Commercial Letters - Core Vocabulary
• Banking and Business Abbreviations
• Banking and Stocks - Core Vocabulary

Related Articles

• Business Writing - Business English Writing Resources
• Business Letter Salutations - Business Letter Salutation Examples
• Career English Learner Resources at ESL ABOUT
• Letters of Recommendation and Reference - Improve Your Writing
• Responding to Inquiries - Business Letters

from 

http://esl.about.com/cs/onthejobenglish/a/a_basbletter.htm