Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Combining information
What is a synthesis ?
A combination of ideas and information
STEP 1
As you read select only the most important,
relevant information
Select the most important information from
Source A
Source A
Switzerland is a great example of linguistic
diversity because there are three different
national languages. People in the central and
northern areas speak German. People in the
western area speak French. People in the
southeastern area speak Italian. Most Swiss can
speak more than one language. One interesting
fact is that the name of the country on its coins
and stamps is not any of these languages.
Instead, Helvetia, the Latin name for this
country, is used.
Claudio Acevedo, Argentina
different languages
German = Central and Northern region
French
= West
Italian = Southeast
Helvetia (Latin : Switzerland) used on
coins and stamps
Source B
You might think that most people in Switzerland
speak the same language because it is rather a
small country. However, you would be wrong.
Yes, the country is tiny, but there are four
national languages. German is spoken by more
people than any other language. The second
most commonly spoken language is French, and
Italian is third. A very small percentage of the
people speak Romansch.
Najmuddin bin Faisal, Malaysia
STEP 2
Find a unifying theme i.e. an idea that
connects the two texts
What is it?
Several languages are spoken in
Switzerland
STEP 3
Using your paraphrasing skills, combine the
ideas from each source into sentences
e.g.
German is the most widely-spoken language
in Northern and Central regions.
STEP 4
Organize the sentences into a logical
paragraph, using transitional expressions.
Make sure there is:
An introduction
A body
A conclusion
and include any original ideas you may
have
Example: Synthesis
Although Switzerland is a small country, it has
four national languages. German, which is used
in the Central and Northern regions, has the
highest percentage of speakers. French, used in
the west, is the second most-widely spoken
language. The third language, Italian, is spoken
in the southeast. Switzerlands least-used
language, Romansch, is thought to have a Latin
origin. This may explain why Helvetia, the Latin
name for the country, is used on coins and
stamps.
Step 2 - Identify
Find a unifying theme or an idea that
connects the 2 texts.
What is it?
Symbols illustrate the concept of fire
Step 3 - Combine
Using your paraphrasing skills, combine
the ideas from each source into sentences
e.g.
The symbols reflect the number of
elements present to create a fire
Step 4 - Organize
Organize the sentences into a logical
paragraph, using transitional expressions.
Make sure the paragraph has an
introduction, body and conclusion and
include any original ideas you may have
Example Synthesis
For a number of years symbols have
illustrated the concept of fire. Previously,
the Fire Triangle conveyed the idea that
three elements: fuel, heat and oxygen,
produced fire. The Fire Tetrahedron, a
solid with four plane faces, replaced the
triangle with the recognition that a
chemical reaction is the fourth component
of a fire. The elimination of one of these
elements prevents or extinguishes a fire.
each source
as you read
Combine ideas that are linked and support
each other into sentences
Organize these sentences into a logical
order using transition words