English for Academic

and Professional
Purposes
 CHAPTER 1
Reading Academic Texts
 LESSON 1:
Language Used in
Academic Text from
Various Disciplines
 Directions: Read the passages below. Then, identify whether each passage can be an
academic text or non-academic text. Write AT for academic text and NAT for non-
academic text.
____1. Just as the sun rises and peeps from the east, and as the roosters of the neighborhood
crow, the man gathered his be longings and left his house.
____2. When synthesizing information, a new understanding about a topic is developed by
using information from more than one source.
____3. Depression is one of society’s prevailing issues that requires attention. One’s mental
health is as important as one’s physical health.
____4. I want to obtain answers to the questions that are swarming in my mind. But, it seems
everything in life is just a cycle of questions with no answers in sight.
____5. He saw the pure crystal water turned crimson red as the monster devoured the victim.
He cried for help but it was too late.
 Nature and Characteristics of an Academic Text

An academic text is a reading material that provides

information which include concepts and theories that are
related to the specific discipline.

Academic writing in English is linear; it has one

central point or theme with every part contributing to the
main line of argument, without digressions or repetitions.
Its objective is to inform rather than to entertain.
 Nature and Characteristics of an Academic Text

Academic subjects are generally more

complex than everyday communication and the
readers of academic texts are often experts in
their field who have certain expectations about
the communicative style and language used in
their specialist subject.
One way of looking at the characteristics of academic writing
is summarized in the figure below:
The following are considered as academic texts: Research Paper,
Conference Paper, Feasibility Study, Thesis/Dissertation,
Reviews, Essay, Academic Journals, Reports.
 Characteristics of Academic Writing
 Structure
Unlike fiction or journalistic writing, the overall structure
of an academic text is formal and logical (Introduction,
Body, Conclusion). It must be cohesive and possess a
logically organized flow of ideas; this means that various
parts are connected to form a unified whole.
 
 Characteristics of Academic Writing
 
 Tone
The overall tone refers to the attitude conveyed in a
piece of writing. The arguments of others are fairly
presented and with an appropriate narrative tone. When
presenting a position or argument that disagrees with
one’s perspectives, describe the argument accurately
without loaded or biased language.
 Characteristics of Academic Writing
 Language
It is important to use unambiguous language. Clear topic
sentences enable a reader to follow your line of thinking
without difficulty. Formal language and the third person
point-of view should be used. Technical language appropriate
to the area of study may also be used, however it does not
mean using “big words” just for the sake of doing so.
 Characteristics of Academic Writing

 Citation
Citing sources in the body of the paper and providing a list
of references as either footnotes or endnotes is a very
important aspect of an academic text. It is essential to always
acknowledge the source of any ideas, research findings,
data, or quoted text that have been used in a paper as a
defense against allegations of plagiarism.
 Characteristics of Academic Writing
 Complexity
An academic text addresses complex issues that require higher-
order thinking skills to comprehend.
 Evidence-based Arguments
What is valued in an academic text is that opinions are based on
a sound understanding of the pertinent body of knowledge and
academic debates that exist within, and often external to a specific
discipline.
 Characteristics of Academic Writing

 Thesis-driven
The starting point of an academic text is a particular
perspective, idea or position applied to the chosen
research problem, such as establishing, proving, or
disproving solutions to the questions posed for the
topic.
Table 1- Characteristics of Academic and Non-Academic Texts
Academic
Language
 Academic Language
refers to the oral, written, auditory,
and visual language proficiency required
to learn effectively in schools and
Academic academic programs. It is also the
language used in classroom lessons,
Language books, tests, and assignments. It is the
language that students are expected to
learn and achieve fluency in.
 What is difference between
academic language and social
language?
It allows us to use contemporary or slang terms likee “cool,”
“awesome,” or “dude.” Social language is the simple, informal
language we use when talking face to face with family
members and friends. We can also communicate feelings,
needs, and wants using symbolic hand gestures for drink, eat,
hot, cold, hurt, or tired. Social language also includes writing
emails, friendly letters, and texts or retelling stories.
 What is difference between
academic language and social
language?
Academic language is different from everyday social language. It is
the vocabulary students or adults must learn to succeed in the
classroom or in the workplace. We use academic language to describe
and comprehend complex ideas, process higher-order thinking, and
understand abstract concepts. Academic language is what students read
in textbooks and on tests and what they hear during instruction in the
classroom.
Differences between Social & Academic
Language
 Eight Main Language Features of
Academic Writing

1. Complexity
Written language is relatively more complex than
spoken language. Written texts are lexically dense
compared to spoken language - they have proportionately
more lexical words than grammatical words. Written
texts are shorter and have longer, more complex words
and phrases. They have more noun-based phrases, more
nominalizations, and more lexical variation.
Eight Main Language Features of
Academic Writing
 Eight Main Language Features of
Academic Writing
2. Formality
Academic writing is relatively formal. In general, this means that you
should AVOID:
colloquial words and expressions: stuff, a lot, thing
abbreviated forms: can’t, doesn’t, shouldn’t
two-word verbs: put off, bring up
subheadings, numbering, and bullet points
asking questions
Eight Main Language Features of
Academic Writing

3. Precision
In academic writing, you need to be
precise when you use information, dates, or
figures. Do not use “a lot of people” when
you can say “50 million people.”
 Eight Main Language Features of
Academic Writing
4. Objectivity
Written language is, in general, objective rather than
personal. It, therefore, has fewer words that refer to the writer
or the reader. This means that the main emphasis should be
on the information that you want to give and the arguments
you want to make. For that reason, academic writing tends to
use nouns (and adjectives), rather than verbs (and adverbs)
Eight Main Language Features of
Academic Writing
 Eight Main Language Features of
Academic Writing
B. In general, avoid words like I, me, myself
 A reader will normally assume that any idea not referenced is your own. It
is, therefore, unnecessary to make this explicit.
Don’t write: In my opinion, this is a very interesting study.
Write: This is a very interesting study.
 Avoid “you” to refer to the reader or people in general.
Don’t write “You can easily forget how different life was 50 years ago.”
Write: “It is easy to forget how difficult life was 50 years ago.”
 Eight Main Language Features of
Academic Writing
C. Examples
▪ Clearly, this was far less true of France than…
▪ This is where the disagreements and controversies begin…
▪ The data indicates that…
▪ This is not a view shared by everyone; Jones, for example, claims that…
▪ …very few people would claim
▪ It is worthwhile at this stage to consider…
▪ Of course, more concrete evidence is needed before…
▪ Several possibilities emerge…
 Eight Main Language Features of
Academic Writing
5. Explicitness
Academic writing is explicit about the relationships in the
text. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of the writer in English to
make clear to the reader how the various parts of the text are
related. These connections can be made explicit by the use of different
signaling words.
 Eight Main Language Features of
Academic Writing
5. Explicitness
Academic writing is explicit in several ways. It is explicit in
its signposting of the organization of the ideas in the text. As a writer
of academic English, it is your responsibility to make it clear to
your reader how various parts of the text is related. These
connections can be made by the use of different signaling words.
 Eight Main Language Features of
Academic Writing
a. For example, if you want to tell your reader that your line of
argument is going to change, make it clear.
Example:
The Bristol 167 was to be Britain’s great new advance on American
types such as the Lockheed Constellation and Douglas DC-6, which did
not have the range to fly the Atlantic non-stop. It was also to be the
largest aircraft ever built in Britain. However, even by the end of the war,
the design had run into serious difficulties.
 Eight Main Language Features of
Academic Writing
b. If you think that one sentence gives reasons for something in
another sentence, make it explicit.
Example:
While an earlier generation of writers had noted this feature of the
period, it was not until the recent work of Cairn cross that the
significance of this outflow was realized. Partly this was because the
current account deficit appears much smaller in current (1980s) data
than it was thought to be by contemporaries.
 Eight Main Language Features of
Academic Writing
c. If you intend your sentence to give extra information, make it
clear.
Example:
He is born into a family, he marries into a family, and he
becomes the husband and father of his own family. In addition, he has
a definite place of origin and more relatives than he knows what to do
with, and he receives a rudimentary education at the Canadian
Mission
 Eight Main Language Features of
Academic Writing

d. If you are giving examples, do it explicitly.

Example:
This has sometimes led to disputes between religious and secular
clergy, between orders and bishops. For example, in the Northern
context, the previous bishop of Down and Connor, Dr. Philibin, refused
for most of his period of leadership in Belfast to have Jesuits visiting or
residing in his diocese.
 Eight Main Language Features
of Academic Writing
6. Accuracy
Academic writing uses vocabulary accurately. Most subjects have
words with narrow specific meanings. In academic writing, you need
to be accurate in your use of vocabulary.
• Do not confuse, for example, “phonetics” and “phonology” or
“grammar” with “syntax.”
• Choose the correct word, for example, “meeting,” “assembly,”
“gathering,” or “conference.”
• or from: “money,” “cash,” “currency,” “capital,” or “funds”
 Eight Main Language Features of
Academic Writing
7. Hedging
In any kind of academic writing you do, it is necessary to make
decisions about your stance on a particular subject or the strength of the
claims you are making. Different subjects prefer to do this in different ways.
Linguists know a technique common in certain kinds of academic writing as
a “hedge”. It is often believed that academic writing, particularly scientific
writing, is factual, simply to convey facts and information. However, it is
now recognized that an important feature of academic writing is the concept
of cautious language, often called “hedging” or “vague language.”
Eight Main Language Features of
Academic Writing
 Eight Main Language Features of
Academic Writing
8. Responsibility
In academic writing, you must be responsible for and must
be able to provide evidence and justification for any claims you make.
You are also responsible for demonstrating an understanding of any
source texts you use. This is done by paraphrasing, summarizing what
you have read, and acknowledging the source of these information or
ideas by a system of citations.
THANK YOU!!!
Prepared by:
Zarah Joyce A. Segovia
Ramon M. Lizarda Jr.