ENGLISH FOR

ACADEMIC AND
PROFESSIONAL
PURPOSES
Module 1
Academic Language Used from
Various Disciplines
 LESSONS:
I. Nature and
Characteristics of an
Academic Text
II. Text Structure
III. Techniques in
Summarizing Variety
of Academic Texts
 Nature and
Characteristics
of an Academic
Nature and Characteristics
of an Academic Text
An academic text is a written
language that provides
information, which contain ideas
and concepts that are related to a
particular discipline.
 EXAMPLES OF ACADEMIC TEXTS
• School books and textbooks
• Journal articles
• Research proposals and papers
• Some newspapers and
magazines articles
• Thesis and dissertations
Nature and Characteristics
of an Academic Text
Structure Citation
Tone Complexity
Language Arguments
Thesis-driven
 Structure
The basic structure that is used by
an academic text is consist of
three (3) parts: introduction,
body, and conclusion which is
formal and logical.
 Tone
This refers to the attitude
conveyed in a piece of writing.
Also, when ideas are presented,
it should be described accurately,
without loaded or biased
language.
 Language
It is important to use
unambiguous language. Formal
language and third person point-
of-view should be used. Technical
language may also be used, but it
does not mean using “big words”
just for the style.
 Citation
A very important aspect of an
academic writing is by citing sources.
It is essential to always
acknowledge the sources of any
ideas, research findings, data, or
quoted text that have been used in a
paper.
 Complexity
An academic text addresses
complex issues that require
higher-order thinking skills
to comprehend.
 Evidence-based
Arguments
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.
 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 disapproving
solutions to the questions posed for
the topic.
Features of
Academic
Texts
 Academic writing in English is linear,
which means 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 entertain. As well as this
is in the standard written form of the
language.
 Complexity
Written language is
relatively more complex
than spoken language.
 SPOKEN:
“You can control the trains this way and if you
do that you can be quite sure that they'll be
able to run more safely and more quickly than
they would otherwise, no matter how bad the
weather gets.”

WRITTEN:
The use of this method of control
unquestionably leads to safer and faster train
 Complexity
Written texts are lexically
dense compared to spoken
language. They have more
noun-based phrases, more
nominalizations, and more
lexical variation.
jeans, pants, trousers, etc.

child, minor, underage

 Complexity
Written language is grammatically more
complex than spoken language. It has
more subordinate clauses, more "that/
to" complement clauses, more long
sequences of prepositional phrases,
more attributive adjectives and more
passives than spoken language.
 the
writer’s
dignified
stance in
FORMAL
writing
HOW DO WE
ACHIEVE
FORMALITY
IN WRITING?
 a. Avoid
colloquial
words and
expressions.
b. Avoid using
contracted
forms.
c. Avoid using
two-word or
three-word
verbs, instead,
use one-word
verb.
d. Avoid using
abbreviations
 Precise
Facts are given
accurately and
precisely.
 The focus of
information is
on the TOPIC,
rather than the
OBJECTIVE writer himself/
herself.
HOW DO WE
ACHIEVE
OBJECTIVITY
IN
WRITING?
a. Avoid using
personal
pronouns.
 We need to follow
instructions.

The researchers need to

follow instructions.
 b. Avoid
rhetorical
questions.
 c. Avoid
emotive
language.
 The police investigators were
shocked to see the results of
the test.

The police investigators did not

expect the results of the test.
 Explicit
The texts should be clear,
and the parts should be
smoothly connected to each
other.
 Hedging is a way to
avoid making claims
that are too categorical
or absolute and can
thus be easily criticized.
It allows you to make
claims that are
HEDGING more cautious, specific
and precise
HOW DO WE
ACHIEVE
HEDGING IN
WRITING?
 a. Avoid
hasty
generalization.
 Hedging verbs: appear/seem,
tend, suggest, contribute/help
Hedging adverbs: apparently,
approximately, arguably,
supposedly, typically, relatively,
slightly/fairly, sometimes/
normally/usually
 Responsible
The writer must be responsible
for and must be able to provide
evidence and justifications for
any claims you make.
 Organize
The flow of one idea to
another idea is in a logical
fashion.
 Plan
The flow of one idea to
another idea is in a logical
fashion.
 Purposes in
Reading an
Academic Text
1. to locate a
main idea;
2. to scan for
information;
 3. to identify
gaps in existing
studies;
4. to connect
new ideas to
existing ones;
5. to gain more
pieces of
information;
6. to support a
particular
writing
assignment; and
 7. to deeply
understand an
existing idea.
 Factors to
Consider in
Writing
Academic Text
1. State critical
questions and
issues.
2. Provide facts
and evidence
from credible
sources.
3. Use precise and
accurate words
while avoiding
jargons.
 4. Take an
objective point
of view.
 5. List
references .
 6. Use
cautious
language.
Common
Text
Structures
 Text structures refer to the way
authors organize information in text.
Recognizing the underlying structure
of texts can help students focus on
attention on key concepts and
relationships, anticipate what is to
come, and monitor their
comprehension as they read.
 NARRATIVE
DEFINITION TRANSITIONS/ QUESTIONS
SIGNAL WORDS
• Narrates an • Descriptive • Who is the narrative
event/story language about?
with (adjectives, • Where is it set?
characters, adverbs, • What is the conflict?
setting, similes, and • Who is telling the
conflict, point metaphor) narrative?
of view, and • What is happening?
plot
CHRONOLOGICAL, PROCESS, or SEQUENCE
DEFINITION TRANSITIONS/ QUESTIONS
SIGNAL WORDS
• Present • first, second, • What items, events, or steps
ideas or third… are listed?
events in • next, then, later, • Do they have to/always
the order finally happen in this order?
in which • before, after • What sequence of events is
they • when, Since being described?
happen • now/ previously • What are the major incidents
• actual use of that occur?
dates • How is this structure
revealed in the text?
 CAUSE and EFFECT
DEFINITION TRANSITIONS/ QUESTIONS
SIGNAL WORDS
• Provide • if/then • What happened?
explanations • reasons why • Why did it
or reasons for • as a result happen?
phenomena • therefore • What caused it to
• because happen?
• consequently
• since
• so that
• for
• due to
 PROBLEM/
DEFINITION
SOLUTION
TRANSITIONS/
SIGNAL WORDS
QUESTIONS

• Identify • problem is • What is the problem?

problems • dilemma is • Why is this a problem?
and pose • if/then • Is anything being
solutions • because done to try to solve
• so that the problem?
• question/ answer • What can be done to
• puzzle is solved solve the problem?
COMPARE and CONTRAST
DEFINITION TRANSITIONS/ QUESTIONS
SIGNAL WORDS
• Discuss two • however/yet • What items are
ideas, • nevertheless being compared?
events, or • on the other hand • In what ways are
phenomena • but/whereas – similarly they similar/
• although
showing di erent?
• also/likewise
how they are • What conclusion
• in contrast/comparison
di erent and • di erent does the author
how they are • either/or reach about these
similar • in the same way/just as items?
DEFINITION or DESCRIPTION
DEFINITION TRANSITIONS/ QUESTIONS
SIGNAL WORDS
• Describes a • for example • What are the most
topic by listing • characteristics important
characteristics, • for instance characteristics?
features, • such as • How is it being
attributes, and • including described? (what does
examples • to illustrate it look like, how does
it work, etc.)
• What is important to
remember about it?
 Why is Text Structure
Important?
The readers can significantly
improve their comprehension and
retention of information when
they can identify and recognize
the text structure of a text.
It can also help the readers to:
1. organize information and details
they are learning in their minds
while reading;
2. Make connections between the
details being presented in a text;
and
3. Summarize the important details
shared in a text.
 Techniques in
Summarizing
Variety of
Academic Texts
Summarizing is how we take
larger selection of text and
reduce them to their bare
essentials: the gist, the key
ideas, the main points that
are worth noting and
remembering.
Basic Rules
when
Summarizing
1. Erase things
that don’t
matter.
 2. Erase
things that
repeat.
 3. Trade general
terms for specific
names.
 4. Use your
own words to
write the
summary.
Techniques
in
Somebody Wanted But So Then
The strategy helps students
generalize, recognize cause
and e ect relationships, and
find main ideas.
Somebody Wanted But So Then
(Who is (What did the (What was the (How was the (Tell how the
the text main character problem problem story ends.)
about?) want?) encountered?) solved?)
Little Red She wanted to She She ran away, A woodsman
Riding Hood take cookies to encountered a crying for help. heard her and
her sick wolf pretending saved her from
grandmother. to be her the wolf.
grandmother.

Little Red Riding Hood wanted to take her cookies to her sick
grandmother, but she encountered a wolf. He got to her grandmother’s
house first and pretended to be the old man. He was going to eat Little
Red Riding Hood, but she realized what he was doing and ran away,
crying for help. A woodsman heard the girl’s cries and saved her from the
wolf.
 SAAC Method
(State, Assign, Action, Complete)
Each word in the acronym
refers to a specific element
that should be included in
the summary.
 State Assign But So
(the (the name (what the (complete the sentence or summary
name of of the author is with keywords and important
the author) doing [e.g., details)
article, tells,
book, or explains])
story)
“The Boy Aesop (a tells What happens when a shepherd boy
Who Cried Greek repeatedly lies to the villagers about
Wolf” storyteller) seeing a wolf
“The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” by Aesop (a Greek storyteller),
tells what happens when a shepherd boy repeatedly lies to the
villagers about seeing a wolf. After a while, they ignore his false
cries. Then, when a wolf really does attack, they don’t come to
help him.
 5 W’s, 1 H
This technique relies on six (6)
crucial questions: who, what,
when, where, why, and how.
These questions make it easy to
identify the main character,
important details, and main idea.
 Who What When Where Why did the How did
is the did did the did the main the main
story they action story character do character
about? do? take happen? what s/he do what
place? did? s/he did?

the He one day an old The tortoise The

tortoise raced when the country was tired of tortoise
against weather road hearing the kept up
a quick, is all fine hare boast his slow
boastful and dry about his but
hare speed. steady
and pace.
won.
 First Then Finally
This technique helps
students to summarize
events in chronological
order.
 FIRST First, Goldilocks entered
(What happened first?
Include the main
the bears’ home while they
character and main were gone.
event/action.)
THEN Then, she ate their food,
(What key details took
place during the event/
sat in their chairs, and slept
action?) in their beds.
FINALLY Finally, she woke up to
(What were the results
of the event/action?)
find the bears watching her,
so she jumped up and ran
 Give Me the Gist
This technique is like giving a
friend the gist of the story.
Give them the simplest,
shortest, and the easiest
version of the story.