ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES

READING ACADEMIC TEXT knowledge to communicate.

LANGUAGE USED IN ACADEMIC TEXTS
ACADEMIC LANGUAGE
AND OTHER DISCIPLINES
• represents the language demands of school (academics).
• includes language used in textbooks, in classrooms, on PURPOSES AND AUDIENCE
tests, and in each discipline.
“Reader”
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY • the one who receives the message.
• is used in all academic disciplines to teach about the • To be effective, informative and persuasive writing need
content of the discipline to be geared to the fact that someone is “out there” to
receive the communication.
• refers to the specific words and terms that are commonly
used in educational and scholarly contexts. • Experienced writers think about the background of their
audience as they write to inform or to persuade the readers.
EXAMPLE Example: A sales report filled with technical language
Science Literature Mathematics assumes that its readers know the specialized vocabulary
• Hypothesis • Poetry • Algorithm
•Experimentation • Metaphor • Equation Checklist of Audiences’ Characteristics
• Astronomy • Fiction • Quadratic • Who are they?
• Cell • Alliteration • Algebra -Age/Sex/Education
• Genetics • Oxymoron • Exponents -Field of Specialization
• Biochemistry • Plot • Calculus • What information do they have?
-level of education
ACADEMIC WRITING
-Amount of general knowledge about the subject
• makes a claim or an argument and uses a combination of -Amount of specialized knowledge about the subject
evidence and clear explanations of logical reasoning to “Specialist”- are members of the general reading public who
support that claim in order to persuade the reader. have expert knowledge on specific subjects.
• is a process that starts with posing a question, PARTS OF AN ACADEMIC TEXT
problematizing a concept, evaluating an opinion, and ends in
answering the question or questions posed, clarifying the I. TITLE PAGE
problem, and/or arguing for a stand.
• provides information regarding the title, author, and type
• usually uses objective language, which allows writers to
of work.
convince the readers that their argument is true, rather than
just subjective opinions.
II. ABSTRACT OR SUMMARY
ACADEMIC TEXT
• provides a brief account of the main content of an
An academic text is a reading material that provides academic paper.
information which include concepts and theories that are
related to the specific discipline. III. TABLE OF CONTENTS

• gives an opportunity to gain an idea of what the academic

Research Paper,Conference PapeR, Feasibility Study, Reviews,
Thesis/Dissertation, Essay, Academic Journals, Reports paper is about at an early stage.

A good academic writer is able to see both sides of the IV. INTRODUCTION
argument, or claim, and counter it with supporting evidence • it is a soft-start and orientation to engage and acquaint
with the academic text.
DIFFERENCES
ACADEMIC TEXT NON-ACADEMIC TEXT V. BACKGROUND
• Stricter Format • Formal but not that
• Yields toward the strict • gives the necessary background information to
academe • Yields toward the understand the context of the academic text
• It has a purpose of personal means
creating new body of • It has a goal which is
 ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES
VI. AIM AND ISSUE CITATION
• provides the terms of reference for academic paper • Citing sources in the body of the paper and providing a list
of references as either footnotes or endnotes is a very
VII. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK important aspect of an academic text.
• defines the key concepts, proposes relations between
them, discusses relevant theories and models based on a COMPLEXITY
literature review.
• An academic text addresses complex issues that require
VIII. METHOD higherorder thinking skills to comprehend.

• provides the methodological details of the paper. EVIDENCE-BASED ARGUMENTS

IX. RESULTS, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION • What is valued in an academic text is that opinions are
based on a sound understanding of the pertinent body of
• involves the result of the study, its analysis and discussion knowledge and academic debates that exist within, and
often external to a specific discipline
X. CLOSURE

• the end section of the academic paper. THESIS-DRIVEN

• A summary or a concrete conclusion about the issue and • The starting point of an academic text is a particular
questions can be used to end the academic paper. perspective, idea or position applied to the chosen research
XI. LIST OF REFERENCES problem, such as establishing, proving, or disproving
solutions to the questions posed for the topic.
• acknowledges the contribution of other writers and FEATURES OF ACADEMIC TEXT
researchers in your work.
COMPLEX
XII. APPENDICES
• Written texts are shorter and the language has more
• contain supplementary materials that may be helpful
grammatical complexity.
providing a more comprehensive understanding of the
academic paper.
FORMAL
NATURE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF ACADEMIC TEXT
• Should avoid colloquial words and expressions.
STRUCTURE
PRECISE
The basic structure that is used by an academic text is
consist of three (3) parts: • Facts are given accurately and precisely.
• Introduction • Body • Conclusion
OBJECTIVE
TONE
• Has fewer words that emphasize on the information you
• This refers to the attitude conveyed in a piece of writing. want to give and the arguments you want to make.
• The arguments of others are fairly presented and with an
EXPLICIT
appropriate narrative tone.
• It is the responsibility of the writer in English to make it
LANGUAGE
clear to the reader how the various parts of the text are
• It is important to use unambiguous language. related

• Clear topic sentences enable a reader to follow your line of ACCURATE

thinking without difficulty.
• refers to the correctness, precision, and reliability of the
• Formal language and the third person point-of-view
information, data, arguments, and statements presented.
should be used.
• It implies that the content is free from errors,
misinformation, or misleading details.