Quarter 1 – Module 1:

Reading Academic Texts

Lesson 1 Academic Language used from Various Disciplines

Nature and Characteristics of an Academic Text Features of Academic Texts:

An academic text is a written language that provides information,
which contain ideas and concepts that are related to the particular
discipline. Essay, Research Paper, Report, Project, Article, Complex
Thesis, and Dissertation are considered as academic texts. - Written language has no longer words, it is lexically more varied
vocabulary. Written texts are shorter and the language has more
Structure grammatical complexity, including more subordinate clauses and
more passives.
The basic structure that is used by an academic text is consist of Formal
three (3) parts introduction, body, and conclusion which is formal - Should avoid colloquial words and expressions.
and logical. This kind of structure enables the reader to follow the
argument and navigate the text. In academic writing a clear Precise
structure and a logical flow are imperative to a cohesive text. - Facts are given accurately and precisely.
Objective
Tone - has fewer words that emphasize on the information you want to
This refers to the attitude conveyed in a piece of writing. The give and the arguments you want to make mostly use nouns
arguments of others are fairly presented and with an appropriate (adjectives), rather than verbs (adverbs)
narrative tone. When presenting a position or argument that Explicit
disagrees with one’s perspectives, describe the argument - It is the responsibility of the writer in English to make it clear to
accurately without loaded or biased language. the reader how the various parts of the text are related.
Language Accurate
- Uses vocabulary accurately. Most subjects have words with
It is important to use unambiguous language. Clear topic narrow specific meanings.
sentences enable a reader to follow your line of thinking without
difficulty. Formal language and the third person pointof-view Hedging
should be used. Technical language appropriate to area of study - It is necessary to make decisions about your stance on a
may also be used, however, it does not mean using “big words” particular subject, or the strength of the claims you are making.
just for the sake of doing so.
Responsible
- You must be responsible for and must be able to provide
Citation
evidence and justification for any claims you make.
Citing sources in the body of the paper and providing a list of
Organize
references as either footnotes or endnotes is a very important
- It flows easily from one section to the next in a logical fashion.
aspect of an academic text. It is essential to always acknowledge
the source of any ideas, research findings, data, or quoted text Plan
that have been used in a paper as a defense against allegations - It usually takes place after research and evaluation, according
of plagiarism. to specific purpose and plan.

Complexity
Purposes in Reading an Academic Text
An academic text addresses complex issues that require higher-
1. To locate a main idea;
order thinking skills to comprehend.
2. To scan for information;
3. To identify gaps in existing studies;
Evidence-based Arguments
4. To connect new ideas to existing ones;
What is valued in an academic text is that opinions are based on 5. To gain more pieces of information;
a sound understanding of the pertinent body of knowledge and 6. To support a particular writing assignment; and,
academic debates that exist within, and often external to a specific 7. To deeply understand an existing idea.
discipline.

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 Thesis-driven Factors to Consider in Writing Academic Text
1. State critical questions and issues;
The starting point of an academic text is a particular perspective,
idea or position applied to the chosen research problem, such as 2. Provide facts and evidence from credible sources;
establishing, proving, or disproving solutions to the questions 3. Use precise and accurate words while avoiding jargon;
posed for the topic. 4. Take an objective point of view;
5. List references; and,
6. Use cautious language.
Academic Language
Academic language is the language needed by students to do the work in schools. It includes, for example, discipline-specific
vocabulary, grammar and punctuation, and applications of rhetorical conventions and devices that are typical for a content area (e.g.,
essays, lab reports, discussions of a controversial issue.) Students who master academic language are more likely to be successful in
academic and professional settings.
Social language is the set of vocabulary that allows us to communicate with others in the context of regular daily conversations.

Here are some of the differences between social and academic language includes:
Social Language Academic Language
In everyday interactions in In textbooks, research papers, conferences in spoken/written
spoken/written form form
For everyday conversation Used in school/work conversations
Used to write to friends, family, or for other social purposes Appropriate for written papers, classwork, homework
Informal, such as words like ''cool,'' Very formal and more sophisticated in its expressions, such as
''guy,'' ''kidding'') words like
''appropriate,'' ''studies,''
''implementation''
Can use slang expressions Don't use slang
Can be repetitive Uses a variety of terms
Can use phrases Uses sentences
Sentences don't follow grammar conventions necessarily, with Sentences begin with appropriate transitions, like, ''moreover'' or
phrases ''in addition'')
like, ''you're hungry?''
(Social & Academic Language Acquisition: Differences & Characteristics, 2020)

Characteristics of Academic Language

A. Formal
- It should not sound conversational or casual. Colloquial, idiomatic, slang or journalistic expressions should particularly be
avoided.
Examples:
Use… Instead…
Consider, monitor Look at
Revise, review Go over
Solve, repair, amend Fix
B. Objective
- This means it is unbiased. It should be based on facts and evidence and are not influenced by personal feelings.
C. Impersonal
This involves avoiding the personal pronouns ‘I’ and ‘we’. For example, instead of writing ‘I will show’, you might write ‘this report will
show’. The second person, ‘you’, is also to be avoided.

Lesson 2 Text Structure

Common Text Structures

Text structures (WDPI, 2012) refer to the way authors organize information in text. Recognizing the underlying structure of texts can help
students focus attention on key concepts and relationships, anticipate what is to come, and monitor their comprehension as they read.

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Text Structure Definition Graphic Organizer Transitions/ Signal Questions
Words
Narrative Narrates an event/story Descriptive language - Who is the
with characters, setting, (Adjectives, adverbs, narrative about?
conflict, point of view, similes, and metaphors) - Where is it set?
and plot - What is the
conflict? - Who is telling
the narrative? - What is
happening?
Chronological, Present ideas or events - First, second, third… - What items,
Process, or in the order in which they - Later events, or steps are
Sequence happen - Next listed? - Do they have to/
- Before always happen in this
- Then order?
- Finally - What sequence
- After of events is being
- When described? - What are
- Since the major incidents that
- Now/ occur? - How is this
previously structure revealed in the
- Actual use of dates text?
Cause and Provide explanations or - If/then - What happened? - Why
Effect reasons for phenomena - reasons why did it happen? - What
- as a result caused it to happen?
- therefore
- because
- consequently
- since
- so that
- for
- due to
Problem/ Solution Identify problems and - problem is - What is the
pose solutions - dilemma is problem?
- if/then - Why is this a
- because problem?
- so that - question/ - Is anything
answer being done to try to
- puzzle is solved solve the problem? -
What can be done to
solve the problem?
Compare and Contrast Discuss two ideas, - However/yet - What items are
events, or phenomena, - Nevertheless - on being compared?
showing how they are Difference
Similarities
Difference
the other hand - In what ways
different and how they - but/ whereas – are they similar?
are similar similarly - although Different? - What
- also/likewise conclusion does the
- in contrast/ author reach about
comparison these items? - What
- different conclusion
- either/or - in the
same way/ just as

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 does the author reach
about these items?
Definition or Describes a topic by - for example - What are the most
Description listing characteristics, - characteristics important
features, - for instance characteristics? - how is
attributes, and examples - such as it being described (what
- including does it look like, how
- to illustrate does it work, etc.)? -
What is important to
remember about it?
©2012 Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction – Form DL-I

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 them:

1. Organize information and details they are learning in their minds while reading.
2. Make connections between the details being presented in a text
3. Summarize the important details shared in a text

Lesson 3 Techniques in Summarizing Variety of Academic Texts

Techniques in Summarizing Academic Texts

Summarizing is how we take larger selections of text and reduce them to their bare essentials: the gist, the key ideas, the main points
that are worth noting and remembering. Webster's calls a summary the "general idea in brief form"; it's the distillation, condensation, or
reduction of a larger work into its primary notions. (“Reading Quest Strategies | Summarizing”)

Basic Rules:

A. Erase things that don’t matter. Delete trivial material that is unnecessary to understanding.
B. Erase things that repeat. Delete redundant material. In note taking, time and space is precious. If a word or phrase says
basically the same thing you have already written down, then don’t write it again!
C. Trade, general terms for specific names. Substitute superordinate terms for lists (e.g., flowers for daisies, tulips for roses).
Focus on the big picture. Long, technical lists are hard to remember. If one word will give you the meaning, then less is more.
D. Use your own words to write the summary. Write the summary using your own words but make sure to retain the main points.

Techniques:

1. Somebody Wanted But So Then strategy helps students generalize, recognize cause and effect relationships, and find main
ideas.
Somebody Wanted But So Then
(Who is the text about?) (What did the main (What was the problem (How was the problem (Tell how the story ends.)
character want?) encountered?) solved?)
Little Red She wanted to take She encountered a wolf She ran away, crying for A woodsman heard her
Riding Hood cookies to her sick pretending to be her help. and saved her from the
grandmother. grandmother. wolf.

After answering the questions, combine the answers to form a summary:

Little Red Riding Hood wanted to take cookies to her sick grandmother, but she encountered a wolf. He got to her grandmother’s house
first and pretended to be the old woman. 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.

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2. SAAC Method. This method is particularly helpful in summarizing any kind of text. SAAC is an acronym for “State, Assign,
Action, Complete.” Each word in the acronym refers to a specific element that should be included in the summary.

State Assign Action Complete

(the name of the article, book, or (the name of the author) (what the author is doing (complete the sentence or
story) (example: tells, explains)) summary with keywords and
important details)
“The Boy Who Aesop (a Greek tells what happens when a
Cried Wolf” storyteller) shepherd boy repeatedly lies to
the villagers about seeing a wolf

Use the four SAAC cues to write out a summary of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" in complete sentences:
"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.

3. 5 W's, 1 H. This technique relies on six crucial questions: who, what, when where, why, and how. These questions make it easy
to identify the main character, important details, and main idea.

Try this technique with a familiar fable such as "The Tortoise and the Hare."
Who is the story What did they do? When did the action Where did the story Why did the main How did the main
about? take place? happen? character do what character do what
s/he did? s/he did?
The tortoise He raced a quick, When isn’t specified An old The tortoise was The tortoise kept up
boastful in this story, so it’s country road tired of hearing the his slow but
hare and won. not important in this hare boast steady pace.
case. about his speed.

4. First Then Finally. This technique helps students summarize events in chronological order.

First: What happened first? Include the main character and main event/action.
Then: What key details took place during the event/action?
Finally: What were the results of the event/action?

Here is an example using "Goldilocks and the Three Bears."

First, Goldilocks entered the bears' home while they were gone. Then, she ate their food, sat in their chairs, and slept in their beds.
Finally, she woke up to find the bears watching her, so she jumped up and ran away.

5. Give Me the Gist. This type of techniques is like giving a friend the gist of a story. In other words, they want a summary – not a
retelling of every detail.

Quarter 1 - Module 2:
Thesis Statement and Outline Reading Text
Lesson 1 Identifying Thesis Statement and Outline Reading Text

Thesis Statement
A thesis statement is the controlling idea that you will develop in your paper. This can be found usually at the end of an introduction. A
thesis statement can be one sentence. However, if necessary, it can also be two or three sentences.

Elements of a Thesis Statement

1. Topic. The topic of your paper.
2. Argument/Claim. This depends on the type of paper you are writing. If it is an argumentative paper, then this should express
your opinion. If it is a research or explanatory paper, this should explain the purpose of your paper.
3. Evidence. The support for your argument/claim.

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If you already have these three elements, you can combine them to create your thesis statement.
Example 1: (argumentative)

1. Topic – The Harry Potter book series

2. Argument – stole many fantastical elements from The Lord of the Rings series
3. Evidence – giant spiders, dangerous hooded undead creatures (Dementors and Nazgul), and a wise mentor.

The Harry Potter book series stole many fantastical elements from the Lord of the Rings series. Some of the uncanny similarities include
giant spiders, dangerous hooded undead creatures, and a wise mentor that the hero must learn to survive without.

Example 2: (Research/explanatory)
1. Topic – Cheese
2. Argument – has healthy tendencies
3. Evidence – calcium helps bones and teeth, boosts the growth of good bacteria in the gut, and the protein
helps cells repair themselves

Research has shown that cheese has healthy tendencies because its calcium provides necessary nutrients for the growth of bone and
teeth, it boosts the growth of food bacteria in the gut, and it has protein that helps cells repair themselves.

Outline
An outline is a design to follow when writing a structure, a discourse, or a article. It arranges a material in a logical way into main ideas,
supporting ideas, and supporting details.
The main idea or topic is the main topic of the outline. All main topics are indicated by Roman Numeral. Subtopics are noted by letters
and supporting details are indicated by Arabic Numerals.
An outline can be a sentence outline or topic outline. A sentence outline is written in full sentence while a topic outline is in words or
phrases.

Guidelines in Writing an Outline:

1. Place the title at the center above the outline.
2. Every level of the outline must have at least two items (I and II, A and B, 1 and 2).
3. Put a period after each numeral and letter.
4. Indent each new level of the outline.
5. All items of one kind (roman numerals, capital letters, Arabic numerals) should line up with each other.
6. Capitalize the first letter of each item.
7. The terms Introduction, Body, and Conclusion do not have to be included in the outline. They are not topics; they are
merely organizational units in the writer’s mind.

Example
Benjamin Franklin – Scientist and Inventor
I. Experiments with Electricity A. Studied nature of electricity
B. Discovered Lightning Equals Electricity
C. Invented Lightning Rod
II. Other Scientific Work
A. Inventions
1. Bifocal Glasses
2. Franklin Stove
3. Daylight Saving Time
B. Scientific Studies
1. Charted Gulf Stream
2. Worked on Soil Improvement
III. Importance as a Scientist
A. Scientific Honors
B. Writing Translated into Other Languages
C. Experts’ Comments
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 Quarter 1 - Module 3:
Approaches in Literary Criticism
Lesson 1 Objective Assessment

Let us start this module, by doing lesson 1 which is focused on objective assessment. The most important thing to do in this lesson is to
be able to assess what you are reading objectively.

You have listed some opinions. Opinions are your own views of certain issues or concerns. There are words that you
can use when expressing your opinion. Here are some phrases that you can use:
I think… From my point of view
I believe… From my perspective
I feel… In my view
In my opinion… It seems to me that
I would say…

These are examples of ways to express your opinion:

I think technology is harmful.
In my view, technology is not useful and helpful.
In my opinion, technology is very important nowadays.

You may also just state your opinions without using those phrases. You can just say, Technology is harmful but only when you are in an
informal situation. If you are in a formal setting, it would be appropriate to use those phrases. You are entitled to your own opinions, but
these opinions must be based on facts so that you will not be biased.

It is very important that you will not be focused only on giving opinions. You must also look for information that will help
support your opinion because -
• this will add to the credibility and validity of your opinion; and
• more will believe you if what you express is strongly supported with information that are true and correct.
A very important expository discourse that you must learn how to write is the reaction paper, review, or critique. It is mainly written to
communicate a fair assessment of situations, people, events, literary and artistic works and performances. Whether a social commentary,
or a critical judgment, it conveys incisive insights into its analysis of events, its interpretation of the meaning or importance of a work or
artifact, or its appreciation of the moral or aesthetic values reflected in the work or performance. It may include the main purpose of the
event; the devices and strategies employed; an evaluation of its success or failure; and an assessment of its significance and relevance,
timeliness or timelessness.

Lesson 2 Approaches in Literary Criticism

When you express your views, it is also important to use appropriate language for a specific discipline. There are terms that you should
prefer to put in your writing depending on the field or context you are in.

For example, if you are to convince people who are experts in the field of Science and Mathematics, you need to use their language.
Here are examples of terms that you can use in the following disciplines.

Science Mathematics General Terms

Experiments Equation Test
Lab equipment Statistical tool Materials
Invention Solution Action
Laboratory test Result Pregnancy Test
Hormones and Genes Equivalent Values Family

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You should be formal and use technical terms that are familiar to them. However, if your audience is the general public, you also need
to use the language they know. Do not use those that are not common to them. Avoid jargons or technical words and slang or invented
words. You can be informal when necessary. However, you must never forget to be POLITE to avoid having future problems.

Learning appropriate language and manner is not enough in expressing your views. There are critical approaches that you can use to
make it more convincing and appropriate.

Read about the critical approaches. You can highlight some important ideas. You can use these in expressing your views.

1. Formalist Criticism
- This approach regards literature as “a unique form of human knowledge that needs to be examined on its own terms.” All the elements
necessary for understanding the work are contained within the work itself. Of particular interest to the formalist critic are the elements of
form—style, structure, tone, imagery, etc.— that are found within the text. A primary goal for formalist critics is to determine how such
elements work together with the text’s content to shape its effects upon readers.

2. Gender Criticism
- This approach “examines how sexual identity influences the creation and reception of literary works.” Originally an offshoot of feminist
movements, gender criticism today includes a number of approaches, including the so-called “masculinist” approach recently advocated
by poet Robert Bly. The bulk of gender criticism, however, is feminist and takes as a central precept that the patriarchal attitudes that
have dominated western thought have resulted, consciously or unconsciously, in literature “full of unexamined ‘male-produced’
assumptions.” Feminist criticism attempts to correct this imbalance by analyzing and combatting such attitudes—by questioning, for
example, why none of the characters in Shakespeare’s play Othello ever challenge the right of a husband to murder a wife accused of
adultery. Other goals of feminist critics include “analyzing how sexual identity influences the reader of a text” and “examining how the
images of men and women in imaginative literature reflect or reject the social forces that have historically kept the sexes from achieving
total equality.”

3. Historical Criticism
- This approach “seeks to understand a literary work by investigating the social, cultural, and intellectual context that produced it—a
context that necessarily includes the artist’s biography and milieu.” A key goal for historical critics is to understand the effect of a literary
work upon its original readers.

4. Reader-Response Criticism
- This approach takes as a fundamental tenet that “literature” exists not as an artifact upon a printed page but as a transaction between
the physical text and the mind of a reader. It attempts “to describe what happens in the reader’s mind while interpreting a text” and reflects
that reading, like writing, is a creative process.

5. Media Criticism
- It is the act of closely examining and judging the media. When we examine the media and various media stories, we often find instances
of media bias. Media bias is the perception that the media is reporting the news in a partial or prejudiced manner. Media bias occurs
when the media seems to push a specific viewpoint, rather than reporting the news objectively. Keep in mind that media bias also occurs
when the media seems to ignore an important aspect of the story. This is the case in the news story about the puppies.

6. Marxist Criticism
- It focuses on the economic and political elements of art, often emphasizing the ideological content of literature; because Marxist criticism
often argues that all art is political, either challenging or endorsing (by silence) the status quo, it is frequently evaluative and judgmental,
a tendency that “can lead to reductive judgment, as when Soviet critics rated Jack London better than William Faulkner, Ernest
Hemingway, Edith Wharton, and Henry James, because he illustrated the principles of class struggle more clearly.” Nonetheless, Marxist
criticism “can illuminate political and economic dimensions of literature other approaches overlook.”

7. Structuralism
- It focused on how human behavior is determined by social, cultural and psychological structures. It tended to offer a single unified
approach to human life that would embrace all disciplines. The essence of structuralism is the belief that “things cannot be understood
in isolation, they have to be seen in the context of larger structures which contain them. For example, the structuralist analysis of Donne’s
poem, Good Morrow, demands more focus on the relevant genre, the concept of courtly love, rather than on the close reading of the
formal elements of the text.

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 Quarter 1 - Module 4:
Writing the Reaction Paper/ Review/ Critique
Lesson 1 Writing the Reaction Paper/ Review / Critique

REACTION PAPER is a form of paper writing in which the writer expresses his ideas and opinions about what has been read or seen.
Reaction paper is evaluated due to the writer's communication skills and only then due the unique ideas and the content. This paper
writing may be informal, two pages long. As all essays, a reaction paper comprises introduction, body, and conclusion. In introduction
the writers state the main premise, in a body he expresses his ideas and in conclusion summarizes the results. The reaction paper is not
a summary of the article although information should be included.

You may be asked to write a reaction paper indirectly, and you have to get the intention of the examiner fast. A good example is that you
may be asked to give a critique about a certain subject, and this would constitute a reaction paper, or to write a review about a literature
book; it also falls into the same group.

Despite the fact that you are writing about your reactions, thoughts and impressions, you still need to follow an appropriate structure. So
make sure to: • Read the material carefully

Whether it is a book, article, or a film, make sure to read or watch it very carefully. Sometimes, you will need to repeat this procedure for
a couple of times.

• Mark interesting places while reading/watching

This will help you focus on the aspects that impressed you the most and come back to them after you are done with reading or watching.
• Write down your thought while reading/watching Doing so, you won’t forget any important ideas that came to your
head.

• Come up with a thesis statement

Use your notes to formulate a central idea you will develop in your further work. Then put it in one sentence and make it your thesis
statement.

• Compose an outline
Every time you write an academic paper, you need to make an outline. Try at least once and you will see how helpful an outline could
be!
• Construct your paper
Only when all the preparations are done, start writing a paper itself.

The first part of your paper should contain information on the author and the topic. You need to write down the main ideas and highlight
the main points of the paper.

You can use direct quotations if needed. Avoid your personal opinion in this section. The second part should contain your personal
thoughts on the subject. Focus on a main problem or address all of them and describe your opinion. Explain how the material can relate
to the modern world, to the society or separate individuals. Back your statements with sources if needed and make conclusions whether
you support the author or not.
Writing a reaction paper can be quite a challenging task, so many students use examples to learn more about its structure and key
features. Here are a few recommendations, which will help you complete an outstanding reaction paper:
• Read the original article carefully and highlight the main ideas and points you want to discuss;
• Describe your point of view and back it with additional information if needed. Use vivid examples;
• Use various sources to make your statement more argumentative.
There are also a few tips, which will help you to avoid common mistakes. First, don’t give a summary of an article. You should perform
your personal opinion, not an overview. You should always back your ideas with examples. However, avoid using examples, which are
difficult to relate to the topic. With the help of these simple rules, you will learn how to write a reaction paper and will be able to create an
outstanding work!

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