ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES • Evidence-based Arguments – What is valued in

PROGRAM an academic text is that opinions are based on a

sound understanding of the pertinent body of
LESSON 1: knowledge and academic debates that exist within,
and often external to a specific discipline.
✷ Language - A system of spoken, signed, and/or • Thesis-driven – The starting point of an academic
written communication used by humans to express text is a particular perspective, idea or position
themselves. applied to the chosen research problem, such as
establishing, proving, or disproving solutions to the
Formal Language questions posed for the topic.
• Used for professional and academic purposes
• No colloquialism and contractions involved Features of Academic Texts:
• No using of personal pronouns 1. Complex
• Less personal
• Written language has no longer words, it is
Informal Language lexically more varied vocabulary.
• Used when communicating, writing or having • Written texts are shorter and the language has
conversations with family and friends more grammatical complexity, including more
• More casual and subordinate clauses and more passives.
• Spontaneous 2. Formal
• More personal
• Should avoid colloquial words and expressions.
Nature and Characteristics of an Academic Text
3. Precise
• Structure – The basic structure that is used by an
• Facts are given accurately and precisely.
academic text is consist of three (3) parts
introduction, body, and conclusion which is formal 4. Objective
and logical. This kind of structure enables the reader • -has fewer words that emphasize on the
to follow the argument and navigate the text. In information you want to give and the arguments
academic writing a clear structure and a logical flow you want to make
are imperative to a cohesive text. • -mostly use nouns (adjectives), rather than verbs
• Tone – This refers to the attitude conveyed in a (adverbs)
piece of writing. The arguments of others are fairly
presented and with an appropriate narrative tone. 5. Explicit
When presenting a position or argument that • It is the responsibility of the writer in English to
disagrees with one's perspectives, describe the make it clear to the reader how the various parts
argument accurately without loaded or biased of the text are related.
language.
• Language – It is important to use unambiguous 6. Accurate
language. Clear topic sentences enable a reader to • Uses vocabulary accurately
follow your line of thinking without difficulty. Formal • Most subjects have words with narrow specific
language and the third person point- of-view should meanings.
be used. Technical language appropriate to area of
7. Hedging
study may also be used, however, it does not mean
• It is necessary to make decisions about your
using "big words" just for the sake of doing so.
stance on a particular subject, or the strength of
• Citation – Citing sources in the body of the paper
the claims you are making.
and providing a list of references as either footnotes
or endnotes is a very important aspect of an 8. Responsible
academic text. It is essential to always acknowledge • You must be responsible for and must be able to
the source of any ideas, research findings, data, or provide evidence and justification for any claims
quoted text that have been used in a paper as a you make.
defense against allegations of plagiarism.
• Complexity – An academic text addresses complex 9. Organize
issues that require higher-order thinking skills to • Well-organized.
comprehend. • It flows easily from one section to the next in a
logical fashion.
10. Plan academic texts. This variation in language use is due
• Well-planned. to the fact that different disciplines require different
• It usually takes place after research and types of information to be communicated and have
evaluation, according to specific purpose and plan. different audiences that the information is intended
for.
Purposes in Reading an Academic Text • Language use in academic writing varies across
1. To locate a main idea; different disciplines, and it is important for academic
2. To scan for information; writers to be aware of the conventions, terminology,
3. To identify gaps in existing studies; and writing styles used in their discipline in order to
4. To connect new ideas to existing ones; use language effectively in their writing.
5. To gain more pieces of information.
6. To support a particular writing assignment; and, ✷ Academic Disciplines – or academic field is a
7. To deeply understand an existing idea. subdivision of knowledge that is taught and researched
as a part of higher education. It is a vast accumulation
Factors to Consider in Writing Academic Text of knowledge in a specific area.
1. State critical questions and issues;
2. Provide facts and evidence from credible sources; Different Academic Disciplines and some of their
3. Use precise and accurate words while avoiding Branches:
jargon;
4. Take an objective point of view;
5. List references; and,
6. Use cautious language.

LESSON 2:

✷ Academic Language - is the language needed by

students to do the work in schools. It includes, for
The Key Characteristics and Conventions of
example, discipline-specific vocabulary, grammar and
Language used in Academic Texts from Different
punctuation, and applications of rhetorical conventions
Disciplines include:
and devices that are typical for a content area (e.g.,
A. Referencing and Citation - Each discipline has its
essays, lab reports, discussions of a controversial issue.)
own conventions for referencing and citation, and
Students who master academic language are more likely
academic texts will follow these conventions to give
to be successful in academic and professional settings.
credit to sources used in the research.
✷ Social Language - is the set of vocabulary that B. Specialized Terminology - Each discipline has its
allows us to communicate with others in the context of own specialized terms and concepts that are specific
regular daily conversations. to that field, and academic texts will often use this
specialized terminology in order to convey ideas and
Characteristics of Academic Language research findings accurately.
a. Formal - It should not sound conversational or C. Objectivity and Impersonality - Academic texts
casual. Colloquial, idiomatic, slang or journalistic are expected to be objective and impersonal, using
expressions should particularly be avoided. neutral language and avoiding personal opinions and
b. Objective - This means it is unbiased. It should emotions. This is particularly true in the Sciences,
be based on facts and evidence and are not where a more clinical and detached tone is
influenced by personal feelings. preferred.
c. Impersonal - This involves avoiding the personal D. Precise and Clear Writing - Academic texts are
pronouns ‘I’ and ‘we’. For example, instead of expected to be well-written and easy to understand,
writing ‘I will show’, you might write ‘this report using clear and concise language and avoiding
will show’. The second person, ‘you’, is also to be ambiguity. This is particularly important in the
avoided. Sciences, where accuracy is critical.
E. Formal Tone - Academic texts are generally written
Variation of Academic Language
in a formal tone, using a more sophisticated
• Language use can vary greatly across different vocabulary and avoiding slang or colloquial
disciplines in academic writing. Different disciplines expressions.
have their own conventions, terminology, and F. Structured Writing - Academic texts are typically
writing styles that can impact the language used in structured in a clear and logical manner, with a clear
 introduction, body, and conclusion. This structure
helps to ensure that the ideas being presented are
well-organized and easy to follow.
G. Writing Style - The writing style used in academic
texts can vary depending on the discipline and the
purpose of the text. For example, a research paper
in the Sciences may use a more formal and technical
writing style, while a philosophical essay in
Philosophy may use a more abstract and
philosophical writing style.

LESSON 3:

✷ A text structure refers to the internal organization

of a text. According to Meyer (1985), as authors write a
text a text to communicate an idea, they will use a
structure that goes along with the idea.

Common Text Structure

LESSON 4:

✷ Thesis Statement
• A thesis statement is a complete sentence that
contains one main idea. This idea controls the
content of the entire essay.
• Thesis statement is the overall idea or argument of
your work. It makes all parts of your work stick
together. A thesis statement contains sub-points
which will support or strengthen the main idea.

Features Of a Thesis Statement

1. A thesis statement states the main idea of the

essay in a complete sentence, not in a question.
That is, it is in a declarative form.
2. Thesis statement is typically the last sentence in
your introduction.
3. A good thesis statement often expresses a writer's
opinion or attitude on a particular topic. This
makes the thesis statement more specific and
 requires the writer to explain or prove his/her ✷ Summarizing
opinion in the essay. • Summarizing is the tool in writing which is used
4. A good thesis statement often lists sub-points or when you need the main idea of the text.
subtopics. • It is a condensed form of the written text in your
5. Good thesis statement does not state the obvious own words with only the highlights of the text. A
or announce directly the topic. Avoid using starters summary is much shorter than the original text.
like, "The essay will discuss..." or "I'm going to It excludes the explanation of the text. Only the
write about...". main idea or the basic information is included.
Strategies in Locating the Thesis Statement: How to Summarize?
• Read the title of the text and make inferences on a. If you are reading longer texts (e.g., a chapter or
its purpose. a journal article), skim read the information. Note
• If the text has no abstract or executive summary, subheadings, the first and last paragraphs, and
read the first few paragraphs as the thesis topic sentences.
statement is usually located there. b. Read the text carefully using a dictionary.
• •In other cases, you may also check the c. Reread a difficult text several times.
conclusion where authors sum up and review their d. Write notes in point form using key words and
main points. ideas.
e. Put your text away and write your summary from
LESSON 5: your notes.
f. Refer back to the original to make sure that your
✷ Paraphrasing
summary truly reflects the writer's ideas and
• Paraphrasing is reading over a text and interpreting strength of opinion.
it in one's own words without changing the meaning g. Do not forget to use an in-text reference at the
of the original text. start or end of your summary.
• It is like grabbing the idea about a topic from
another writer's work then transforming it into your LESSON 6:
own method of thoughts and words.
• To paraphrase is to rewrite something using ✷ Critique Papers - Critique papers contain a
different words without changing the original summary and a critical analysis of a source or concept.
meaning. This is what is usually meant by the Basically, these papers lead to a careful analysis of a
phrase 'in your own words'. The paraphrase should variety of works like:
be clearer and more easily understood than the • Research Papers - published journal articles,
original and is often about the same length. scientific reports, and general reviews
• Media - news reports and periodicals
How to Paraphrase?
• Creative Works - paintings, poems, songs, and
a. Break down the selected material into thought novels
groups, or simply, phrases or clauses that are
formed when speakers naturally pause at specific Criteria For Writing Critique Papers:
points in the sentence.
1. Audience
b. Take note of the keywords and check if they can
be expressed using a different word or phrase. C. • Students evaluate the appropriateness of an item
Make sure that you understand the content or to the audience. For instance, outstanding critique
what the material means. On a scratch paper, papers show the weaknesses and strengths of the
write some notes to show the relationship of ideas article or the object under evaluation. Besides,
among the thought groups. they contain ways to improve the source and fit
c. Once you have confirmed that your reduced the readers' needs discussed in critique essays.
version of ideas agrees with the original material, 2. Information
set aside the original passage and use only your
• Critique essays examine the usefulness of the
notes to come up with a paraphrase.
material under analysis. In particular, one
d. Check if the paraphrased version carries the same
considers if the information makes sense to the
idea as the original source. You may change words
audience or contributes to existing knowledge.
or phrases that do not capture the essence of the
This process on how to write a critique paper
keywords, or completely revise if you deem it
helps to determine if the information expresses the
necessary.
intended meaning.
3. Logic
• Learners examine if specific information makes
sense to readers. Possible factors to consider may
include conceivable jumps in logic, among other
weaknesses. As a result, this criterion determines
the overall quality of a piece of work under review.

4. Bias
• Critique essays may focus on the balance between
facts and fiction. Basically, the criterion applies
where two sides of an argument exist. In this
case, students determine the vagueness of the
information presented when organizing critique
papers.

Steps On How to Write A Critique Paper

1. Understanding the Task - Before starting the

writing process, students must understand the work
under discussion for writing critique papers. The
following steps lead to better results:
• studying the work under consideration;
• making notes on relevant sections of the critique
papers;
• appreciating the main argument and the purpose
of the object or work;
• considering how the work relates to a broader
issue or context

2. Writing an Introduction - One must write a short

introduction. In this case, the opening paragraph should
be approximately 10% of the overall word length of a
critique paper. Hence, the introductory part should:
identify the work under review, the date of formation
and author or creator;
• explain the context of the work under evaluation -
the required information may include social or
political context and place of work in an academic
tradition;
• have a thesis statement that indicates the type of
evaluation used.

3. Summary - Students must summarize the main

points objectively. In particular, the process includes
stating how authors portray original messages using
characters, ciphers, media, or styles, covering how to
write a critique paper. In practice, summaries should be
shorter than evaluation parts of critique essays.