English for Academic and Professional Purposes – TRACE ID.E. Learning Packet: Unit I Notes

UNIT I: ACADEMIC WRITING

  • Lesson 1: ACADEMIC WRITING

    • Introduction

    • Quoted by Ballenger in Langan, et. al., 2005: "Student’s believed essays were creative writing and research paper is a whole new different beast altogether." This chapter introduces academic writing, its importance, and its features. It addresses common student fears that academic writing is tedious or only for the talented.

    • Learning Competencies

    • Define academic writing and distinguish it from other kinds of writing

    • Identify its special features and its importance

    • Use academic writing as part of day-to-day life

    • Lesson Summary (ACADEMIC WRITING)

    • Academic writing is neither writing to express emotions nor to impress readers.

    • It is a process that starts with posing a question, problematizing a concept, evaluating an opinion, and ends in answering the question(s), clarifying the problem, and/or arguing for a stance.

    • PURPOSE OF ACADEMIC WRITING

    • INFORM: you are writing academically to inform; no need for flowery language, but use direct statements supported by facts.

    • ARGUE A SPECIFIC POINT: like informing, but with support for a particular claim.

    • PERSUADE: essential in most academic writing; even reports of experiments aim to persuade readers to accept new knowledge claims.

    • ADDRESSES SPECIFIC AUDIENCE: always consider who you are writing for; audience awareness guides material, organization, and support for arguments.

    • FEATURES OF ACADEMIC WRITING

    • Planned and focused: answers the question and demonstrates understanding of the subject.

    • Structured: coherent, logically ordered, ties related points and material together.

    • Evidenced: shows knowledge of the subject area, supports opinions and arguments with evidence, references accurately.

    • Formal in tone and style: uses appropriate language and tenses; clear, concise, and balanced.

    • IMPORTANCE OF ACADEMIC WRITING

    • Central role in the academic arena globally; trains students to write academically for future benefit.

    • Serves as a tool of communication conveying knowledge in a specific field; helps analyze, convey understanding, think critically, and focus on technique and style.

    • Engages with previous writers’ ideas, but requires one to analyze why it was done and how it can be used in the future.

    • In higher education, strong academic writing helps explain complex subjects and demonstrate understanding effectively.

    • LIST OF DOCUMENTS WHERE ACADEMIC WRITING IS USED

    • Book reviews

    • Essays

    • Research report

    • Research proposal

    • Scientific paper

    • Academic journal

    • Dissertation and Thesis

    • Abstract (short summary of a long document)

    • TYPES OF ACADEMIC WRITING

    • Descriptive: tells how something looks, feels, smells, tastes, or sounds; a good description creates a reader’s mental image.

    • Narration: gives an account or tells the story of something, someone, or an event; organized by time.

    • Argumentative or Persuasive: aims to persuade readers to adopt the writer’s opinions through reasons.

    • CHARACTERISTICS OF ACADEMIC WRITING

    • Language: clear, precise word choice; a thesaurus can help with precision.

    • Point-of-view: typically third-person; facts and education on the topic, not personal opinion.

    • Approach: deductive reasoning is common; readers follow the logical path to the conclusion.

    • Deductive reasoning and analytical approach are central; substantial planning and forethought lead to a well-organized paper.

    • LIST OF REFERENCES (examples in the packet)

    • Uychoco, M., and Saqueton, G. (2019). English for Academic and Professional Purposes, Second Edition, Rex Bookstore, Inc.

    • Additional online resources listed in the packet (library and writing centers).

    • TEXT-BASED ASSESSMENTS & ACTIVITIES

    • Assessment I: Comprehensive questions
      1) What is the easiest writing assignment you have done so far? Why?
      2) What is the most difficult writing assignment you have done? Why?
      3) What made the writing assignment difficult and easy? List reasons.

    • Assessment II: Completion of statements about academic writing (definition, requirements, distinctions from other forms of writing)

    • Self-Assessment Question: What does it mean to use language that is appropriate but not pretentious?

    • SUPPLEMENTARY RESOURCES

    • Video clips:

      • Introduction to Academic Writing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyTLosz6aHA

      • Key features of Academic Writing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7Qvm72Q0-0

    • TEXT-BASED PRACTICE REFERENCES

    • Text A-D analysis activity (pages 6-11 of the book) with guiding questions: subject, audience, purpose, point of view, writer’s knowledge, organization, formal vs informal tone.

    • ASSESSMENT, PARTS, AND SELF-ASSESSMENT (Additional Notes)

    • Part I: Identify which of the given texts is academic and justify why.

    • Part II: Evaluate four texts for language: academic vs. technical writing indicators (vocabulary, sentence structure, formality, audience).

    • Self-Assessment: Differences between first-person vs. third-person and the impact on credibility.

  • Lesson 2: DIFFERENT WRITINGS VS. ACADEMIC WRITING

    • Introduction

    • Important to compare other writing types with academic writing to understand differences in style.

    • There are more types of academic writing beyond business, technical, and creative writing; aim is to understand how their writing methods differ.

    • Learning Competencies

    • Differentiate different writings from academic writing.

    • Analyze sample texts using academic writing standards.

    • Lesson Summary

    • CREATIVE WRITING VS. ACADEMIC WRITING: Creative writing is inspired, artistic, entertaining with word pictures and deeper meaning; enjoyable to read; touches readers while teaching; an art form; not necessary to learn but enjoyed by some.

      • Creative Writing: Fictional, Imaginative; Narrative, subjective; Symbolic; Artistic style; Broad/general vocabulary; Flowing and spontaneous organization; Purpose to entertain, unfold events.

      • Academic Writing: Factual, Informative/Instructional/Persuasive; Clear, precise, and straightforward; Objective; Analytical organization; Uses specialized vocabulary; Formal tone; Structured and evidence-based.

    • TECHNICAL WRITING VS. ACADEMIC WRITING: Similarities/differences focused on accessibility and audience.

      • Technical Writing: Conveys information with ease of access, uses headings and markers, relies on straightforward, uncomplicated sentence structures, uses language specific to a profession when the audience is within that group, typically has a specific receiver (the reader who ordered the report) and may target an outside audience using plain language; predominantly for specific professional users.

      • Academic Writing: Persuade and inform; has a primary reader (often the instructor or academic audience); uses structured paragraphs, topic sentences, major headings, sub-headers, markers, bullets; aims at an audience within academia; uses discipline-specific language where appropriate.

    • FORMAT DIFFERENCES

      • Academic Writing: Paragraphs, topic sentences, major headings, sub-headers, markers, bullets, underlines, bold type, wide spacing; aims to inform, explain, or argue; intended for an academic audience.

      • Technical Writing: Clear headings, submarkers, bullets; straightforward language; aimed at professionals seeking practical information.

    • References & Assessment

    • References provided (e.g., sources on academic vs. technical writing and audience awareness).

    • Assessment tasks include text evaluation, distinguishing features of different writing forms, and self-assessment prompts on language usage and audience awareness.

    • SELF-ASSESSMENT & PRACTICAL TASKS

    • Examples comparing language features: elaborate vs plain, complex vs uncomplicated sentence structures, subjective vs objective language, urban vs formal tone.

    • UNIT II: THESIS STATEMENT, OUTLINING, AND CRITIQUE (Outline only in transcript)

    • Lesson 1: THESIS STATEMENT

    • Lesson 2: OUTLINING IN VARIOUS DISCIPLINE

    • Lesson 3: WRITING A CRITIQUE

    • Note: The provided transcript segment lists these Unit II lessons but does not include the detailed content for them.

  • Lesson 3: DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW USED IN ACADEMIC WRITING

    • Introduction

    • Early writing often uses first-person narrative; shifting to more formal writing requires consistent point of view.

    • You will learn about the different points of view and how to maintain consistency throughout academic writing.

    • Learning Competencies

    • Identify the importance of using different points of view in academic writing

    • Clarify problems encountered when writing academically

    • Consider using different points of view in writing academically

    • Lesson Summary

    • Three main points of view used in writing:

      • First person: uses the pronoun "I"; used when writing about oneself; personal examples may be used but should be limited to avoid weak credibility.

      • Second person: uses "you" to refer to the reader; generally limited in academic writing as it can alienate readers; example shows how shifting from second to third person improves readability.

      • Third person: avoids I, me, we, us, or you; commonly clearer and more credible in academic writing; used for general statements about a group (e.g., College students should learn how to write well).

    • Rationale: In most academic essays, third person is preferred for credibility and objectivity; frequent shifts between viewpoints can confuse readers.

    • Examples of Point of View in Sentences (illustrative)

    • First person: "I should learn how to write well."

    • Second person: "You should learn how to write well."

    • Third person: "College students should learn how to write well."

    • The provided examples illustrate how maintaining third-person improves clarity and formality.

    • Assessment and Self-Assessment

    • Assessment includes questions about whether first-person usage remains academic and how to maintain credibility.

    • Self-Assessment includes evaluating the impact of viewpoint choices on readability and credibility.

    • Additional Notes on POV

    • Most academic writing should be in the third person; the first-person is acceptable only for personal examples that support claims.

    • The packet provides concrete sentences to illustrate the three viewpoints and demonstrates how to maintain consistency throughout an essay.

  • Text A-D Analysis Framework (from pages 12-13)

    • Students are asked to read Texts A-D (pp. 6-11 of the referenced book) and answer questions:

    • What is the text about? (subject/focus)

    • Who is the target reader of the text? (audience)

    • What is the writer’s goal in writing the text? (purpose)

    • What is the point of view used in the text? (first/second/third)

    • How much does the writer know of the subject? (writer’s knowledge)

    • How did the writer organize the text? (style)

    • Did the writer write in a formal or informal manner? (tone)

    • Purpose: Practice distinguishing academic from other forms of writing and analyzing how these features manifest in different texts.

  • References (Unit I)

    • Uychoco, M., and Saqueton, G. (2019). English for Academic and Professional Purposes, Second Edition, Rex Bookstore, Inc.

    • Additional online resources on academic writing, audience, and persuasive writing.

  • Assessment Across Lessons (Key Takeaways)

    • Understand how to distinguish academic writing from descriptive, narrative, or persuasive styles.

    • Recognize the importance of audience, tone, structure, and evidence in academic writing.

    • Practice analyzing texts for subject, audience, purpose, point of view, and rhetoric.

  • Summary of Practical Tools and Concepts (LaTeX-friendly references)

    • Types of Academic Writing:

    • Descriptive: describes appearance and sensory details;

    • Narration: chronological storytelling;

    • Argumentative/Persuasive: defends a claim with evidence.

    • Points of View:

    • First person: uses the pronoun $I$;

    • Second person: uses the pronoun $you$;

    • Third person: avoids $I$ and $you$; uses nouns like "students" or "the researcher";

    • Technical vs Academic Writing: techniques for audience, format, and language vary; both emphasize clarity but serve different purposes and readers.

  • Note on content not covered in the provided pages

    • UNIT II materials (THESIS STATEMENT, OUTLINING, AND CRITIQUE) are listed as Lesson 1–3 but detailed content is not included in the transcript you provided. You may need to refer to the actual course packet for those sections.

  • Quick-reference checklist (from the packet)

    • For any given text, ask: What is the text about? Who is the audience? What is the writer’s goal? What point of view is used? How knowledgeable is the writer? How is the text organized? Is the tone formal or informal?

    • When comparing writing types, note: descriptive, narrative, and argumentative/persuasive writing vs. academic writing; note the emphasis on evidence, objectivity, and audience in academic work.

  • Connections to prior principles and real-world relevance

    • Academic writing mirrors professional writing in requiring audience awareness, evidence-based argumentation, and clear, structured presentation.

    • Developing the ability to switch POVs and to distinguish between descriptive, narrative, and argumentative aims helps in both schoolwork and real-world reports, proposals, and critiques.

  • Ethical/philosophical/practical implications

    • Emphasizing third-person writing promotes objectivity and reduces personal bias in scholarly work.

    • Clear attribution and evidence-based reasoning are essential for credibility and ethical scholarship.

  • Notable examples and scenarios mentioned in the packet

    • The shift from personal storytelling to formal academic argumentation reflects the transition students typically face in higher education.

    • The comparative table of Creative Writing vs Academic Writing highlights how different goals (entertainment vs. informing/instructing) shape language, tone, and structure.