Language Used in Academic Texts Flashcards

Overview of Academic Writing

  • Definition: Academic texts are critical, objective, and specialized documents written by experts or professionals in specific fields.

  • Structure: Typically consists of three parts: introduction, body, and conclusion.

  • Nature: Academic writing is thesis-driven, evidence-based, and complex, requiring higher-order thinking skills to comprehend.

Essential Characteristics of Academic Texts

  • Tone: Reflects the author's attitude toward the topic; must remain professional.

  • Language: Must be formal, avoiding colloquialisms and slang.

  • Citation: Citing sources and providing a reference list is a critical aspect.

  • Evidence-based Arguments: Positions must be based on a sound understanding of knowledge and existing academic debates.

  • Thesis-driven: Represents the specific position or idea applied to a research problem.

Key Features of Academic Texts

  • Formal: Maintains a dignified stance; avoids expressions like "kinda" or "ain't."

  • Objective: Focuses on the topic rather than the writer. (Example: Use "The researchers need to follow instructions" instead of "We need to follow instructions.")

  • Impersonal: Avoids personal pronouns like "I" or "we."

  • Precise and Accurate: Facts must be accurate, using appropriate and technical vocabulary.

  • Explicit: Uses transition words (e.g., "However," "Furthermore," "Subsequently") to show how parts of the text are related.

  • Hedging: Involves making a stand on a particular issue or topic.

  • Organized and Planned: Follows a logical flow and requires significant time to prepare.

Academic vs. Social Language

  • Academic Language: Used in textbooks, classrooms, and tests. It utilizes complete sentences and a wide variety of formal terms.

  • Social Language: Used for everyday conversation. It is informal and repetitive, often utilizing slang (e.g., "BRB", "dude", "eyy") and phrases rather than full sentences.

Purposes of Reading Academic Texts

  • To locate a main idea or scan for specific information.

  • To identify gaps in existing knowledge and connect new ideas to existing ones.

  • To support writing assignments and gain a deep understanding of concepts.

Questions & Practice Activities

  • Sample Text Analysis: A passage about "Climate change" is used to identify formal language and evidence-based features.

  • Identification Exercise: Students classify items like "EAPP Textbook" and "Reaction Paper" as academic, while "Love Letter" and "Facebook Post" are non-academic.

  • Language Quiz: Distinguishing between social terms like "Break a leg" and academic phrases like "The writer conducted."

  • Purpose Matching: Learners match goals (e.g., gathering reliable information) with descriptions (e.g., supporting research).

Contributors

  • Institution: Senior Balayan High School (2016).

  • Prepared by: Jayl Cahayon-Anchorez.