Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Regional Office No. VIII
Division of Northern Samar
LORENZO S. MENZON AGRO-INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL
Lapinig, Northern Samar

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET WEEK 1

Subject: English for Academic and Professional Purposes (Grade 12)

Name:_____________________________ Date__________
Section:___________________________ Score_________

Learning Content : Reading Academic Texts

Learning Outcomes: 1. Defines Academic writing

2. Identifies features of academic language

References : https://lnu.se/en/library/Writing-and-referencing/academic-writing/

Illustration :
 Academic writing
Academic writing is an essential part of university studies and is an important part of the learning
process. Through writing you process what you have heard and read and it gives you the
possibility to develop your academic skills such as critical thinking and the ability to analyze.
Writing is also used as a tool to demonstrate knowledge and skills and is used as part of the
assessment process at university. Moreover, writing academic texts allows you to contribute to
the academic community.

Academic writing has its own set of guidelines characterized by objectivity, explicitness and
formality. This means that an academic text should be based on facts and research and not the
writer’s own opinions. When writing academically you are expected to critically analyze the
subject matter while taking previous research into account. All of this is reflected in the
language. Academic writing also comes with requirements concerning structure, references and
citation.

Features of Academic Language

Academic language has a unique set of rules: it should be explicit, formal and factual as well as
objective and analytical in nature. Students often think that academic language should sound
complex and be difficult to write and understand but that is not necessarily the case. Instead,
academic writing should be clear and concise in order to communicate its contents in the best
way.

I. Formal
Formal writing requires considerable effort to construct meaningful sentences, paragraphs, and
arguments that make the text easy to comprehend. In general this means that conversational
English should be avoided and facts and figures should be presented in a clear manner.
Academic texts should be factual, concise and accurate. Choose words precisely and carefully so
that the reader can accurately understand the concepts within the text.

It is important to remember that academic texts are written with an academic audience in mind
and your writing style needs to conform to the conventions of the field you are studying.

In order to achieve the appropriate level of formality, you should read literature within your
field. This will also help you learn and use subject-specific terms. Correct use of terminology
and language facilitates your communication and heightens the credibility of your work.
 1. Contractions:

In English, contractions are used in informal settings and are therefore not appropriate for
academic texts. Instead of using a contraction you should write out the words in their en -
tirety. Here are a few examples:

Don’t – do not
Wasn’t – was not
Can’t – cannot (Observe that it is written in one word)
It’s – it is (Observe the difference between “it’s” (contraction of “it is”) and the possessive
“its” (as in “The dog wagged its tail”)

2. Acronyms and Abbreviations:

In general, abbreviations should be spelled out. That is, write “that is” instead of “i.e.” and
“for example” instead of “e.g.” Note however that abbreviations are used in citations and ref -
erence lists.

An acronym is a type of abbreviation that may sometimes be used in academic writing. It is

formed by the initial letters of a phrase or the name of an organization. UN and WHO are
well-known acronyms. Always write out the whole name or phrase followed by the acronym
in parenthesis when you introduce it. After this you may use the acronym in the rest of your
text.

For example:

The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed concern over the spread of the virus.
The WHO has therefore….

II. Analytical
In academic writing, the complexity of the subject matter is acknowledged through critical
analysis. This can be done through asking questions and examining and evaluating evidence.
Through critical analysis we are able to add a new perspective to a subject instead of just
rewriting what has already been written.

Treating your topic and your material in an analytical manner should seep through in your
language. Part of being analytical in your writing is to compare and contrast, evaluate and
consider both sides of an issue. It also means that you explain, give reasons, draw conclu -
sions, make suggestions and recommendations and support this with evidence.
 III. Objective
Academic writing is based on research and not on the writer’s own opinion about a given
topic. When you write objectively you are concerned about facts and not influenced by per -
sonal feelings or biases. When presenting an argument to the reader, try to show both sides if
you can and avoid making value judgments.

At the same time you will probably have to do an analysis or a discussion and in that manner
express an attitude. In order to convey attitude without using for example “I think”, you may
use words such as apparently, arguably, ideally, strangely and unexpectedly. Note that the at -
titude you are expressing should not be based on personal preferences but rather on the evi -
dence that you are presenting.

1. Personal pronouns

In general, academic texts are impersonal in nature. This means that the main emphasis
should be on evidence and arguments and not based on personal opinion and feelings. The
use of personal pronouns such as “I”, “we” and “you” should be avoided as much as possible.

Some types of academic writing encourage the use of personal pronouns. For example, in re -
flective writing the use of the personal pronoun is accepted.

You should be aware that the use of personal pronouns may be different between academic
fields and that some disciplines do not accept it at all. Make sure to check what is recom -
mended, either by asking your instructor or by reading other academic texts within your sub-
ject.

2. Active and passive voice

One way of avoiding the use of personal pronouns is to use the passive voice.

Example:

I used a variety of techniques to analyze my material. (Here the “I” is the subject performing
the action).

A variety of techniques were used to analyze the material. (This sentence is impersonal and
the action is performed upon the subject, “A variety of techniques”, by an unnamed agent.
The choice of “the” instead of “my” also serves to make the sentence more objective).

Use of the passive voice can be somewhat heavy and sometimes imprecise. Nowadays, many
writers avoid an excessive use of the passive voice. A way of writing objectively and still use
the active voice is to use your material, your text or your research as the active agent.
Examples:

As this this thesis will show….

The research reveals that….

IV. Explicit
Academic writing is explicit in several ways. First and foremost, it means that there is a clear
presentation of ideas in the paper. The text should have a well-organized structure and be
easy for the reader to follow. One way to accomplish clarity and structure in your text is
through the use of signposts. Signposts are words and phrases that you can use in your text in
order to guide the reader along. Signposting can be divided into two different categories: ma -
jor signposting and linking words and phrases.

Major sign posting is used to signal key aspects of the work, such as the purpose of an aca-
demic paper and its structure. Some examples of major signposting:

The aim of this study is to …

This chapter reviews/deals with …
In conclusion …

Linking words and phrases create coherence and give the reader directions by marking transi-
tions between sentences and paragraphs. Some examples of linking words and phrases:

However, …
Firstly, ... . Secondly, ...
For example …
… because …

Exercises: (Put your answer at the back)

1. What is academic writing?

2. What are the features of academic language?
3. What are the differences between “formal” and “objective” academic language fea-
tures?

Prepared by:
JACKIE LOU P. ALCANTARA
Teacher