LCS1087

English for Academic Studies I

Denise Cheung
sydecheun@cpce-polyu.edu.hk
FG311, PolyU
3400 8349
Lesson 2 Rundown
19:00 - Revise key features of academic essay
21:00.- Understand the requirements of 19:00 -
19:00 – Assessment Task 1B & Task 3
19:00 - (Academic Essay)

20:00 - Understand essay titles and develop

21:00. your own titles for term paper
20:00 - Understand the main idea(s) in an 20:00 -
19:00 - academic-style text

21:30 - Write an effective thesis statement

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 Assessment Outline
Task 1 Mid-Term Test (35%) Due Date

15 July (Mon) 19:00-20:30, Lesson 8

1A: On-Campus Reading Test 19%
WK Campus
15/17 July (Mon/Wed) 23:59
1B: Academic Essay (Draft Paper) 16%
Lesson 8/9
Task 2 Oral Presentation (30%) Group
Video: 24 hrs before Lesson 11 or 12
2A: Oral Presentation + Q&A 25% Q&A: 24 July (Wed) 19:00 or 29 July (Mon) 19:00

2B: Self-reflection 5% 31 July (Wed) 23:59, Lesson 13

Task 3 Academic Essay (Final
(30%) 4 August (Sun) 23:59
Paper)
Class Participation (5%) Throughout the whole semester

To pass this subject, you are required to obtain Grade C or above on all assessments.
What is your most common
problem when writing
an academic essay
in terms of tone and style?
Key Features of
Academic Writing Style
1. More Impersonal
Avoid using personal pronouns, esp. “I”,
“you”, “we”
use passive voice
e.g. ... they know that ...
... it is widely perceived that ...
... I did the survey ...
... The survey was conducted ...
2. More Precise (accurate & specific)
Avoid using colloquial expressions (e.g.,
really, lots of, a lot of) and basic everyday
language (e.g., get, do, good, bad)
use precise and specific words,
academic vocabulary
e.g. a lot of a great deal of ...,
a considerable/ substantial/
significant number/amount of ...
get obtain
do conduct
2. More Precise (accurate & specific)

Avoid asking questions/ rhetorical questions

turn it into a statement
Avoid using contractions (e.g., don’t, we’re)
write in full form
Avoid using “run-on” expressions (e.g., etc.,
..., and so on)
use expressions like “such as”,
“including”, “for example”
3. More Formal
Avoid using informal sentence starters (e.g.,
so, and, but, because)
use more formal alternatives like “In
addition”, “Apart from ...”, “However”,
“This is because)
Avoid using informal verbs (phrasal/
prepositional verbs)
use formal verbs
e.g. talk about discuss
look at examine
4. Use of noun phrases
Turn expressions into a noun or noun phrase
e.g. In Hong Kong, everybody uses English at
university.
The language of tertiary education in Hong
Kong is English.
Which one is the core noun in the noun phrases
underlined below?
1. The language of tertiary education in Hong Kong is English. (A)
2. Previous studies have investigated the relationship between the
2. use of spoken English in a tertiary environment and the
2. development of students’ overall proficiency in the language. (A)
3. However, so far there have been no studies exploring Hong
3. Kong tertiary students’ opportunities to use spoken English
3. outside the immediate academic environment. (A)
5. More Tentative (less certain & strong)

Avoid using language which is too certain,

strong, confident, subjective and emotional
use hedging techniques
e.g. as we all know it is widely known that
it is generally
everybody thinks that
believed that
always often/ frequently
never seldom
it is obvious that ... it is apparent/
evident that ...
 clearly
undoubtedly
must
def
init
obv ely ou bt
iou th o u t a d
s ly wi t
ou bt th a
re i s n o d
th e
ay s
alw absolut
n ev e r ely
all certainl
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 Task
1) Read the following paragraph (F) in Version 1.
1) What’s problem with the underlined parts?
(F) You can also see that Πstudents never speak to their
grandparents in English. This is not surprising because,
 as we all know, Ž old people in Hong Kong can’t speak
English.  That’s because ,  the education system wasn’t
very good in the past: ‘ our grandparents only went to
Chinese-medium primary schools. Language too assertive
(too certain & strong)

2) See how they are improved in Version 2.

2) Improved Paragraph (F)
Version 1
(F) You can also see that Πstudents never speak to their grandparents in English.
This is not surprising because,  as we all know, Ž old people in Hong Kong can’t
speak English.  That’s because ,  the education system wasn’t very good in the
past: ‘ our grandparents only went to Chinese-medium primary schools.

Version 2
(F) The results indicate that Πthe situation in which tertiary students use English
least is in interactions with their grandparents. When interpreting this finding,
 it is worth noting that Ž recent surveys have revealed that English is less widely
known among Hong Kong people in their sixties and seventies than those in the 40-
60 and 20-40 age groups (Chan, 2010).  This largely stems from the fact that 
the provision of English-medium secondary education was limited in the 1940s and
1950s (Li, 2009). ‘ The majority of citizens in the 60-70 age group are likely to
have received only a Chinese-medium primary education (So, 2011).
 Hedging Techniques
1. Use hedging verbs
suggest indicate estimate imply
e.g. Other studies on mobile phone usage indicated that students
who did not use a mobile device … .
To distance the writer from the findings,
appear seem thus avoid making a strong claim and
being subject to criticism from readers.
e.g. An alternate solution would be to encourage the more
effective use of mobile devices in the classroom.

on the evidence of according to

on the basis of based on
To ‘protect’ yourself
2. Use model verbs
To appear ‘confidently
may might could uncertain’
e.g. There are numerous reasons why students might want to use
a mobile device in the classroom.

3. Use adverbs
probably possibly perhaps arguably
apparently seemingly presumably conceivably
To express caution
e.g. While this has been trialled in primary and secondary schools
in some countries, it has not been attempted in
universities, perhaps because the opposition to the proposal is
deemed to be too strong.
4. Use adjectives
probable possible arguable
unlikely likely
e.g. Another likely reason is that the freshmen are using the
device as a communication tool.

5. Use nouns
probability possibility evidence
likelihood indication
e.g. The evidence suggests that undergraduates rarely
communicate with their parents or grandparents in English.
6. Softening generalisations
(i) tend / (have/be a) tendency (to)
e.g. While this has been trialled predominantly in primary and secondary
schools in some countries, it has not been attempted in universities,
perhaps because the opposition to the proposal tends to be too strong.

(ii) generally largely primarily for the most part

predominantly mainly usually to a great extent
e.g. While this has been trialled predominantly in primary and secondary
schools in some countries …
(iii) most / the majority of
e.g. … it can be expected that most, if not all students in a class would have at
least one mobile phone.

(iv) except for / with the exception of

e.g. In the intimate family domain, young people understandably have little
need or desire to speak English, except for special circumstances such as
preparing for English language examinations.
One more key feature, ...
6. More Reliable & Objective
Avoid giving your own ideas without
supporting evidence
use academic sources to support your
own ideas
give referencing
Homework: Improved Paragraph (H)
Version 1
(H) As I’ve already said, students don’t talk to their families in English. But some
students need to chat with other relatives in English. If their relatives live an
English-speaking country, some of the kids maybe don’t know Cantonese. And the
aunties and uncles may prefer speaking in English.

Version 2
(H) As noted above, students rarely talk to their immediate family members in
English. However, one interesting finding was that some subjects sometimes need
to communicate in English with relatives who live overseas. A possible explanation
for this is that it is fairly common for Hong Kong families to have relatives who live
in an English-speaking country such as Canada and Australia. Younger relatives
(e.g., cousins) may have been raised outside Hong Kong and may have little or no
knowledge of Cantonese, while older relatives (e.g., uncles, aunts) may feel more
comfortable using their adopted language.
Unit 1.4 Understanding essay titles &
developing your own titles
Discussion
Are essay titles important?
What do you think?
• show the overall direction of your essay
• focus attention on a specific topic
• get the reader interested in your essay
• your guide to answering the question
 Task
Look at the essay titles on Week 1 Student Notes p.17
and decide exactly what the question is asking you to do:
Title What do you
need to do?
1 Why are essay titles important? EXPLAIN
2 Assess the extent to which a good title can contribute to
effective academic writing, focusing particularly on your area of ASSESS
study.
3 Outline the different types of essay title which exist. OUTLINE
4 ‘An absent or non-specific essay title is a missed opportunity’.
Discuss. DISCUSS
5 Academic essay titles: Are they really that important? DISCUSS
6 Summarise the most important features of a good essay title. SUMMARISE
7 Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of setting your own
essay title. DISCUSS
8 Justify the importance of starting with a good essay title. JUSTIFY
Analysing Essay Titles
1) What is the question about?
TOPIC
2) What specific aspect of the topic is
2). important in this case?
FOCUS
3) How should you approach the question?
INSTRUCTIONS
4) Should you narrow the scope of
4) your paper to certain areas?
LIMITATIONS
1) Try to apply this model to this title:
Many people believe that we are in a period of serious
environmental decline. However, this belief may be
exaggerated. Discuss.
TOPIC FOCUS INSTRUCTION LIMITATION
Environmental How serious Discuss The present
decline is it? (“we are in a
period …”)

2) Take a look of some more examples (no. 2, 3

& 5) based on the titles on p.17 and
complete the task on p.20
 Task (p.20)
No. TOPIC FOCUS INSTRUCTION LIMITATION
absent or missed
4 non-specific opportunities Discuss -
essay title
the most
a good essay
6 important Summarise -
title
features

7 setting your
advantages and Discuss -
own essay
disadvantages
title
Starting
8 a good essay Why they are with a
Justify
title important good title
Titles in 3 different types of essays
1) Descriptive Essays
e.g. “Summarise the most important features of
a good essay title.”
show your knowledge on the topic
instruction verbs: account for, define,
describe, explain, identify, outline,
summarise

e.g. “Why are essay titles important?”

2) Evaluative Essays
e.g. “Discuss the advantages and disadvantages
e.g. of setting you own essay title.”
consider both sides of an issue and decide
what your own opinion is
instruction verbs: compare and contrast,
discuss, examine, evaluate

e.g. “Academic essay titles: Are they really that

important?”
3) Argumentative Essays
e.g. “Justify the importance of starting with a
good essay title.”
take a position and convince your reader
that your position is right
instruction verbs: argue, assess, critically
examine, justify

e.g. “ ‘An absent or non-specific title is a

missed opportunity’. Discuss.”
explain the quotation and show whether
you agree or disagree with it
How to prepare for your Task 1B?
Step 1: Form a group of 4/5 people (optional)
(This is an individual essay. Forming group is mainly for braining ideas and sharing
academic sources. Your group is encouraged to exchange your topic and
materials with the other group and use them for your group presentation.)
Step 2: Choose ONE of the areas below and research a specific
Step 2: aspect of that area that interests you. You will discuss its
Step 2: problem (effects), give two solutions, and critically assess
Step 2: the solutions in the academic essay.

Research Areas:
• problems faced by young adults
• educational problems
• psychological health problems
• housing problems
• transportation problems
• social problems
• financial/economic problems
1. Watch the video on p.26 of this PPt.

2. Must-do: Go through Week 2 Student

Notes (p.8-9) and complete the tasks on
p.7&9. Look at p.8 again and identify the
thesis statement of the text.
3. Look at Examples 1&2 on p.12. Identify the
thesis statement in both examples.
4. Go through the “Good Sample” on BB to get a
general idea of the academic essay (Task 1B &
Task 3). Choose a topic area from the PPt
(p.32), research sources, decide a focus, and
set a title for a problem-solution essay for your
Tasks 1B&3.