ACADEMIC LANGUAGE

USED FROM VARIOUS

DISCIPLINE
NATURE AND CHARACTERISTIC
OF AN ACADEMIC TEXT
An academic text is a written language
that provides information, which contain
ideas and concepts that are related to the
particular discipline. Essay, Research
Paper,
Report, Project, Article, Thesis, and
Dissertation are considered as academic
texts.
 STRUCTURE
The basic structure that is used by
an academic text is consist of three
(3) parts
introduction, body, and conclusion
which is formal and logical. This kind
of structure
enables the reader to follow the
argument and navigate the text. In
academic writing a
clear structure and a logical flow are
 TONE
This refers to the attitude conveyed
in a piece of writing. The arguments
of others are
fairly presented and with an
appropriate narrative tone. When
presenting a position or
argument that disagrees with one’s
perspectives, describe the argument
accurately
 LANGUAGE
It is important to use unambiguous
language. Clear topic sentences
enable a reader to
follow your line of thinking without
difficulty. Formal language and the
third person point?
of-view should be used. Technical
language appropriate to area of
study may also be used,
 CITATION
Citing sources in the body of the
paper and providing a list of
references as either
footnotes or endnotes is a very
important aspect of an academic
text. It is essential to
always acknowledge the source of
any ideas, research findings, data, or
quoted text that
 COMPLEXITY
An academic text addresses complex
issues that require higher-order
thinking skills to
comprehend.
 EVIDENCE BASED
ARGUMENTS
What is valued in an academic text is
that opinions are based on a sound
understanding
of the pertinent body of knowledge
and academic debates that exist
within, and often
external to a specific discipline.
 THESIS DRIVEN
The starting point of an academic
text is a particular perspective, idea
or position
applied to the chosen research
problem, such as establishing,
proving, or disproving
solutions to the questions posed for
the topic.
 FEATURES OF ACADEMIC
TEXTS
COMPLE
X
- Written language has no longer words, it is
lexically more varied vocabulary.
- Written texts are shorter and the language
has more grammatical complexity, including
more subordinate clauses and more passives.
 FEATURES OF ACADEMIC
TEXTS
FORMAL
- Should avoid colloquial words and
expressions.
 FEATURES OF ACADEMIC
TEXTS
PRECISE
- Facts are given accurately and precisely.
 FEATURES OF ACADEMIC
TEXTS
OBJECTIV
E- has fewer words that emphasize on the
information you want to give and the
arguments you want to make
- mostly use nouns (adjectives), rather
than verbs (adverbs)
 FEATURES OF ACADEMIC
TEXTS
EXPLICIT
- It is the responsibility of the writer in
English to make it clear to the reader
how
the various parts of the text are related
 FEATURES OF ACADEMIC
TEXTS
ACCURAT
E- Uses vocabulary accurately
- Most subjects have words with narrow
specific meanings.
 FEATURES OF ACADEMIC
TEXTS
HEDGING
- It is necessary to make decisions
about your stance on a particular
subject, or
the strength of the claims you are
making.
 FEATURES OF ACADEMIC
TEXTS
RESPONSIB
LE
- You must be responsible for and
must be able to provide evidence and
justification for any claims you make.
 FEATURES OF ACADEMIC
TEXTS
ORGANIZE
- Well-organized.
- It flows easily from one section to
the next in a logical fashion
 FEATURES OF ACADEMIC
TEXTS
PLAN
- Well-planned.
- It usually takes place after research
and evaluation, according to specific
purpose and plan.
PURPOSE OF READING AN
ACADEMIC TEXT
1. To locate a main idea;
2. To scan for information;
3. To identify gaps in existing studies;
4. To connect new ideas to existing ones;
5. To gain more pieces of information;
6. To support a particular writing assignment;
and,
7. To deeply understand an existing idea.
 FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN
WRITING ACADEMIC TEXT
1.State critical questions and issues;
2. Provide facts and evidence from
credible sources;
3. Use precise and accurate words while
avoiding jargon;
4. Take an objective point of view;
5. List references; and,
6. Use cautious language.
 ACADEMIC LANGUAGE
is the language needed by students to do the
work in schools.
It includes, for example, discipline-specific
vocabulary, grammar and punctuation, and
applications of rhetorical conventions and
devices that are typical for a content area
(e.g., essays, lab reports, discussions of a
controversial issue.) Students who master
academic language are more likely to be
 SOCIAL LANGUAGE
is the set of vocabulary that allows
us to communicate with others in the
context of regular daily
conversations.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF
ACADEMIC LANGUAGE
FORMAL
- It should not sound conversational
or casual. Colloquial, idiomatic,
slang or journalistic
expressions should particularly be
avoided.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF
ACADEMIC LANGUAGE
OBJECTIVE
- This means it is unbiased. It
should be based on facts and
evidence and are not
influenced by personal feelings.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF
ACADEMIC LANGUAGE
IMPERSON
AL- This involves avoiding the
personal pronouns ‘I’ and ‘we’. For
example, instead of
writing ‘I will show’, you might
write ‘this report will show’. The
THANK
YOU