Overview
This lecture introduces English for Academic and Professional Purposes, focusing on distinguishing academic and non-academic texts, their types, and key factors shaping academic writing.
Academic Texts
- Academic texts are written by experts and use formal language specific to a field.
- They are well-edited, take a long time to publish, and contain field-specific jargon.
- Academic texts always cite sources and references to validate information.
- Their main goal is to advance understanding in a particular discipline.
- They are informative, argumentative, and objective, avoiding bias.
- Examples include textbooks, journal articles, research papers, broadsheet newspaper articles, theses, and dissertations.
Types of Academic Texts
- Descriptive: Provides facts and information, uses keywords like identify, report, summarize, and define.
- Analytical: Organizes facts into categories or themes, uses keywords like analyze, compare, contrast, relate, and examine.
- Persuasive: Presents arguments and recommendations, includes the writer’s evidence-based viewpoint, uses keywords like argue and evaluate.
- Critical: Considers at least two points of view, usually argumentative, uses keywords like critique, debate, and disagree.
Non-Academic Texts
- Non-academic texts are written for the general public and can be produced quickly.
- Anyone can write them, often without research or cited references.
- They use informal, conversational language and may include slang.
- Authors may be unknown, and texts are usually personal, emotional, and subjective, often presenting bias.
- Examples include blog posts, fiction books, personal letters, journals, and diaries.
Factors Shaping Academic Writing
- Audience: Know for whom the text is written; adjusts detail and explanation accordingly.
- Purpose: Identify the objective of writing (inform, clarify, differentiate, etc.).
- Organization: Arrange ideas logically, guided by purpose and end goal.
- Style: Choose appropriate techniques and level of formality based on audience.
- Flow: Ensure smooth transitions and logical progression of ideas.
- Presentation: Revise drafts multiple times before finalizing for publication.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Academic Text — Formal, field-specific writing by professionals, validated by sources.
- Jargon — Specialized terms used in a particular field.
- Non-Academic Text — Informal writing for the general public, often subjective and without references.
- Slang — Informal, conversational language commonly used among the public.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review notes on the differences between academic and non-academic texts.
- Identify examples of each type from your own reading.
- Prepare to analyze text structure, purpose, and tone in future assignments.