ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC
AND PROFESSIONAL
PURPOSES
LESSON 2
READING ACADEMIC TEXTS
Learning Competency
Use knowledge of text structure to glean the information
he/she needs (CS-EN11/12A-EAPP-Ia-c-4).
ACADEMIC READING
Reading an academic text differs in many ways
from reading comics, novels and magazines.
Two important differences are:
➢what we read – content and style of academic texts.
➢how we read – what readers of academic texts are
expected to do.
ACADEMIC READING
Reading academic texts is done for different
purposes. It could to locate a main idea, scan for
information, identify gaps in existing studies, or
connect new ideas to existing ones. In addition it
also serves as reference to support a particular
writing assignment and helps in deeply
understanding an existing idea.
Doing all this isn't easy – and
becomes almost impossible if you
don’t know the meaning of the
words you read.
ACADEMIC WRITING STRUCTURE
An academic paper has three distinct
sections - the introduction, body and
conclusion.
INTRODUCTION
The first part of the text usually contains the following
information:
introduction of the topic, context of the topic, background
information, aim of the text, manner of development, thesis
statement or research question, suggestions on what the
findings are, and importance of the topic. The statements
in the introduction are developed further in the body of the
text and summed up in the conclusion. In the introduction,
you must grab the reader’s attention and identify the thesis
of the paper.
BODY
This is the main part of the work and the paragraphs must
be clearly written and be arranged in a logical order, like
chronologically or in order of importance. Each initial
sentence links the preceding paragraph and the whole
section flows smoothly.
It is the most substantial part of the text because this is
where the arguments are presented that support the thesis
statement or answer the question posted in the
introduction. In research, this is where the findings, are
presented, discussed and analyzed.
CONCLUSION
In the conclusion, you re-emphasize the thesis
and summarize all the main points. The
conclusion consists of one paragraph which
shows the final conclusion to the reader.
Academic Texts
1. Essay is generally the proforma for all analytical compositions.
However, not all essays are academic. Only those that are written for
professional audience and exhibit formal tone in subject matter,
sentence structure, and language can be considered academic.
2. Concept paper defines an idea or a concept and clarifies its
‘whatness’; thus, its most prominent structure is the use of definition.
3. Reaction paper is generally an informed and insightful perspective on
art, popular culture, and a technical topic.
4. Position paper asserts an argument.
5. Report retells data, incident, or event.
6. Research are a highly formal kind of reports.
Locating information in an Academic Text
Organizational Patterns
The transition words or the signal words that the
writer employs in the academic text can help the
reader identify what type of organizational pattern is
being utilized. This leads the reader to grasp all the
facts presented to decipher what the written text has
to say. There are five patterns commonly used in
academic texts.
Organizational Patterns
1. Definition - explains the meaning of new
words or phrases
◦ Transitional devices:
◦ is, refers to, defined as, means, consists of, involves,
is a term that, is called, is characterized by, occurs
when, are those that, entails, corresponds to, is
literally
Organizational Patterns
2. Cause and Effect- Describes how one or
more things cause or are related to one another
◦ Transitional devices:
◦ Because, for, since, stems from, one cause is, one
reason is, leads to, creates, yields, produces, due to,
breeds, for this reason, consequently, results in, one
result is, Therefore, thus, as a result, hence
Organizational Patterns
3. Comparison and Contrast - Discuss similarities
and/or differences among ideas, theories, concepts,
objects, or persons
◦ Transitional devices:
◦ Both, also, similarly, likewise, like, too, as well as, resembles,
correspondingly, in the same way, to compare, in
comparison, share, unlike, differs from, in contrast, on the
other hand, instead, despite, nevertheless, however, in spite
of, whereas, as opposed to
Organizational Patterns
4. Problem/solution- Starts with the negative
situation (a problem) and ends with a positive
situation (a solution)
◦ Transitional devices:
◦ The problem/dilemma is, if/then, so that, solves, an
answer to, and addresses the problem of
Organizational Patterns
5. Sequence - Chronological narration of a
historical period, a sequential description
of a processor a procedure
◦ Transitional devices:
◦ first, second, now, before, after, then, finally, while,
meanwhile, during, and other expressions of time
and duration
Identifying Organizational Patterns
Creating a Dinosaur Sculpture
Materials: pipe cleaners, clay, non-toxic paint
Wouldn’t you like a scary dinosaur model on your desk to protect your pencils and
textbooks? You can easily make one by following these simple directions. First,
bend your to make the frame of your dinosaur. I suggest you create a
tyrannosaurus frame by using one long pipe cleaner as his neck, spine, and tail,
and then bend another into a u-shape to make his feet. Wrap the feet around the
spine piece. Next, roll out clay to wrap around the pipe cleaners. Let the clay dry
overnight. The next day you may want to paint your dinosaur using non-toxic paint.
His eyes should be white, but feel free to color your dinosaur as you wish. Nobody
really knows how dinosaurs were colored, so don’t let anyone tell you that your
dinosaur can’t be pink. Lastly, put him on your desk and watch as he or she scares
away bullies and pencil thieves.
Identifying Organizational Patterns
Bobby Fischer
Robert James Fischer was born in Chicago but unlocked the secrets of
chess in a Brooklyn apartment right above a candy store. At the age of six
he taught himself to play by following the instruction booklet that came with
his chess board. After spending much of his childhood in chess clubs,
Fischer said that, "One day, I just got good." That may be a bit of an
understatement.
At the age of 13 he won the U.S. Junior Chess
Championship, becoming the youngest Junior Champion ever. At the age of
14 he won the U.S. Championship and became the youngest U.S. Champion
in history. Fischer would go on to become the World Champion of chess, but
he would also grow to become his own worst enemy. Instead of defending
the title, he forfeited it to the next challenger without even making a move,
and the rise of a chess superstar ended with a fizzle.
Identifying Organizational Patterns
Chemical and Physical Changes
All matter, all things can be changed in two ways: chemically and physically.
Both chemical and physical changes affect the state of matter. Physical
changes are those that do not change the make-up or identity of the matter.
For example, clay will bend or flatten if squeezed, but it will still be clay.
Changing the shape of clay is a physical change, and does not change the
matter's identity. Chemical changes turn the matter into a new kind of matter
with different properties. For example, when paper is burnt, it becomes ash
and will never be paper again. The difference between them is that physical
changes are temporary or only last for a little while, and chemical changes
are permanent, which means they last forever. Physical and chemical
changes both affect the state of matter.
Identifying Organizational Patterns
Save the Tigers
Dr. Miller doesn't want the tigers to vanish. These majestic beasts are
disappearing at an alarming rate. Dr. Miller thinks that we should write
to our congress people. If we let them know that we demand the
preservation of this species, maybe we can make a difference. Dr.
Miller also thinks that we should donate to Save the Tigers. Our
donations will help to support and empower those who are fighting the
hardest to preserve the tigers. We owe it to our grandchildren to do
something.