ACADEMIC LITERACY
What is ‘Academic Literacy’?
Academic literacy is the ability to read and write for a variety of academic purposes.
It is a skill which can be developed using a process approach. Part of the process
requires learners to identify, understand and participate in a variety of discourses.
What is ‘discourse’?
Discourse is the recognized way that members of each community communicate
with each other. It requires:
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Specialised language (jargon)
Particular ways of developing an argument
Shared assumptions
When you enter into your studies at MIT, you are entering an academic
community. This community may be new to you, which means that the language,
ways of developing an argument and discussion may be new to you also. In this
community there are also assumptions that are shared and understood by the
people of the community.
To enter this community successfully, you must learn to communicate like you
belong.
For example:
When you are in a nursing class, you are expected to think, talk, write like a nurse –
using their specialised language, their ways of discussion and sharing in their
assumptions.
When you are in an economics class, you will need to adopt another way to think,
talk and write.
Writing Essays
Writing an essay is a major part of the academic literacy process.
This resource will help you with the essay writing process and with structuring your
essay.
MODEL ESSAY STRUCTURE
Introduction
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Set the scene for your essay by explaining in general the areas it will cover.
Include any useful background material.
Ideas Paragraph
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Be more specific and reveal the key ideas which your essay will develop.
Save the best until last. That way you have a brilliant ‘lead in’ to your first
major paragraph which will develop the idea.
Body
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Develop your first major idea. Use your first sentence to introduce it, then
develop it further. This might be done by providing evidence of your argument
or giving a more detailed explanation of the idea. In the final sentence you
need to lead your reader forward to your next idea.
Develop your second idea as you did with the first one. Revisit your essay
plan to check what the third idea is, remembering to link this paragraph with it.
Develop your third idea. Expand or support this idea as you did above. This
idea should provide the final part of your argument. The final sentence of this
paragraph needs to link with your conclusion.
Conclusion
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Conclude your essay by summarising the most important aspects of your
argument. Aim to leave your reader totally convinced that you have answered
the question. No new material please!
Think of your essay as a hamburger – the Introduction and the
conclusion are the two pieces of bun and the rest is the fillings.
ESSAY WRITING CUES
..... that lead the reader forward
To show addition:
Again
Moreover
To show time:
At length
Later
Besides
Equally important
Further
Furthermore
Next
First, second ...
Lastly
What’s more
Soon
After a few hours
Afterwards
Finally
Previously
Formerly
First, second ...
Then
..... that make the reader stop and compare
But
Yet
However
Still
Nevertheless
On the other hand
After all
For all that
In contrast
At the same time
Although
Although this is true
While this is true
Meanwhile
In the meantime
..... that develop and summarise
To give examples:
For instance
For example
To demonstrate
To illustrate
As an illustration
To emphasise:
Obviously
In fact
Clearly
In any case
That is
To introduce conclusions:
Therefore
Accordingly
Consequently
Thus
As a result
To repeat:
In brief
In short
As I have said
As I have noted
In other words
To summarise:
In brief
On the whole
Summing up
To conclude
In conclusion
WRITING PROCESS
Before You Write
 Set time frames for the completion of specific tasks
 Carefully read through the essay question
 Underline key words in the essay question and make sure that you understand what each one
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means
Read the essay question again for a final check. Have you missed anything?
Access a wide variety of information from a range of media. Use secondary sources, (print,
electronic, video) and primary sources where required (focus groups, interviews or surveys).
Record the publication details of all material you have used, so that you can include them in
your reference list
Mindmap your information, organising it into key ideas
Add extra information to your mindmap to support these ideas
When You Are Writing
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Set time frames for completion of specific tasks
Read the essay question again to focus your writing. Have you missed anything?
Refer to the model essay structure sheet to guide your writing
Use ‘mindmap outline’ and expand each idea into a paragraph
Write each paragraph onscreen and print out after each paragraph is completed or when you
have a full page to print. If you are handwriting your essay, write each paragraph on a
separate piece of paper
 Cut and paste the paragraphs to put them into the most logical order onscreen or print and
move them around until they are in the most effective order
 Rewriting is a normal part of the process
 Perfect your introductory and concluding paragraphs last
Editing the Final Copy
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Set time frames for completion of specific tasks
Read the essay question again to focus your editing
Check that you have answered all parts of the question
Check the structure: is there a clear introduction, body and conclusion?
Check that each paragraph ends with a linking sentence, to move your reader along to the next
idea
Check that the conclusion rounds off your essay and fulfils the promise you made in the
introduction
Check grammar, particularly verb tenses and agreement between subject and verb
Check spelling
Write your reference list in the required APA (current edition) format
Check that you have formatted your essay to meet your course’s requirements