GRADE LEVEL: Senior High School Grade 11 WEEK: 1

SUBJECT: English for Academic and Professional Purposes

Lesson 1: The Nature and Characteristics of an Academic Text

Objectives: At the end of this module, you are expected to:

A. Differentiate academic texts from non-academic texts;

B. Examine an academic text to establish its nature and characteristics;
C. Recognize the characteristics of language used in academic texts;
D. Analyze academic texts according to its language use; and
E. Evaluate academic texts based on its use of language.

Lesson Proper:

Nature and Characteristics of an Academic Text

An academic text is a reading material that provides information which include concepts and theories that
are related to the specific discipline. The following are considered as academic texts: Research Paper,
Conference Paper, Feasibility Study, Thesis/Dissertation, Reviews, Essay, Academic Journals, and Reports.

Characteristics Academic Text Non-academic Text

Audience Academia Mass public

Purpose Inform the readers with solid Inform, entertain or persuade the
evidence readers
Style Formal and impersonal Personal, impressionistic, emotional
or subjective
Structure Standard structure No rigid structure
Language Formal language avoids Informal and casual language, may
colloquialisms contain
Subject/Content Shared historical events or literature Personal life and everyday events
or other forms of knowledge

Academic Language
 Academic Language refers to the oral, written, auditory, and visual language proficiency required to learn
effectively in schools and academic programs. It is also the language used in classroom lessons, books, tests, and
assignments. It is the language that students are expected to learn and achieve fluency in.
Why is academic language so important?
Students who master academic language are more likely to be successful in academic and professional settings
What is difference between academic language and social language?
Social language is the simple, informal language we use when talking face to face with
family members and friends. It allows us to use contemporary or slang terms like “cool,”
“awesome,” or “dude.” We can also communicate feelings, needs, and wants using
symbolic hand gestures for drink, eat, hot, cold, hurt, or tired. Social language also includes
writing emails, friendly letters, and texts or retelling stories.
Academic language is different from everyday social language. It is the vocabulary
students or adults must learn to succeed in the classroom or in the workplace. We use
academic language to describe and comprehend complex ideas, process higher-order
thinking, and understand abstract concepts. Academic language is what students read in
textbooks and on tests and what they hear during instruction in the classroom. Students
with limited or low academic language skills are more than likely to have low academic
performance in classroom settings.

Social Language Academic Language

repetition of words variety of words, more sophisticated vocabulary
sentences start with “and” and “but” sentences start with transition words, such as
“however,” “moreover,” and “in addition”
use of slang: “guy,” “cool,” and “awesome” No slang

Characteristics Of Academic Language

It should not be conversational and casual. Avoid colloquial and idiomatic expressions,
slang, and contractions.

Formal X dig in
X cup of tea
X dude
X don’t
Do not refer to yourself as the performer of actions. Do not use personal pronouns.
Impersonal
“It is commonly said that”… instead of “Many of my friends and colleagues say that…”
“Research revealed that…” instead of “I discovered that”
The facts are presented accurately. The choice of words are appropriate. The use of technical
terms to achieve precision is applied.
Precise
For example: “85% of the population”, “The results are okay (satisfactory).”, asphyxiation
(medical term)
It is unbiased, based on facts and is not influenced by personal feelings.
Objective
For example: “The essay on… is distressing.” instead of “I do not like the essay”

GRADE LEVEL: Senior High School Grade 11 WEEK: 2

SUBJECT: English for Academic and Professional Purposes

Lesson 1: Text Structure

Objectives: At the end of this module, you are expected to:

A. Identify the main pattern of organization used in the given paragraphs;

B. Arrange information in the text with accords to its key points;
C. Appreciate the benefits of understanding concepts in text structure in developing one’s comprehension
skill.
Lesson Proper:

Text Structure - is the organizational structure used within paragraphs or longer texts, appropriate to
genre and purpose

Text structure is one specific type of prior (or

background) knowledge that skilled readers possess. Good
readers can identify important information in a text and are
aware of how other textual information relates to the important
propositions. They can do this even when, as often happens, the
text is not well organized.
These readers are applying cognitive patterns—rhetorical
structures—that they have already acquired, first via their oral
language experience and later via their reading. These patterns guide them to the recognition that (for example) a
given text compares two entities, or that it presents a problem and a solution to that problem. Readers who can
identify the structure of a text are better able to locate the information they need for successful comprehension.

What are the types of Text Structures?

1. Sequence (Process) Structure—in this pattern, steps or phases of a process or project are specified without
cause-effect relationships being implied; a recipe or procedure for a science investigating would be examples of
differing complexity.

Examples: During flooding, one thing that may probably save your life is an improvised flotation device. You can
make one using your pants. First, knot off the leg holes of your pants. Then, hold the open waist and swing the
pants around to fill the legs with air. Promptly knot the waist to trap the air and hold the pants underwater so that
the air would not escape.

2. Time order/Chronology—this pattern is found in most narrative texts, where the plot unfolds over time; more
complex texts use literary devices, such as flashback and foreshadowing to implicitly establish time order.

Example: Ondoy began to develop from an active low-pressure area to a tropical cyclone on September 24, 2009.
The following day, PAGASA raised storm signals all over the Philippine archipelago. At that point, signal no. 2
was raised in Catanduanes and other parts of Luzon. By Saturday morning, reports of flooding started to pour in.
Meanwhile, President Arroyo declared a state of calamity in Metro Manila. Immediately after
President Arroyo’s declaration, various government agencies began the rescue and relief operations. As soon as
Typhoon Ondoy exited the Philippines, more and more relief and rescue operations were conducted.

3. Events/Enumeration/Description Structure—this pattern usually covers a larger piece of writing rather than a
single paragraph. An introductory paragraph is provided which states the topic and facilitates the listing
or elaboration of important descriptions, characteristics, or attributes.

4. Definition Structure—typically this pattern includes a “definition” and examples of class membership/type,
attributes, and functions; It may also include the parts and the relationship between the parts or structure and
function; in some instances, it will include ways something is similar to or different from other things.

Example: Social engineering is defined as any method which tricks people to share personal information through
the use of technology. The “social” component in this scheme means that there is reliance on various
psychological tricks and on the gullibility of users rather than technical hacking. Social engineering also refers to
various malicious acts online, such as phishing, spamming, and pretexting.

5. Compare-Contrast Structure—this pattern shows similarities and dissimilarities between objects,

actions, ideas, or processes; headings and subheadings generally provide extra support/signals to readers about
this structure; often one paragraph is dedicated to similarities and another to differences.

Example: Are you not sure yet which phone to buy? To help you decide, this review will help you inspect the
basic similarities and differences of the flagship phones of two giant companies: Apple’s iPhone 6 and Samsung’s
Galaxy S5. Both brag to be the best smart phones in market to date. While these state-of-the art
 phones have similarities in the form of their sleek design, multi-touch screen, and multimedia features, they have
their distinctive features as well.

6. Cause-Effect (Antecedent-Consequence) Structure—unlike the sequence pattern, this pattern carries the
implication that the effect is produced by a specific cause or that the consequences follow from the specified
antecedents; this might be found in a discussion of science investigation results or historical articles linking
multiple causes and effects.

7. Problem Solution (Hypothetical) Structure—this pattern may follow a number of different forms; at one
extreme, the problem and solution are labelled as such; at the other extreme, the pattern is a series of questions
and answers that may or may not lead to a resolution of the problem or issue.

8. Proposition-Support (Persuasion)—this is similar to problem/solution, although arguments and counter

arguments are both presented in support of a thesis statement.

9. Judgmental/Critique Structure—this pattern uses a set of criteria to evaluate information or ideas that have
been presented; often discourse style (e.g., humor,satire) affects the complexity and understanding of this type of
text.

10. Inductive/Deductive Structure—there are subtle differences between these two structures, which apply elements
of enumeration and definition structures:

A deductive structure first presents a generalization/definition and then follows it with specific examples;
conversely, an inductive structure presents illustrations and examples and then moves the reader to draw
conclusion from the examples; these structures are often embedded within cause/effect,
proposition/support, and judgment/critique structures.

In an inductive text the writer starts with observations, suggestions, and unanswered questions, building
up information and ideas layer by layer.

STRUCTURE

GRADE LEVEL: Senior High School Grade 11 WEEK: 3

SUBJECT: English for Academic and Professional Purposes

Lesson 1: Techniques in Summarizing Academic Texts

Objectives: At the end of this module, you are expected to:

A. Identify the basic rules in summarizing;

B. Apply the various techniques in summarizing academic texts;
C. State the importance of summarizing academic texts; and
D. Summarize academic texts using the appropriate summarizing technique.

Lesson Proper:

Definition, Purpose, Rules and Techniques in Summarizing Academic Texts

Buckley (2004), in her popular writing text Fit to Print,

defines summarizing as reducing text to one-third or one-quarter
its original size, clearly articulating the author’s meaning, and
retaining main ideas. Diane Hacker (2008), in A Canadian
Writer’s Reference, explains that summarizing involves stating a work’s thesis and main ideas “simply, briefly,
and accurately” (p. 62).
Summarizing is also essential skill that is needed in the workplace and in the community. In some cases,
writing a summary is an excellent learning strategy that allows students to monitor their own progress in learning
course material.

in Summarizing Academic Texts

A. Erase things that don’t matter. Delete trivial material that is unnecessary to understanding.
B. Only write down important points. If it is not something that will help you understand or remember, then don’t
write it down. Think of it this way . . . If you had to pay money for every word you write down, which words
would you choose to include in your notes?
C. Erase things that repeat. Delete redundant material. In note taking, time and space are precious. If a word or
phrase says basically the same thing you have already written down, then don’t write it again!
D. Trade, general terms for specific names. Substitute superordinate terms for lists (e.g., flowers for daisies, tulips
for roses). Focus on the big picture. Long, technical lists are hard to remember. If one word will give you the
meaning, then less is more.
E. Use your own words to write the summary. Do not just copy the sentences from the original text. However, do
not inject your opinion in your summary.

in Summarizing Academic Texts

1. Outlining. An outline is a map of your essay. It shows what information each section or paragraph will
contain and in what order.
I. Main Idea
A. Supporting Details
B. Supporting Details
II. Main Idea
A. Supporting Details
B. Supporting Details
2. Somebody Wanted But So Then. Each word represents a key question related to a text’s essential
elements:

Somebody—Who is the text about?

Wanted—What did the main character want?
But—What was the problem encountered?
So—How was the problem solved?
Then—How did it end?

3. SAAC Method. This method is particularly helpful in learning the format of a summary. This includes
the title and author’s name.

State— The name of the article, book, movie

Assign—the name of the author
Action—what the author is doing (ex. Tells, explains)
Complete—complete the sentence or summary with keywords and important details

4. 5W’s, 1 H. This technique relies on six crucial questions: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How.
These questions make it easy to identify the main character, important details and main idea. Your
summary may not necessarily follow this order as long as it contains all of these information.

5. First Then Finally. This technique helps summarize events or steps in chronological order or in
sequence.
First– What happened first?
Then– What key details took place during the event/action?
Finally– What were the results of the event/action?

Changing the structure Changing the words

of a sentence It can be easy to spot when someone
has copied directly from a textbook. We
GRADE LEVEL: Senior High School Grade 11 WEEK: 4
SUBJECT: English for Academic and Professional Purposes

Lesson 1: Thesis Statement and Reading Outline

Objectives: At the end of this module, you are expected to:

A. Distinguish a strong thesis statement from weak ones;

B. Identify thesis statements from academic texts; and
C. Create an outline of the text being read.

Lesson Proper:

Thesis Statement: Definition

A thesis statement is the claim or stand that you will develop in your paper. It is the controlling idea of
your essay.

A strong thesis statement usually contains an element of

uncertainty, risk or challenge (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson
2006:34). This means that your thesis should offer a debatable
claim that you can prove or disprove in your essay. The claim
should be debatable enough to let your readers agree or
disagree with you. Also, you will have to gather evidence in
order for you to back up your thesis statement.

Guidelines on writing an effective thesis statement

Avoid making overly-opinionated stands Avoid making announcements

 The are two kinds of outlines: the reading outline and writing outline. A reading outline is used to get the
main ideas of a text that is already written. It helps you understand the text’s structure more critically because you
will have to find the text’s thesis statement and supporting details. You will better understand how a writer
connects and sequences the information in the reading text.

Steps in creating a reading outline

1. Read the entire text first. Skim the text afterward. Having an overview of the
reading’s content will
help you follow its structure better.
2. Locate the thesis statement.
3. Look for the key ideas in each paragraph of the essay.
4. Look at the topic sentence and group related ideas together.
5. Arrange the contents according to chronological order, spatial order, and
general to specific order.
6. Go back to the text and make sure you have not miss any important information.

Rules for outlining

1. Subdivide topics by a system of numbers and letters, followed by a period. In a formal outline, Roman
numerals can be used to represent paragraphs. Capital letters can be used to represent supporting details for
the paragraphs.
2. Each heading and subheading must have at least two parts.
3. Use either brief phrases or complete sentences. Do not use both in one essay.

Types of Outlines:
1. Topic outline—the headings are given in sing words or brief phrases

2. Sentence outline– all headings are expressed in complete sentences

Note: The use of roman numerals, capital letters, numbers and lower case letters will vary depending on
the length of the section or paragraph.

GRADE LEVEL: Senior High School Grade 11 WEEK: 5

SUBJECT: English for Academic and Professional Purposes

Lesson 1: Outline Reading Text in Various Disciplines

Objectives: At the end of this module, you are expected to:

A. Outline reading texts in various disciplines

Lesson Proper:

“The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Dr. Seuss

Before, you were told to make an outline prior to writing an essay or text (pre-writing). In this sense, the
outline serves as your guide or blueprint in writing to ensure organization of your ideas; it is called as writing
outline. In this lesson you will make an outline after you read a text (post-reading), it is called as reading outline.
That means the outline will reflect the summary or abstract of the text.
Therefore, you need to read and comprehend the text before you could make an outline. Now, let’s have a
detailed grasp of this lesson. An outline is a summary that gives the essential features of a text. It shows how the
parts of a text are related to one another as parts that are of equal importance, or sections that are subordinate to a
main idea (Valdriz, 2017).

Steps in creating a reading outline

1 Read the entire text first. Skim the text afterward.

2 Locate the thesis statement of the whole text.
3 Look for key phrases in each paragraph of the text.
 4 Locate the topic sentence of each paragraph.
5 Look at the topic sentences and group these with related ideas together.
6 Arrange the contents according to levels.
7 Evaluate the supporting details.
8 Go back to the text to check whether you have followed the sequence closely and you have not missed any
important information.
When preparing an outline, you can either use a decimal outline or alphanumeric outline. A decimal outline
only uses numbers as labels while an alphanumeric outline uses both letters and numbers as labels (Barrot, 2016).

Mechanics of Outlining (for Alphanumeric Outline)

1. Indicate main headings and subheadings using Roman numerals and capital letters.
To divide the subheadings further, Arabic numbers are used. Fourth degree ideas are indicated by numbers and
small letters followed by a close parenthesis.

The descending parts of an alphanumeric outline are labelled in the following order:

I. _________________________
A. ________________________
1. _______________________
a. ______________________
1) _____________________
b) _____________________

2. Place a period after each number and letter heading and subheading.
3. Do not place a period after each number or letter with close parenthesis.
4. Do not place a period after each item unless it is a complete sentence.
5. Begin each item with a capital letter.
6. Be sure that corresponding main divisions are of the same level of importance and
that corresponding sub-divisions are of the same level of importance also.
7. Use parallel grammatical structure for headings.
8. Avoid the use of the words “Introduction”, “Body”, “Conclusion” to substitute headings.

Study the sample outlines, Outline A and Outline B, below.

GRADE LEVEL: Senior High School Grade 11 WEEK: 6
SUBJECT: English for Academic and Professional Purposes

Lesson 1: Writing a Balanced Review/Reaction Paper/Critique

Objectives: At the end of this module, you are expected to:

A. Distinguish the characteristics of a good review/reaction paper/ critique;

B. Compare and contrast sample reviews;
C. Evaluate a review/reaction paper/critique; and
D. Write a balanced review/reaction paper/critique

Lesson Proper:

What is a reaction paper?

A reaction paper is a written assignment that provides a personal opinion

regarding a given piece of work. The paper should include a short summary of the
work, but the main focus is your thoughts, feelings and rationalizations about
what's discussed in the original text. This requires analysis of the given work on
your part, followed by a focused, well-thought-out reaction backed by outside
sources, where applicable.

Your reaction paper should consist of four main parts:

1. Introduction
2. Body
3. Conclusions
4. List of citations and sources

Guidelines for Writing the Reaction Paper/Review/Critique

1. Value Communicated
a. Sound critical judgment
b. A fair and balanced assessment of situations or events, people and things
2. Basic Content
 a. Ranges from an off-hand gut reaction, favorable or unfavorable, merely expressive of emotion to a
more rational impersonal critical analysis that seriously communicates some value, ethical or moral, some
hidden or forgotten truth, and some aesthetic delight
b. May take the form of a reflection, an appeal, a protest, a tribute or denunciation, a speculation
c. In general, the content would include the following topics:
2.1. For human situations:
a.) A brief description of the event
b.) People involved, their roles and contributions
c.) Other driving forces, in the open or hidden and unsuspected
d.) Implications and consequences
e.) Assessment and prognostication
f.) Some offered solutions
2.2. For cultural affairs, people, works, performances:
a.) The central purposes of the event or product
b.) The means, devices, strategies employed to achieve the purposes
c.) An evaluation of the achievement: success or failure
d.) The significance (if any) beyond mere entertainment of the event or product in ethical
and/or aesthetic terms, its timeliness and/or timelessness
3. Modes of Ordering (Any of the following):
a. From the event/performance/artifact/work presented and described/narrated in themselves to the
writer’s critical evaluation of the entire event, show or work in a sequence of its elements
b. Discussion that intersperses critical comments between mention or description of the details of the
event, show or work
c. From a cover statement giving an over-all judgment of the event, show or piece to a discussion of each
angle, aspect or element of the event, show or work illustrating or providing evidence for the evaluative
cover statement
4. Basic qualities of a Good Reaction Paper
a. Gives a fair and balance social commentary
b. Provides relevant and accurate factual information on the situation
c. Exhibits by means of thorough and in-depth analysis an appreciation of context (including time, place,
people, involvement, their motivation, and actuations)
d. Makes a clear distinction, through language, between what is actual and what is probable or possible
e. Exhibits a deep sense of humanity and an understanding of the human situation even while expressing
disapproval or disagreement most intensely.
Format of reaction paper (continued)
A reaction paper adopts different formats depending on the instructions given. A
reaction paper is divided into several parts. To organize your work, you have to
understand every part of the essay and what it entails. In a reaction paper, just like
in any other essay format, there is the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.
Besides the three main parts, a reaction paper constitutes the citation list.
THE INTRODUCTION – the introduction is the face of your paper and
therefore as a writer you have to make sure that it looks attractive and increases
the urgency of the reader to proceed to your body paragraphs. In the introduction,
you have to give a small description of the author and the main problems and ideas
on the story. It should not be too long, as it will be boring to the reader; a good introduction should have three to
four sentences. Immediately after the introduction, you should write a thesis statement which should be clear and
brief.
 THE BODY is the main section, where all the ideas for your essay are explained. In your body paragraphs, you
should start each one with a topic sentence. The topic sentence should reflect the idea to be described in the
section. You should include appropriate sources to back up your opinions. In the body, you can add theoretical
evidence to support your statement.
THE CONCLUSION – in writing your conclusion you should link your thesis statement with a summary of the
ideas in the body paragraphs. A good way of encrypting your conclusion is by touching on the major points in
summary then wrapping up everything by clarifying your opinion.
LIST OF CITATIONS – while writing a reaction paper you have to include the citation for the sources you have
used within your paper. The sources used should be credible and scholarly so that they can persuade the reader.

GRADE LEVEL: Senior High School Grade 11 WEEK: 7&8

SUBJECT: English for Academic and Professional Purposes

Lesson 1: Ways to Elucidate a Concept

Objectives: At the end of this module, you are expected to:

A. Identify the ways to elucidate a concept;

B. List down words related to the following words: concept, definition, explication, and clarification;
C. Determine the technique/s used in developing the concept of a particular essay;
D. Use any of the techniques to elucidate a concept; and
E. Write a mini-concept paper about your chosen topic.

Lesson Proper:

Ways to Elucidate a Concept

The concept paper defines an idea or a concept and explains its essence in order to clarify the
“whatness” of that idea or concept. It answers the questions: what is it and about it (Dadufalza
1996:183). A concept paper starts with a definition, either formal or informal, of the term or the
concept and proceeds with an expanded definition and an analytic description of the aspects of the
concept.
Purposes:
1. To clarify meaning of words, or to correct misinterpretations, or misuse of a term.
2. To stipulate the meaning of a term by limiting, extending, or redirecting the sense in which a term is usually
understood; to use a term, borrowed from another field of knowledge, in a special way.

Three ways of elucidating a concept:

1. Definition - is a logical technique by which the meaning of a term is revealed. Definition is important because it
clarifies the meaning of a word or a concept and it also limit the scope of that particular word or concept. Limiting the
scope controls and avoids misinterpretations, ague notions, and/or broad ideas.

Techniques
1. Formal – follows a pattern or equation: term + genus + differentia (differentiating characteristics)
Ex. A robot is a machine that looks like a human being and performs complex acts of a human being (Webster)
2. By synonym- using a word or phrase that shares a meaning with the term being defined.
Ex: Hashish – marijuana.
3. By origin or semantic history – Ex. Yoga comes from the Sanskrit “to join”
4. By Illustration – Ex: Known for their shedding their leaves in the fall, deciduous trees include oaks, maples,
and beeches.
5. By function – Ex: A thermometer measures temperature change.
6. By analysis (Breaking down wholes into parts, aspects into levels, and a process into steps) Ex: The republican
form of government has three branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary.
7. By contrast- use of opposites Ex: Unlike those of gas, the particles of plasma are electrically charged.
 8. By negation – stating what a term is not. Ex: Wild rice, an American delicacy, is not rice at all but the seed of a
tall aquatic grass.

2. Explication– is an attempt to reveal the meaning by calling attention to implications, such as the connotations of words
and the tone conveyed by the brevity or length of a sentence. An explication is a commentary that makes explicit what
implicit.

Explication is a method of explanation in which sentences, verses, quotes, or phrases are taken from a literary or
academic work then interpreted and explained in a detailed way. You may begin by analyzing how the text was
constructed and end with a concise conclusion by restating your major arguments. Explication not only illuminates a piece
of literature, but also serves to remind the readers about its historical setting and formal properties of style and language.

3. Clarification- it is a method of explanation in which the points are organized from a general abstract idea to specific
and concrete examples. The analysis of the concept is done by looking at the examples and specifying its characteristics.

In elucidating a concept you can also use conjunctions to make your statement strong and sound.