ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES REVIEWER

LANGUAGE

- a spoken or written communication used by humans to express themselves

- it a system of arbitrary oral and sound symbols used for human communication.

FORMAL LANGUAGE

- used for professional and academic purposes

- no collaquialism and contractions involve (no slangs and never use words like “don’t” or “gonna” these
also applies to abbreviations)

- not using personal pronouns (always uses third person point of view)

- less personal (to avoid bias)

INFORMAL LANGUAGE

- used when communicating with friends and family (practically in more laid back setting)

- more casual and spotaneous

- more personal (as it involves your feelings and emotions)

ACADEMIC LANGUAGE

- language that demands of school (academics) it includes language in used of textbooks,

classrooms, tests, and each of its discipline

LINGUISTIC REGISTER

- certain registers of language

- uses languages (or words) that are used in specific professions like medical science, business and
engineering.

MEDICAL LANGUAGE

- it is used to describe components and processes of the human bodies, medical procedures, diseases,
disorders, and pharmacology. (used by doctors, surgeon, veterinarian, scientists)
LEGAL LANGUAGE

- the language used by a person that is connected to legal professions. (used by police, lawyer, jurist)

LITERARY LANGUAGE

- language that is used in literary writing

ACADEMIC WRITING

- formal

- objective (impersonal)

- technical

1.) FORMAL

- Avoid casual or conversational such as using contractions and informal vocalbularies

2.) OBJECTIVE

- avoid personal or direct reference to people or feelings

3.) TECHNICAL

- using vocalbularies specific to the discipline

FIVE ASPECTS OF PROFESSIONAL AND ACADEMIC LANGUAGE USED IN ACADEMIC TEXTS

1.FORMALITY

- use of language appropriate in professional and academic settings.

- follows accepted rules, forms and conventions of writing in particular community or discipline (basically
it is systematic and arbitrary)

- reflects dignified stance in writing.

RULES

- uses expanded modal forms

- use expanded terms not contractions
- avoid colloquial expressions
THINGS TO AVOID TO ACHIEVE FORMALITY

- colloquial words and expressions

- use of contractions and abbreviations

- two-word verbs

- asking questions

- sub-headings, numbering, bullet-points (in essay)

2.OBJECTIVITY

- emphasis should be given on the information that you want to give and arguments you want to make

- characterized by the use of the third person perspective

Impersonality

- avoid making statements that are not supported by examples and evidence

- avoid exaggerated description

3.EXPLICITNESS

- organization of the ideas in the text

- shows relationship and connection of the ideas in the text

- indicates the source of the idea

- uses transitional devices or words to connect ideas

Transitional Devices

- transitions smoothly to one idea to another

Summary Words

- “touch all noun” connects certain ideas and sentences

4.STRUCTURE
- avoid redundancy in order to combine ideas effectively

Nominalization

- are nouns that are created from adjectives or verbs

Passivization

- the results of the actions are highlighted

5.HEDGING/CAUTION

- use of caution language

- expresses tentativeness and possibility in communication

Hedging Language

- believe - tend

- assume - appears to be

- suggest - possibly

- seem

ACADEMIC TEXT USES

- tentative statement

- full form of word

- nominalize spacing

- passive voice

- third person point of view

- no clichés, redundant word or colloquialism

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACADEMIC LANGUAGE AND SOCIAL LANGUAGE

ACADEMIC LANGUAGE
- academic language is the set of specific terminology that pertains to specific subjects people usually
learn in academic texts
- formal language
- variety of words, more sophisticated vocabulary
- sentences start with transition words, such as “however”, “moreover” and “in addition “
- no slang words

SOCIAL LANGUAGE

- social language is the set of vocabulary that allows us to communicate with others in the context of
regular daily conversation
- Informal language
- Sentences starts with “and” and “but”
- Repetition of words
- Uses slang words

PURPOSES IN READING ACADEMIC TEXT

- to locate a main idea;

- to scan for information;

- to identify gaps in existing studies;

- to connect new ideas to existing ones;

- to gain more pieces of information;

- to support a particular writing assignment; and

- to deeply understand an existing idea