Reading and writing are two of the most important macro skills in the English language.

Reading is a
receptive skill. This means that we receive and grasp information by using this skill. On the other hand,
writing is a productive skill. We produce language and information through writing. Therefore, reading
serves as an input and writing as an output. Imagining it as a process, people should read first so that they
will know what and how to write.

In this module, the fundamental and contextualized ideas of reading and writing will be discussed. With
regards to the very nature of English for Academic and Professional Purposes, you should be able to
comprehend and apply the principles of the two skills in both academic and professional contexts.

This module will be providing you the language features, structure, and content of an academic text. You
must apply your knowledge of the academic reading and writing techniques to glean the information you
need to produce an academic text, specifically a Data Commentary. This module contains three lessons:
Academic and Professional Contexts, Writing Skills, and Forms and Formats of In-Text Citations.

In language learning, it is important to realize the value of context. As you progress in this subject, you
should be able to understand these two crucial contexts.

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES 2ND SEMESTER, S.Y. 2023-2024
Academic texts exhibit all the properties of a well-written text i.e organization, unity, coherence and
cohesion as well strict adherence to rules of language use and mechanics.

Organization
• Scenes and/or ideas must be well ordered. Presents ideas in a way that is not only logical but
also interesting to keep the reader’s attention. The choice that a writer makes becomes his
individual voice.
• It is also known as arrangement, is achieved when ideas are logically and accurately arranged
with focus on the arrangement of ideas, incidents, evidence, or details in a definite order in a
paragraph, essay, or speech.
Unity
• The text has connection of ideas (concept level, sentence level, theme, or topic sentence).
• It is achieved when a composition is focused on one idea. In a unified text, all supporting ideas
are relevant to the main thought. Without unity, text will be confusing.

Coherence
• The sensibility factor of the text which can be measured by the way the reader perceives or
understands it.
• It occurs when ideas are connected at the conceptual level.

Cohesion
• On the other hand, cohesion is the way words are cleverly used to make the message
especially clear and strong for the reader.
• It is the connection of ideas at the sentence level.

Language use
• Pertains to word choice – that choice that the writer employs to express his/her ideas.
• It is one of the clearest indicators of a well written text. It enables writers to effectively
communicate ideas without confusing the reader. An effective language is: specific, concise,
familiar, correct, and appropriate.

Mechanics
• Quality of good written text that employs the rules of grammar, capitalization, punctuation,
and spelling.

In general, authors observe the following when writing academic texts:

• They state critical questions and issues.

• They provide facts and evidence from credible sources.
• They use precise and accurate words while avoiding jargon and colloquial expressions.
• They take an objective point of view and avoid being personal and subjective.
• They list references.
• They use hedging or cautious language to done their claims.

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES 2ND SEMESTER, S.Y. 2023-2024
Jargons

Writing academic and professional texts may sometimes require writers and readers a language specific
to a certain discipline. The language of a certain occupation or profession is called jargon.

Here are some examples of jargons:

• Medicalese- language of doctors; terms used in the field of medicine

o Examples: Osteoporosis, scoliosis, leukemia, dysmenorrhea, peptic ulcer, antacid,
insomnia, vasectomy, rhinoplasty
• Legalese- language of lawyers; terms used in the field of law
o Examples: Criminology, penology, habeas corpus, illegitimate, jus soli, bona fide,
defendant, complainant
• Computerese- language of computer specialists; terms used in information technology
o Examples: Kilobyte, debugging, programming, RAM, website designer, cybercrime,
memory, database
• Technicalese- language of technocrats; terms used in the field of science and industry
o Examples: Halogen, kinetic energy, force, aerodynamics, hydrostatics, barometer, solar
energy, acceleration, altitude
• Commercialese or mercantilese- language of businessmen; terms used in the field of commerce
and industry
o Examples: revenue, expenditure, purchasing power, consumer, ceiling price, liabilities
• Journalese- language of journalists; terms used in the field of journalism
o Examples: payola, blue pencil, lead, beat, headline, banner, streamer, by line, libel
• Diplomatese- language of diplomats; terms used in the field of foreign service
o Examples: attache, ambassador of good will, courtesy call, state visit, immigration, press
briefing
• Teacherese- language of teachers; terms used in the field of education
o Examples: pedagogy, teaching strategy, assessment, classroom management, withitness,
ripple effect

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES 2ND SEMESTER, S.Y. 2023-2024
Academic Writing is a formal style of writing that is used to present accurate, empirical, and objective
information or ideas.

Common Myths in Writing

• The “Paint by Numbers” Myth- Some writers believe they must perform certain steps in a
particular order to write “correctly.” That means we cycle through and repeat the various activities
of the writing process many times as we write.
• Writers only start writing when they have everything figured out- Writing is not like sending a
fax! Writers figure out much of what they want to write as they write it. Rather than waiting, get
some writing on the page—even with gaps or problems. You can come back to patch up rough
spots.
• Perfect first drafts- Nobody writes perfect first drafts; polished writing takes lots of revision. We
put unrealistic expectations on early drafts, either by focusing too much on the impossible task of
making them perfect (which can put a cap on the development of our ideas), or by making too
little effort because we do not care or know about their inevitable problems.
• Some got it; I don’t — the genius fallacy- When you see your writing ability as something fixed or
out of your control (as if it were in your genetic code), then you will not believe you can improve
as a writer and are likely not to make any efforts in that direction. With effort and study, though,
you can improve as a writer.

Key Considerations
• Audience - This refers to people who you are writing for. In the case of academic writing, your
primary audience is a group of scholars or people who are pursuing your academic field.
• Purpose- This refers to the set of objectives that you target when you write academic/scholarly
papers. Usually, in academic writing, the purpose is two-fold – to inform because it involves
updating existing knowledge or imparting new ones, and to persuade because it also involves
convincing scholars of your theoretical claims/ scientific assumptions.
• Organization- Academic writing observes structural conventions. This means that academic or
scholarly papers are written in a in regular, predictable, patterns of organization.
• Style- Academic writing is written in formal style; as such, it employs the use of formal tone and
language. Contractions, colloquialisms, and slangs are discouraged in academic/scholarly papers.
• Flow/Unity - This refers to the stream of ideas and thoughts in your writing. Establishment of
connection of ideas in academic writing is key to achieving clarity.

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES 2ND SEMESTER, S.Y. 2023-2024
Academic Writing Techniques (Style)

1. Keep the average number of words in a sentence relatively short. The average length of a sentence
is 18 words (Strunk & White, 2000).
2. Avoid using clichés. Clichés are overused expressions that have lost their impact.
3. Avoid redundant expressions. Redundancy is the state of combining two or more words with the
same meaning.
4. Avoid wordy expressions. Wordiness is defined as using too many words to convey a meaning.
5. Avoid highfalutin terms. Highfalutin refers to pretentious language which results in lesser
comprehensibility of a statement.
6. Use precise words. Never sacrifice clarity for conciseness.
7. Use tactful tone. Be careful not to offend readers or other people.
8. Avoid gender-biased words or sexist language. Use words that are free from gender prejudice and
unfair assumptions.
9. Avoid using metaphors. Metaphors are names or descriptive terms applied to actions or objects
that are imaginative but not literally applicable.
10. Make your claims tentative rather than definite. This leaves the door open for further discussion
and/or research. After all, it is unlikely that you have reached the only possible conclusion.
11. Avoid using contractions. Contractions are the words formed from two abbreviated words, such
as "don't", "can't" and "won't". In academic writing, you would have to write the full words.
12. In most formal cases in academic writing third person point of view is recommended.
13. Avoid using rhetorical questions. This is a type of question for which no answer is expected. These
questions are inappropriate for academic writing because readers might not know the answer and
the point being made could be more strongly and clearly expressed as a statement.

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES 2ND SEMESTER, S.Y. 2023-2024
Forms of in-text citations
• Paraphrasing
• Direct Quoting
• Summarizing

Paraphrasing

The American Heritage College Dictionary defines a paraphrase as a "restatement of text or passage in
another form of words". When you paraphrase, you restate another's work in your own words but
maintain the author's original meaning.

Purpose
o Paraphrase a short text with one or two sentences or a paragraph with a maximum of five
sentences.
o Paraphrase when you want to avoid or minimize direct quotation.
o Paraphrase when you want to use your own words to state the author's ideas.
Tips
o Be in your own words.
o Be near or longer than the original passage.
o Convey the original meaning.

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES 2ND SEMESTER, S.Y. 2023-2024
Direct Quoting

Original words and ideas from the author are quoted. Proper citation is also used.

Purpose
o Quote a text that conveys a powerful message or will show less impact if it is paraphrased
or summarized.
o Quote a text when you want to begin your discussion with the author's stand.
o Quote a text when you want to highlight the author's expertise in your claim, argument,
or discussion.

Summarizing

The American Heritage College Dictionary defines a summary as a "presentation of a body of material in a
condensed form, or by reducing it to its main points". A summary is a condensed version of an original
passage or writing, providing only the main points and eliminating extra details. It should be considerably
shorter than the original text.

Tips
o Do not write down ideas word for word.
o Do not write down ideas that are not stated in the text.
o Only summarize a text that has long sections.
o Summarize when you want to avoid or minimize direct quotations.

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES 2ND SEMESTER, S.Y. 2023-2024
Formats of in-text citations

Idea Heading
• The summarized/paraphrased/quoted idea comes before the citation
o e.g. “Benchmarking is a useful strategy that has potential to help public officials improve
the performance of local services (Folz, 2004).”
Author Heading
• The summarized/paraphrased/quoted idea comes after the citation
• Author's name is connected by an appropriate reporting verb
o e.g. “The study of Kabilan, Ahmad, and Abidin (2010) shows that the students perceived
FB as online environment to expedite language learning especially English.”
Date Heading
• The summarized/paraphrased/quoted idea comes after the date when the material was published
o e.g. “In their 2004 study on the impact of participatory development approach, Irvin and
Stansbury argue that participation can be valuable to the participants and the government
in terms of the process and outcomes of decision making.”

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES 2ND SEMESTER, S.Y. 2023-2024
Examples of reporting verbs

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES 2ND SEMESTER, S.Y. 2023-2024
References:

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Curtin Library. (2020, October 19). Critical reading | Assignment skills [Video]. YouTube.
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Definition of Academic Writing. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/word-

definitions/definition-of-academic-writing.html

Menoy, J. (2016). English For Academic and Professional Purposes. Manila: Books Atbp. Publishing Corp.

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webster.com/dictionary/academic

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Professional. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. https://www.merriam-

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templates/sample-essays/professional-writing- samples.html

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Skills

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_Period_PROPERTIES_OF_A_WELL-WRITTEN_TEXT

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES 2ND SEMESTER, S.Y. 2023-2024