Academic Discourse

What is Academic Discourse?

 Specific style of communication used in the
academic world.
 Refers to the particular ways of thinking and
reporting that exist in academy, educating
students, demonstrating learning, spreading ideas
and contructing knowledge.
 It has its own vocabulary, norms and conventions.
 It is represented by academic community.
 The languages of the academy also refers to the
discourses of technocracy, bureaucracy,
entertainment and advertising.
Examples of academic written and
spoken discourse.
written spoken

•textbooks •discussions
•essays •seminars
•Dissertations •lectures
•research articles •group work/ group projects
•PowerPoint presentations •conference presentations
•book reviews •student presentations
•conference abstracts •Dissertation defences
•Scientific journals •office hour meetings
Textbooks – play a
major role in
understanding of a
subject. Journals – periodical
publications of articles
 Students’ presentation –
organized and prepared
monologue delivered orally

Group work – casual and

informal conversations
organized for academic
purposes
 Who represents Academic
Discourse?
 academics and students
 annyone who is associated with the
universities, the disciplines and the
creation of knowledge itself.
 share common intrests, goals and
purposes
 How is Academic Discourse
Studied?
 genre analysis – more specific form of discourse
analysis which focuses on any element of
recurrent language use (grammar,lexis)
 the study of both texts and users – allows
researchers to see how academic practices,
peers, mentors and personal experiences
contribute to one’s texts and experiences as an
academic writer.
 Critical Discourse Analysis – focuses on how
social relations, identity, knowledge and power
are constructed through written and spoken texts
in disciplines, schools and classrooms.
 Findings
 Academic texts are structured for
persuasive effect
 Academic texts respresent discipline-
specific modes of argument
 Languages groups have different ways of
expressing ideas and structuring
arguments
 Academic argument involves interpersonal
negotiations
 Bibliography
 Duff, P. 2007. "Problematising academic discourse socialisation". In: Marriott, H., Moore, T.,
Spence-Brown, R. (eds.) Learning discourses and the discourses of learning. Australia:
Monash University.

 Hyland, K. 2009. Academic discourse. London: Continuum.

 Hyland, K. 2011. "Academic discourse". In: Hyland, K. and Paltridge, B. (eds.) The
continuum companion to discourse analysis. London: Continuum.

 Zamel, V. 1998. "Questioning academic discourse". In: Zamel, V. and Spack, R. (eds.)
Negotiating academic literacies: teaching and Learning across languages and cultures. New
York: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Internet Sources:

IS1: https://study.com/academy/lesson/academic-discourse-definition-examples.html
(accessed on 18 Jan 2018)

IS2: IS2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVO6qsXenf8&t=326s (accessed on 19 Jan

2018)