NATURE OF

ACADEMIC TEXTS
 ACADEMIC TEXTS
An academic text is a reading material
that provides information which include
concepts and theories that are related to
the specific discipline.
 ACADEMIC TEXTS
Is a process that starts with posing a question,
problematizing a concept, evaluating an opinion, and
ends in answering the question or questions posed,
clarifying the problem, and/or arguing for a stand.
 ACADEMIC TEXTS
 It also addresses a specific audience; the audience is your teacher (for the most part),
your peers who will read and evaluate your work, and the community that may also
read your work.
 It also a thinking; you cannot just write anything that comes to your mind. You have
to abide by the rules and practices in writing. You have to write a language that is
appropriate and formal. You have also to consider the knowledge and background of
your audience and make sure that you have valid evidences to back up your
statement. That’s why it involves research.
STRUCTURE OF ACADEMIC TEXT

INTRODUCTION
BODY
CONCLUSION
 INTRODUCTION
To provide the reader with a clear idea of the focus and
aim of the text the topic of the essay/article will be
presented in the introduction, often accompanied by a
thesis statement (the claim that the writer wishes to make).
 INTRODUCTION
provides the context/background of the argument
introduces the theoretical perspectives, terminology,
etc. that will be used
 explains how the writing will be organized
 BODY
where the essay's (or article's) argument,
ideas and results are developed and
discussed
 CONCLUSION
should not contain any new facts or ideas, but
rather function as a brief restatement of the
main arguments and facts that have been
treated in the essay
PURPOSE OF ACADEMIC WRITING

To inform
To argue a specific point
To persuade
PURPOSE IN READING AN 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
 To deeply understand and existing data
 FEATURES OF ACADEMIC
TEXT
 COMPLEX
 FORMAL
 PRECISE
 OBJECTIVE
 EXPLICIT
 ACCURATE
 HEDGING
 RESPONSIBLE
 COMPLEX
Written language has longer words, it is lexically more
dense and it has a more varied vocabulary.
Written texts are shorter and the language has more
grammatical complexity, including more subordinate
clauses and more passives.
 FORMAL

shouldavoid colloquial words

and expressions
 PRECISE

Facts are given accurately and

precisely
 OBJECTIVE
Objective rather than personal
Has fewer words that refer to the writer or the reader
Main emphasis should be on the information that you
want to give and the arguments you want to make, rather
than you
 EXPLICIT
itis the responsibility of the writer in
English to make it clear to the reader how
the various parts of the text are related
 ACCURATE
uses vocabulary accurately
most subjects have words with narrow
specific meanings
 HEDGING
it is necessary to make decisions about
your stance on a particular subject, or the
strength of the claims you are making
 RESPONSIBLE
You must be responsible for, and must be able to provide
evidence and justification for, any claims you make.
You are also responsible for demonstrating an
understanding of any source texts you use
 ACADEMIC WRITING
 Academic articles are written by professionals in a given field.
They are edited by the authors' peers and often take years to
publish. Their language is formal and will contain words and
terms typical to the field. The authors name will be present, as
will their credentials. There will be a list of references that
indicate where the author obtained the information s/he is using in
the article.
EXAMPLES OF ACADEMIC WRITING

 TEXTBOOKS
 SHORTER STUDENT TEXT:ESSAY
 LONGERSTUDENT TEXT: DISSERTATIONS
AND THESIS
 RESEARCH ARTICLES
 CASE STUDIES
 REPORTS
 NON-ACADEMIC TEXT

Itis written for the mass public. They are published

quickly and can be written by anyone. Their language is
informal, casual and may contain slang. The author may
not be provided and will not have any credentials listed.
There will be no reference list.