DISTINGUISHING ACADEMIC

ENGLISH FROM GENERAL

ENGLISH

By: MS Gracelyn Rivas

 English language proficiency is a requirement in
academics, business and professional jobs around the
world. Perhaps, its status as the global Lingua
Franca has resulted to two types of English: the general
English and academic English.
 ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES

• focus on the language skills where the ‘rules’ and

strategies of academic skills are different from the
general language skills.
 TWO TYPES OF TEXTS

• Narrative Text - a written text that tells a story and

usually follows a familiar structure. It can be in the form of
reporting of factual events, or the retelling of a tale from
oral tradition. It is often written in informal, everyday
English.

• Expository text - provides an explanation of facts and

concepts. Its main purpose is to inform, persuade, or
explain. It is usually written in academic English.
CHARACTERISTICS OF LANGUAGE
TYPES
 ACADEMIC LANGUAGE

• Language used in
• Words and syntactic
academic settings and for structures that students are
academic purposes to help likely to encounter in
students acquire and use textbooks and tests, but not in
knowledge (Anstrom, et everyday, spoken English
al., 2010) (Strategic Education
Research Partnership, 2010)
 ACADEMIC LANGUAGE

• Language that students must

“The language used in the learning of
academic subject matter in a formal
schooling context; aspects of language
strongly associated with literacy and
academic achievement, including
specific academic terms or technical
language and speech registers related to
each field of study.” (TESOL, 2003)
comprehend to access the
concepts associated with a
particular discipline (e.g.,
mathematics, science, social
science) and use to demonstrate
their understanding of those
concepts (Anstrom, et al.,
2010)
 (SNOW 2010)
Conciseness

High density of information-bearing words

Complex grammatical and syntactic structures

 DIFFERENT TYPES OF KNOWLEDGE
NEEDED TO FOSTER ACADEMIC
LANGUAGE
• 1. Phonological Features Academic language requires knowledge of:
a. sound-symbol relationship
b. Stress, intonation and sound patterns
c. Patterns from words borrowed from other languages;

Intonation is the rise and fall in the pitch of the voice when speaking. It gives
a sentence several different meanings depending on the emphasis placed by
the speaker
 LEXICAL FEATURES

a. Forms and meanings of words that

are used across academic
disciplines

b. How academic words are formed

with prefixes, roots, and suffixes •
investigate, hypothesize
c. Parts of speech of academic
words

d. Grammar usage
DEVELOPING SKILLS IN
ACADEMIC READING
 READING

• It is the primary means for learning whether the goal is to

perform better in any academic tasks or to acquire linguistic
abilities.
 TECHNIQUES IN ACADEMIC READING

Bernhardt (1991) defines reading as “ an interactive and socio-cognitive process involving a text, a
reader, and a social context within which the activity takes place”

The reader constructs meaning through the written text that represents a language. (Hudelson 1994).

William Gray (1950) , known as the Father of Reading, defines reading as a four step process:

1. Perception of the word

2. Comprehension of its meaning
3. Reaction to the meaning in terms of prior knowledge
4. Integration of the idea into one’s background of experience.
 STRATEGIES IN ACADEMIC READING

1. Efficient Reading Academic texts generally conform to a set

structure, are written in a formal, academic way, and contain
specific language from your discipline area.
• Executive Summary or • Findings/Discussion of Findings or
Abstract Results of research meanings,
• Table of Contents implications
• Introduction or • Tables, Diagrams, Visual Support o
Background Condensed, visual information
• Title • Concluding Paragraph
• Recommendations
• Headings
• Reference List
• Sub-headings
 THE 4S-SYSTEM FOR EFFICIENT
ACADEMIC READING
A. Skimming Nutall (1996) the necessary information.

Skimming is used when the reader :

•  Wishes to get a general impression of an article of a book.

•  Needs to know the general idea or ideas of a particular passage
•  Wants to remember the main points in a selection already read just before an
exam.
•  Gets updates about the current events from a newspaper
•  Gets informed through business and travel brochure
 B. SCANNING
• This skill is looking for specific information or fact without necessarily reading
everything in the text. Usually, the reader skips over some parts of a text
without understanding them.

• Scanning is used when:

 Goes over a selection rapidly using the writer’s tools such as title, subtitles,
italics, etc. until reaching the passage which contains the information sought.

 Needs a name, date, location, or any specific detail that will answer a question
in mind.
C. Selecting - Using both scanning and skimming to decide what to read more
closely.

D. Studying - is also reading in detail and paying close attention to the main
points the reader wants to learn.
 2. CRITICAL READING

• Critical reading is an active reading , also called detailed reading. The

reader reads carefully and makes a variety of comments about the text
being read.

• Critical reading requires concentration to understand the text combined

with scanning and skimming.
 TECHNIQUES REQUIRED IN
CRITICAL READING:
a. Highlighting , marking the text, and underlining keywords and phrases.

b. Assigning keywords including brief comments about important points.

c. Recording questions when reading and making it as prompts for follow -

up works.

d. Summarizing the text to check for understanding

 3. DRAWING CONCLUSIONS

• A reading strategy done after reading.

• It involves the use of visual clues, titles and illustrations to understand

something indirectly stated in the text. It flows from reading information,
gathering of facts, evaluating data or details in order to make judgment.
 WAYS IN DRAWING OUT VALID CONCLUSIONS:

•  Deductive process or top –down approach presents information from

general to specific. It starts from reading a text, then uses the background
information to understand a text. It involves prediction and inference on the
basis of facts, propositions and expectations.

•  Inductive process or bottom – up approach begins from accurate

information or observation, then perceives a particular pattern, then formulate
tentative hypothesis and ends up with general conclusion.
 THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE
AND THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS
TENSE
A – The Simple Present Tense Uses:

•  To describe actions or situations that do not change frequently

•  To describes habits or routines,
•  To express opinions or to make general statement or facts.
•  Can also be used to refer to the future.
 B - THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE
• Describes actions or situations in progress at the moment of speaking.

•  Also called present progressive tense.

•  Is formed by using the verb BE in present tense and the main verb with –ing.
•  Example: The team leader is suggesting a unique solution.
• Comprehension – understanding, knowledge, perception.

• Critical reading - is the process of reading that goes beyond just

understanding a text. It involves evaluating , analyzing, interpreting the text,
and questioning the author for a deeper understanding of the text.

• Reading - is defined as recognition of words in a printed text. It is the

interaction between the reader and the text .

• Skimming – a rapid reading technique used to go over a reading material for

its general idea.
ANY QUESTION