12 Department of Education

National Capital Region

S CHOOL S D IV IS IO N O FFICE
M A RIKINA CITY

English for Academic

and Professional Purposes
First Quarter - Module 1
Nature of Academic Texts

Writer: Regina R. Sacdalan

Illustrator: Marexcza Z. Salinas
Layout Artist: Richland C. Buere

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 What I Need to Know

Deeper understanding of an academic text is beneficial and useful, this is

true whether you aim to excel in academics or with the career you want in the
future. However, there is no shortcut to achieve this goal, and to make learning
possible, let us start here, right now!

In this lesson, you will learn to differentiate language used in academic

texts from various disciplines. (CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-Ia-c-2)

Specific Learning Objectives

In this lesson, you will learn to:

1. define academic writing;

2. identify the kinds of academic texts;
3. analyze texts based on the standard conventions of academic writing; and,
4. differentiate an academic text from other kinds of texts.

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 What I Know
Before you begin, answer the pre-assessment activity below to find out
what you already know about the lesson. Always keep in mind to read the
directions carefully.
Write YES if the statement is correct and NO if the statement is wrong.
You will have to write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

_____ 1. Academic texts are used in schools and universities only.

_____ 2. The assumption when doing an academic text is to think that your
audience is knowledgeable about your topic, that is why you need to demonstrate
a thorough understanding of your subject.

_____ 3. Academic writing is experimenting on words; you can actually write

anything that comes to your mind.

_____ 4. It is a misconception that big and difficult words have to be used in an

academic text because ultimately the purpose of writing is to engage the readers.

_____ 5. Writing academic papers requires deliberate, thorough, and careful

thought and that is why it involves research.

Let us think it over! How did you find the activity? Do you think you did
well? If you find it hard, then do not worry, this module will help you understand
the lesson on your own pace and level. Always remember, just keep going, you
will be surprised to finally finish all the tasks!

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 Lesson
Nature of Academic Texts
1

In this lesson, you will learn the nature of academic texts, the term
“nature” is synonymous to “features or characteristics”. In other words, we will
talk about the features or characteristics of academic texts. Good foundation of
such is useful for you—it would enhance your understanding of an academic
text; learning about the language used, level of formality and the technique used
in reading and writing of academic texts.

What’s In

So now, before you move forward, complete the mind map below. You can
write in word(s), or phrases.

My
Understanding
of an Academic
Text

As you move on, you will learn what an academic text is, and get to know
it and its difference from other kinds of texts.

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 What’s New
Let us learn more about academic texts by doing the activity below.
Complete the table by writing the words to the appropriate column. Choose from
the word bank below:

ACADEMIC TEXTS PROFESSIONAL TEXTS/

NON-ACADEMIC TEXTS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Article Review Book Review Contracts Essay Research Paper

Blogs Business reports Emails Memos Thesis

Let’s think it over:

1. How were you able to figure out an academic text?
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. Which from those academic and non-academic texts you have tried writing?
Write as many as you can.
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. Do you think writing an academic text is challenging? Why?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

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 What is It

Looking back on what you did in the previous activity, you have answered
the questions based on your prior knowledge and on how you have understood
what is being asked. To help you organize your thoughts and improve your
understanding, let us now study the succeeding lessons.

Academic Writing and Academic Text Explained

Academic Writing is a process that starts with posing a question,

problematizing a concept, evaluating an opinion, and ends in answering the
questions posed, clarifying the problem, and/or arguing for a stand.

Academic Text is the product of academic writing itself. Academic text is

the written form or simply texts derived from academic writing. It is a formal
style of writing used in schools and universities that requires sophisticated use
of language and objectivity, and application of knowledge from facts, proven
theories and concepts.

Nature of Academic Writing Explained:

The essential features and characteristics of academic texts are described

below. Read and analyze these statements, and you will find them to be of great
help with your own development.

1. Academic writing is governed by standard conventions of writing. You

have to abide by the set of rules and practices in writing.
2. Language shows a sophisticated level of formality that is appropriate
and formal but not too pretentious in writing.
3. Writing academic papers requires deliberate, thorough, and careful
thought and that is why it involves research.
4. Arguments and statements should be valid and based on credible
sources
5. Academic writing is purpose-driven: to inform, to argue a specific
point or to persuade.
6. Academic writing tailors’ specific audience like teachers (for the most
part, students, and the entire academic community and experts

Furthermore, your audience is composed of people who are knowledgeable

on the subject that you are writing about. That is why you have to demonstrate
a thorough understanding of your subject at hand.

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Kinds (examples) of Academic Texts

● Book reports – summarize a book read following a specific format

● Book reviews – critical analysis of a book or novel read
● Essays – topic based on academic writing from the writer’s personal point
of view
● Research Project- describes the ideas of an investigation for a certain topic.
● Academic journal / journal writing
● Dissertation and Thesis – research or study written to obtain a degree in
college or university.
● Abstract - This is a short summary of a long document.

Writing Standards of Writing Academic Texts

1. Use formal language, avoid slangs, colloquial, and abbreviations.

2. Avoid using phrasal verbs, (rid out, carry on), contractions like gonna,
(going to), can’t (cannot), etc.
3. Avoid idiomatic expressions
4. Use the third-person point of view, avoid the first-person point of view.
5. Be clear and concise and avoid repetitions
6. Use correct grammar and punctuation marks
7. Utilize proper transition devices

Let’s take a look at the comparison between academic texts and other kinds
of texts.
Indicators Academic Texts Professional Non-Academic
Texts Texts

1. Audience Academe Business Group Mass Public

2. Purpose To inform, to To market, to To entertain,
persuade, with persuade inform, or
valid point and persuade
evidences
3. Style Formal and Formal, Can be informal,
objective subjective subjective, and
emotional
4. Structure Follow the Follow the No rigid structure
standards and standard or standard
conventions of business format formatting
writing
5. Language Formal Language Formal or Can be informal or
informal casual
6. Citations Contain citations Use of citations May not include
and references and references is citations and
not required references

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 What’s More
Answer the activities that will follow to practice your knowledge and skill
about the topic of opinion and assertion statements.

Activity 1

Answer briefly and concisely the following questions. Write in complete

sentences.

1. Define Academic Writing:

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

2. Explain your own understanding about academic texts:

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

3. Explain the similarities and differences of academic texts and professional

texts:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Grading Criteria
Relevance of Content 3 pts
Organization / Coherence 1 pt
Grammar and punctuation 1 pt
Total 5 pts HPS per item

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Activity 2

Identify the academic texts described by the following statements.

Choose the correct answer from the word bank.

WORD BANK
Abstract Dissertation Essay
Book Review Research Project Memo

1. ____________________________________
Arturo is writing a critique about the novel he read.

2. ____________________________________
Ana, a Grade 12 student, is writing her
first draft about the benefits of blended
learning for the subject Practical Research 2.

3. ____________________________________
Jeffrey is writing a summary for his thesis.

4. ____________________________________
Ervin is doing the final revision of his paper to eventually earn a
doctoral degree.

5. ____________________________________
Marites is tasked to write her personal views about teenage
pregrancy.

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Activity 3

Analyze and rewrite the following sentences following the standard rules
in writing academic texts.

1. A researcher wanna conduct a study about cyber bullying.

___________________________________________________________________

2. Burning the midnight oil is the best way to get higher grades.

___________________________________________________________________

3. Watch videos on yt about cooking.

___________________________________________________________________

4. The teacher gonna deliver classes online.

___________________________________________________________________

5. Mothers cut down spending on rice.

__________________________________________________________________

6. Employees did not put up with the company’s expectations.

___________________________________________________________________

7. The dollar rate went up and down.

___________________________________________________________________

8. The student was asked to pm his written report.

___________________________________________________________________

9. Watching K-drama is a trend in this milieu.

___________________________________________________________________

10. Speaking can’t be good if you don’t practice often.

___________________________________________________________________

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 What I Have Learned

Now that you have finished the lesson, you may have learned that:

● Academic writing requires a thorough and careful thought and that

is why you have to perform research to back up your content with
strong points and valid evidence from credible sources.

● Perception about academic writing and academic text may

interchange, but the only clear-cut difference is that Academic
Writing is the field of discipline itself or the process involved in
producing an Academic Text, and thus an academic text is the
product or the literature itself.

● Academic writing and other kinds of writing may differ in terms of

audience, purpose, structure, language style, and writing
convention.

● Academic writing strengthens researches and scientific studies on a

specific discipline or field of expertise, while other kinds of writing
like professional writing is focused on business correspondence and
professional documents. Whereas, non-academic is non-specific,
they it could cater the mass public to inform, entertain, and
persuade but it does not need to follow standard formality, language
structure, writing convention and style.

● Furthermore, it is the audience that influence the language in texts.

Your audience are different from one another depending on the
situation and environment in which a literary piece is used.

● Academic writing is done for academia, teachers and students,

researchers, and field experts such as scientists or historians.

What I Can Do
Now that you have learned some essential knowledge about academic
texts, you are ready to do the following activity below.

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 Directions: Differentiate an academic text from other kinds of texts based
on the descriptions found below. Write in complete sentences as briefly and
precisely as possible. You may need an extra paper to do this.

ACADEMIC TEXTS OTHER KINDS OF TEXTS

A.
A literature review: An email exchange:
Language and age are
essential sociolinguistics, the Hi, can you go over the documents I have
account for an age pattern embodies sent you. I need your report now.
the characteristics of “age-graded
linguistic variation” and
Michael
distinguishes speech behavior of
persons as they get older. Stability
and establishment of linguistic Sorry, I didn’t get to check my email.
tendencies are full-blown and Okay, wait, I’ll do it now.
developed during younger adults or
up to 50 years, and older adults or
over 50 years of age (Holmes, 2001). Okay!

Generally, it has been

observed how linguistic behavior
varies across individuals’ lifespan.
Relatively, on a study of language
change in a community, age-graded
pattern is contended to be a
technique developed by linguists to
account linguistic variations and to
be an important factor in linguistic
change, moreover on the selection of
language resource in a language
study (Wagner, 2012).

A. Audience:

B. Purpose:

C. Language style:

B. An Essay A post online

REMINDERS IN TIMES OF
Research is important in any
pursuits like in medicine, business,
COVID 19 PANDEMIC
education and others. It is devoted
to provide solutions to every
problem, and answer human’s never
ending exploration for knowledge,
skills, and other endeavors. Seeing

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that research is imperative, the
inclusion of such in education is of
great importance. Apparently, a
research is strikingly laborious job
to do for students like us.
Wash your hands every
Since research is part of
education, we, students will have to
30 minutes
keep up and be well-equipped with
the needed skills that a research Eat healthy diets
requires. In the same way, it is
crucial for that the students learn to
cope with the perceived difficulties;
the need to work out problem solving Limit going outdoors
and decision making skills to realize
the purpose and the end goal of a Practice social distancing
research study.

A. Audience:

B. Purpose:

C. Language Style:

Grading Criteria
Relevance of Content 2 pts
Correctness of Concept 2 pts
Grammar and 1 pt
punctuation
Total 5 pts HPS per item

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 Assessment
Good job, you finally finished the lessons! Let us now assess your
understanding by answering the following questions below:
Choose the letter of the best answer and write it before the number.

_____ 1. Which of the following describes an academic text?

A. The audience is limited to a business and its clients.
B. The audience is the mass public.
C. The purpose is to entertain and give pleasure.
D. The audience is limited within the school setting.

_____ 2. Which of the following purposes is NOT true about academic texts?
A. It is argumentative in nature.
B. It aims to persuade the audience.
C. It is written to entertain and give pleasure to the audience.
D. Its main goal is to provide information and knowledge to the audience.

_____ 3. Which of the following is a misconception in writing academic texts?

A. The reader may be knowledgeable on the topic you are writing.
B. The writer must demonstrate a thorough understanding of the topic.
C. The knowledge of the writer has to be greater than that of the readers.
D. The use of difficult terms is highly encouraged to appear expert to readers.

_____ 4. How do we format texts according to language used?

A. Consider correct grammar and punctuation.
B. Use a formal tone and correct choice of words.
C. Use transitional devices to organize the flow of ideas.
D. Use subjectivity and objectivity in explaining complex ideas.

_____ 5. Why do we have to learn the different types of written text?

A. It saves time because the writer already knows the correct format to use.
B. It gives the writer an idea about the kind of texts intended for a specific
audience.
C. It allows the writer to choose between formal and informal language used
in writing texts.
D. It allows the use of appropriate language and writing structure specific to
a certain type of texts.

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Additional Activities

Visit the following websites to learn more about academic texts.

1. Academic Writing

Exercises: http://www.uefap.net/writing/writing-exercises

2. Read Academic Texts

http://www.reading.ac.uk/web/files/library/Reading_academic_texts_tr
anscript.pdf

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 References

"Definition of Academic Writing." English Grammar Rules & Usage. Accessed

June 5, 2020. https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/word-
definitions/definition-of-academic-writing.html.

Hasa. "Difference Between Academic Writing and Non-Academic Writing."

Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms. Last modified February
1, 2019. https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-
academic-writing-and-non-academic-writing/.

Saqueton, and Uychoco. English for Academic and Professional Purposes. Rex
Publishing, 2016.

Valdez, Nino M. English for Academic and Professional Purposes. Quezon City:
Phoenix Publishing House, 2016.

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 Development Team of the Module

Writer: Regina R. Sacdalan (PHS)

Editor: Nieves Tagulao-Salazar, Ph. D. (PHS)
Nida Andrada (PSDS)
Reviewer: Albert B. Mutia (MNHS)
Internal Reviewer: Janet S. Cajuguiran (EPS-English)
Illustrator: Marexcza Z. Salinas (PHS)
Layout Artist: Richland C. Buere (SEHS)

Management Team:

Sheryll T. Gayola
Assistant Schools Division Superintendent
OIC, Office of the Schools Division Superintendent

Elisa O. Cerveza
Chief, Curriculum Implementation Division
OIC, Office of the Assistant Schools Division Superintendent

Janet S. Cajuguiran
Education Program Supervisor-English

Ivy Coney A. Gamatero

EPS – LRMS

For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Schools Division Office- Marikina City

191 Shoe Ave., Sta. Elena, Marikina City, 1800, Philippines

Telefax: (02) 682-2472 / 682-3989

Email Address: sdo.marikina@deped.gov.ph

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