ENG 13:

ENGLISH for Academic &

Professional Purposes

Lesson 1:
Fundamentals of Reading
Academic Texts
Academic Text
• A critical, objective,
specialized text written by
experts or professionals in a
given field using formal
language

• It is based on facts with

solid basis. The emotions of
the authors cannot be felt
from texts or materials.

• It often takes time to publish

because of intense writing
and review.
Samples of Academic Text

Articles Conference Reviews Theses, Essays

papers Dissertations
Published in These are paper These provide These are Student essays
scholarly journal, presented in evaluation or personal vary in length and
this type of scholastic reviews of researches formality, but they
academic text offers conferences, and works written by a usually contain
results of research may be revised as published in candidate for a three sections:
and development articles for scholarly college or Introduction, Body,
that can either possible journals. university Conclusion.
impact the academic publication in degree.
community or scholarly journals.
provide relevance to
nation-building.
Non-Academic Text
• A text published quickly and
can be written by anyone for
the mass or public.

• The 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.
Samples of Non-Academic Text

Periodicals Journal/Diary Informal Blogs Text

Entries Reviews Messages
Any type of Texts which the These are These are regularly Electronic
publication that is writer narrates reactions or updated websites or communications
published in a his/her personal reviews on web pages, typically sent and received
series, or experiences. something one run by an by mobile phone.
periodically such as read or individual or small
newspapers and watched which group, that is written
magazines. are seen on in an informal or
book covers or conversational
posters. style.
Structure of Academic Text
A. Introduction-Body-Conclusion
Title

1. Introduction
1.1 Background of the topic
1.2 Thesis Statement
2. Body
2.1 Main Idea 1
2.1.1 Supporting Idea (SI) 1
2.1.2 SI 2
2.2 Main Idea 2
2.2.1 SI 1
2.2.2 SI 2
2.3 Main Idea 3
2.3.1 SI 1
2.3.2 SI 2
3. Conclusion
3.1 Restatement of the Thesis Statement
3.2 Closing Statement
Structure of Academic Text
B. IMRaD
Title

1. Introduction
1.1 Findings and recommendations of previous studies
1.2 Need to conduct the study
1.3 Statement of the problem or objectives of the study
2. Methods
2.1 Research methods and materials of the study
2.2 Data procedure
2.3 Data analysis
3. Results
3.1 Presentation of the findings of the study or answers to the research questions
4. Discussion
4.1 Studies that either support or contradict the findings
4.2 Inferences of the authors
5. Conclusions
5.1 Summary of the research problem
5.2 Inferences made to address the problem
5.3 Recommendations for future work
6. References
Content and Style of Academic Text

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

• They stated 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 languages to tone down their claims.
Here are some examples of hedging expressions used in academic texts.
Types
Modal auxiliary verbs
Modal lexical verbs doubting
and evaluating rather than
merely describing.
Probability adjectives
Examples As used in the sentences
May, might, can, could, would, The measure might have
should negative effects on the patients
health.
To seem,to appear (epistemic The discussion appears to have
verbs), to believe, to assume, to a positive implications.
suggest, to estimate, to tend, to
think, to argue, to indicate, to
propose, to speculate
Possible, probable, un/likely A number of significant changes
are possible
 Types Examples As used in the sentences

Nouns Assumption, claim, possibility, There are a number of claims

estimate, suggestion
Adverbs Perhaps, possibly, probably,
practically, likely, presumably,
virtually, apparently
pertaining to the possibility of
divorce.
The proposal is practically an
answer to the confusion.

Indicators of degree, quantity, Approximately, roughly, about, Fever is present in about a third
frequency and time often, occasionally, generally, of cases.
usually, somewhat, somehow, a
lot of
 Types Examples As used in the
sentences
Introductory phrases Believe, to our knowledge, it is our view that, we feel that The committee
believes that the
issue needs to be
explored.
“If” clauses It true if anything If anything, the
opinion holds a
number of truths.
Compound hedges Double hedges: seems reasonable, looks probable; it may This probably
suggest that; it seems likely that; it would indicate that; indicates that the
this probably indicates. assigned
Treble hedges: it seems reasonable to assume that. personnel is
misinformed.
Quadruple hedges: it would seem somewhat unlikely that,
it may appear somewhat speculative that
Academic Reading

It requires concentration and

comprehension from the readers to:

• determine the author’s purpose

and biases
• discern facts and opinions
recognize contradicting view
question author’s assumptions
• synthesize information
• integrate relevant ideas from
multiple sources of information
• make inferences
• draw conclusions
Academic Reading

It differs from non-academic reading

(e.g., reading literary texts,
magazines, newspapers, comics,
among others) in terms of content
and style, and expectations from the
readers.
A. Critical Reading Strategies

• close reading of the text

• important in identifying key arguments presented by

the author and analyzing concepts presented in the
text

• It involves practicing the strategies employed in

each stage of reading.
1. Before Reading

✓ Determine the type of academic text.

✓ Establish your purpose for reading.
✓ Identify the author’s purpose for writing.
✓ Predict or infer the main idea or argument based on the title.
✓ Identify your attitude towards the author and the text.
✓ State what you already know and what you want to learn about the topic.
✓ Determine the target audience.
✓ Check the publication date for relevance. It should have been published at
most five years earlier than the current year.
✓ Check the reference list while making sure to consider the correctness of
the formatting style.
✓ Use a concept map or any appropriate graphic organizer to note your
existing ideas and knowledge on the topic.
2. During Reading

✓ Annotate important parts of the text.

How to annotate?
• Write key words or phrases on the margins in bullet form
• Write a symbol on the page margin where important information is found.
• Write brief notes on the margin.
• Write questions on information that you find confusing.
• Write what you already know about the ideas.
• Write the limitations of the author’s arguments.
• Write notes on the reliability of the text.
• Comment on the author’s biases.
• Use a concept map or any appropriate graphic organizer to note down the
ideas being explained.
• React on the arguments presented in the text.
2. During Reading

• Underline important words, phrases, or sentences.

• Underline or circle meanings or definitions.
• Make or highlight relevant/essential parts of the text.
• Use the headings and transition words to identify relationships in the text.
• Create a bank of unfamiliar or technical words to be defined later.
• Use context clues to define unfamiliar or technical words.
• Synthesize the author’s arguments at the end of the chapter or section.
• Determine the main idea of the text.
• Identify the evidence or supporting arguments presented by the author
and check their validity and relevance.
• Identify the findings and note the appropriateness of the research method
used.
Sample of Annotated Text
3. After Reading

✓ Reflect on what you have read.

✓ React on some parts of the text through writing.
✓ Discuss some parts with your teacher or classmates.
✓ Link the main idea of the text to what you already know.
B. Other Reading Strategies

1. SQ3R/SQ4R Method of Reading

SQ3R/SQ4R is a reading comprehension method named for its five/six steps:
survey, question, read, record, recite, and review.
2. KWL Chart
The KWL method guides you in reading and understanding a text. To apply the KWL method, simply make
a table with three columns. In the first column, write what you know about the topic (K); in the second, list
down what you want to learn (W); and in the last column, write down what you learned (L).

Below is sample KWL chart using an article which focuses on language and gender.

K W L
What I (K)now What I (W)ant to learn What I have (L)earned

• There is a connection • Are women really more • Women are reported to

between language and
gender
• Women and men are on
different levels of
talkativeness
talkative than men? speak 20,000 words a day
• What accounts for while men speak an
difference in the frequency average of 7,000 words.
of language use between • Foxp2 protein is one of the
men and women? genes associated with
language.
• It was shown that women
have higher levels of this
protein than men.
 Academic
Text

Academic Academic
Writing Reading
 Non-Academic
Text

Non-Academic Non-Academic
Writing Reading
References
Barrot, J.S. & Sipacio, P.J.F. (2020). Communicate today English for academic & professional purposes.
Quezon City: C & E Publishing Inc.
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