MODULE 1 – LESSON 1

ACADEMIC TEXT
 ACADEMIC TEXT IS A TEXT THAT IS
SPECIFICALLY WRITTEN FOR USE BY
COLLEGE INSTRUCTORS OR STUDENTS
BECAUSE OF ITS USEFULNESS IN COLLEGE
COURSE.
 IT HAS ONE CENTRAL THEME AND EVERY
PART CONTRIBUTES TO THE MAIN POINT
 IT ANSWERS A SPECIFIC QUESTION/S, USING
A SET OF WELL-STRUCTURED, LOGICAL
ARGUMENTS.
 THE ARGUMENTS ARE OFTEN BASED ON
RESEARCH CARRIED OUT BY THE WRITER OT
OTHER RESEARCHERS.
 ACADEMIC TEXT IS RELATIVELY FORMAL.
THEREFORE, THE LANGUAGE USED MUST
BE PRECISE AND ACCURATE.
 IT MUST BE IN THE STANDARD WRITTEN
FORM OF THE LANGUAGE.
 1. ARTICLE
 2. ESSAY
 3. REPORT
 4. REVIEW
 5. THESIS
 6. DISSERTATION
 7. CONFERENCE PAPER
 IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE
DIFFERENT TYPES OF ACADEMIC TEXTS
BECAUSE THEY ARE MEANT FOR
DIFFERENT PURPOSES AND THEY ARE
ALSO WRITTEN IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
 PARTICIPATION
 IT INVOLVES THREE STEPS:
 1. READING ACTIVELY
 2. NON-VERVAL LANGUAGE
 3. WRITING REVIEWS
 DEFINITION
 RESPONDING TO A TEXT AND BEING AN
ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN THE READING
PROCESS.
 CAN HELP A PERSON TO BECOME BETTER
READER.
 CAN LEAD TO A BETTER
UNDERSTANDING OF THE TOPIC AND
HELP TO FIND THE MAIN IDEA.
 INVOLVES A LOT OF BOOKS.
 INVOLVES ACTIVE READING WITH AN OPEN
MIND.

 HOW TO READ ACTIVELY?

 1. USING STATIONERY – PEN OR
HIGHLIGHTER CAN BE USED TO HIGHLIGHT
KEY POINTS, VOCABULARIES, TOPIC
SENTENCES, AND SUPPORTING DETAILS IN
THE TEXTS.
 LISTS DOWN QUERIES.
 SUMMARIZES THE MAIN IDEA.
 FACIAL EXPRESSION
 1. A GESTURE EXECUTED WITH THE
FACIAL MUSCLES..
 2. THE FEELINGS EXPRESSED ON A
PERSON ‘S FACE;
 MAD, SHOCKED, SAD, HAPPY, ANGRY,
FLIRTY, NORMAL, SCARED AND GRUMPY.
 BODY LANGUAGE

 SILENT (NON-VERBAL) MESSAGES

COMMUNICATED THROUGH THE
SENDER’S BODY MOVEMENTS.
 REVIEW – IS AN OVERVIEW OF A TEXT.
 IT INCLUDES DISCUSSIONS IN THE TEXT,
AUTHOR’S THEORIES AND HYPOTHESES.
 IT IS USUALLY DONE IN W
 RITTEN FORM.
 AN EFFECTIVE REVIEW MUST:
 1. HAVE SHORT, COMPACT AND PRECISE
SENTENCES.
 2. AVOID INCOMPLETE STATEMENTS
 3. KEEP EVERYTHING SHORT AND SIMPLE.
 4. USE APPROPRIATE PUNCTUATIONS.
 1. PARTICIPATE ACTIVELY.
 2. AGREE, DISAGREE.
 3. ASK QUESTIONS, PROBE, CLARIFY.
 RESPOND TO QUESTIONS.
 A. BEFORE READING
 1. Think about your reasons for reading the
text.
 2. Look at the title, headline, any subheadings,
photos or illustrations. Use these to predict
what the text will be about – the topic.
 3. Think about what you already know on this
topic.
 4. Write down what you would like to find out
from the text. You could write actual questions
you would like to answers to.
 5. Make a note of words or phrases connected with
the topic that you may find in the text.

 DURING READING
 1. Survey the text. Read the first and the last
paragraphs and the beginning and final sentences
of the other paragraphs.
 How close were your predictions?
 Do you have a very general idea of the structure of
the text, what the different parts are about?
 2. Identify your purpose for reading
 a. If you are looking for specific information,
read the part where you think the information
will be
 b. If you want a general idea of the whole text,
read the whole text.

 In both cases ignore words or sections you

don’t immediately understand.
 3. Write down in 1 or 2 sentences.
 a. What you think the main ideas are
 b. What your first reaction to the text is. Do you
find it interesting, informative, well-argued,
boring, illogical, inaccurate?

 4. Do a second more careful reading, marking

any new words that are important for your
understanding.
 Check on the main idea and revise what you
wrote if necessary.

 Decide what the subsidiary ideas are. How do

they relate to the main idea?

 Put all the ideas together in linear notes, or as a

mind map.
 WITH THE NEW WORDS WHICH YOU
THINK ARE IMPORTANT:
 IF AN APPROXIMATE MEANING IS
ENOUGH,
a. Try to guess the meaning using word function,
context clue, and word form.
b. IF THE MEANING IS NEEDED
c. a. use a dictionary
d. b. ask another student, classmate or your
teacher.
 DIVIDE THE SENTENCES WHERE THERE ARE
CONNECTIVES OR MARKERS.
 What do the connective mean?
 Underline reference words. What do the refer to?
 Identify complex noun phrases.
 Expand them using verbs and/or relative clauses
so that they are easy to understand.
 Find the subjects, verbs, and objects which go
together, if necessary, write the whole sentence out
in several sentences to show the meaning.
 1. Make a list of the new words which you
think will be useful for you in the future. Give:
 a. definitions of the words
 b. indication of whether they are nouns, verbs,
adjectives, etc.
 c. phrases in which the word occurs.
 d. other words with the same meaning
 e. other forms of the words.
 Example:
 Counsellor (noun) = a person who gives help and
support to people who have problems, an adviser
[counsel (noun), to counsel]

 2. Evaluate what you have read.

 a. How does it fit into what you already think and
know?
 b. Does it confirm your ideas, add to them, conflict
with them?
 c.If there are opinions, do you agree or disagree
with them?