English for academic purposes – language skills  Inductive process/bottom up approach – ends up with

 The ‘rules’ & strategies of academic skills are different general conclusion
Narrative Text – a text that tells a story & usually follows a Comprehension – understanding knowledge
familiar structure Structure – organization of the whole text
Expository Text – provides an explanation of facts & concepts Standard Paragraph – grammatically independent unit
Main Purpose: Topic sentence – express
 Inform Supporting sentence – explain
 Persuade Concluding sentence – summarizes
 Explain Thesis Structure – basic pattern
Informal English Academic English Components:
Uses hedges (sort of, kind of) Does not use hedges Introduction – argument is presented
Uses personal pronouns (I) Avoid personal pronouns Body – main argument presented
Uses simple connectors (but, Uses sophisticated transition Conclusion – final argumentative
also, and) words - “ties up”
Uses slang (stuff, guys) Uses academic words Points/Hook – topic sentence
Relies more on basic discourse Specific linguistic function & Information – prove your point:
structures, such as narratives cognitive demanding  Evidence
More extensive use of listening Relatively decontextualized &  Story
& speaking cognitively demanding  Quote
Requires greater mastery of  Data
range of linguistic features  Research
Academic language – language used in academic setting  Explanation
 Oral, written & auditory Transitional Devices – help reader organized
Phonological features – sound symbol relationship Uses of Transitional Signals:
Intonation – rise & fall in the pitch of the voice  To clarify sequencing
Lexical features – forms & meaning of words  To emphasize a comparison
Academic English – formal in tone & impersonal style  To introduce a contrast
Word category – grouping of words  To present a result
Reading:  To add information
Bernhardt (1991) -interactive & socio-cognitive process Example:
Hudelson (1994) – transaction between the reader & the text  Addition
William Gray (1950) – father of reading  Contrast
Four step:  Example
 Perception of the word  Sequence
 Comprehension of its meaning  Comparison
 Reaction to the meaning in terms of prior knowledge  Result
 Integration of the idea into one’s background of Entertainment – action or performance
experience Structural Analysis – word recognition skills
Strategies in Academic reading: - Cooper, J. David (2003)
 Efficient Reading – conform to a set structure Root Words – cannot stand alone in English as words
- textbooks, journal articles, research articles, & review e.g. the root – tain in the following: maintain, sustain,
articles: pertain
 Executive Summary or abstract Base Words – can stand alone as words
 Table contents e.g. assist/assistance under/undergo
 Introduction or Background Affixes – letter combination
 Title Prefixes – beginning of base words
 Headings e.g. unpleasant, disorganized, enable & misspell
 Sub – Headings
Suffixes – end of base words
4s system:
A. Skimming – necessary information
2 types of suffixes:
- Nutall (1996) 1. Inflectional endings – formation of
- general impression grammatical variants
B. Scanning – specific information 2. Derivational Suffix – process of forming new
C. Selecting – using both scanning & skimming word
D. Studying – reading in detail Compound Words – combination of two words
Critical reading – is an active reading also called detailed The Problem and Solution structure – over all solution
reading 1. Introduction – one or more major problem
Techniques:
2. Body:
 Highlighting
 First point (problem #1) – present the problem
 Assigning keyboards
 Recording questions alone
 Summarizing the text  Second Point (problem #2) - combination of
Drawing conclusion – done after reading problem & possible solutions
Ways in drawing out valid conclusion:  Third, fourth, fifth points, etc.
 Deductive process/top down approach – uses the  Final Solution/Resolution of Problems – an
background information explanation
 3. Conclusion – final argumentative conclusion
 folk or Popular Etymology – change of word
Context Clues – hints found in sentence
Definition/Description Clue – formally defined
Example Clues – words like including, such as, and for example
Synonym Restatement Clue – unknown word
Contrast/Antonym Clue – words with opposite meaning
Mood/Tone Clue – author sets a mood
Experience Clue – reader knows from experience
Analysis/Structure Clue – used to construct a word
Cause and Effect Clue – explains the reason
Point – main point
Evidence – support your main point
Explanation – explanation of your evidence
Link – use transition signal
Style
The Factual Report Structure – no problem or argument
presented
Present Perfect Continuous Termed:
 Has and Have + Been + Verb + ing
 Actions & situations that began in the past
Present Perfect Tense:
 Has and Have + verb (past participle)
 Other time expressions
Fact – valid information from a reliable source
Argumentation – justifying an opinion
Argumentative Text – presentation & evaluation
2 classification:
 Positive Arguments – aimed to reinforce
 Negative arguments – aimed to refute
Types:
 Subjective – desires to communicate certain ideas
 Objective – speaker/writes speaks in am objective
viewpoint
6 main step:
1. Choosing an issue
2. Seeking information
3. Planning
4. Writing down an argument
5. Presentation
6. Convince the audience in a reasonable way, a
universal truth or idea
Introduction – proposition is presented
Thesis statement – problem to be solved
Explanation of the issue – can modify the opinions of the
audience
Outline of the argument – difficult point of the argument
Refutation – opposite thought
Proofs/Evidences – supports main argument
Conclusion – end the argument
Persuasive – uses personal thoughts
Argumentative – present one side of an issue
Cohesion – concerns unity of all sentences
Coherence – logical way
Clipping – shortened form of a word
e.g. tarp – tarpaulin
blending – fusing 2 words
e.g. bruch – breakfast & lunch
compounding – 2 or 3 word put together
e.g. self – service
acronym – initial letter or syllable
e.g. AWOL – Absence without leave