English for Academic and Professional Purposes (EAPP)
Reports are found in different
1st Semester: Midterms
Academic vs. Non-Academic
Academic is more on content associated with formal
learning or gaining such knowledge.
Non-Academic is more on content of extra-curricular and
leisurely activities.
Text is any object that can be "read", whether this object
is a work of literature, a street sign, an arrangement of
buildings on a city block, or styles of clothing. It is a
coherent set of printed, periodical, or digital signs that
transmits some kind of informative, persuasive, and/or
entertaining message.
Academic texts rely formally on research-based, factual
and verifiable materials for their content.
- targeted scholarly towards special interests or
occupations in society
Jargons - special words or expressions that are used by a
particular profession or group and are difficult for others to
understand.
Non-Academic texts include research or verifiable
material, but are less likely to include references to any
source material, and may be published in a rather
informal setting
- are intended more for mass, public consumption
Six Main Text Types of Academic Texts
1. Textbook - These are specifically designed to help the
learners for specific subjects or disciplines. They have
highly set languages depending on the discipline to
which the textbooks will be used for.
2. Essays – Essays usually help you show how deep you
have learned a topic or lesson. Student essays vary in
length and formality, but they always contain three
parts: Introduction, Main Body, Conclusion. They usually
need to include citations of sources.
3. Theses - You will probably have to write longer texts
when and if you decide to enroll in a post graduate
course in the future. Longer texts include Master's level
and theses (typically 60,000 to 80,000 words) and
Doctor's level (Ph.D.) dissertations (typically 10,000 to
20,000 words).
4. Research Articles - Research articles are written mainly
for a specialist audience, meaning other researchers,
academics and postgraduate students.
5. Case studies – These may be found in any discipline,
though they are most common in disciplines such as
humanities, example business, sociology, and law. They
are primarily descriptive. They are in-depth studies into
the lives of particular individuals/subjects.
6. Reports – This does not mean the report that you
usually do in front of your classmates. The purpose of
reports is to describe what happened and discuss and
evaluate its importance.
disciplines, such as science, law, and medicine.
Examples of Non- Academic Texts
1. Email messages – Simple and informal. They are sent
or received over a computer network and can be sent to
multiple recipients and carry multiple attachments at the
same time.
2. Personal opinions - are examples of non-academic
texts that can be communicated through essay writing
or in any other form. You can express your own opinion
on the subject. Your own opinion may be non-factual or
baseless thus, anything that has no reference is
considered non-academic.
3. Newspapers – are non-academic texts simply because
the content is not intended for academic use.
Sometimes, you need to verify the content before
accepting the statement in the newspapers, especially
with the proliferation of fake news. Some writers are not
realistic and are relying on fictitious, sensationalized
stories so that their newspapers will sell.
4. Magazine – is another kind of non-academic text
which is usually used for leisure time. That is why
magazines are usually placed in a noticeable area in the
office for visitors to browse or read while waiting to be
called in for their appointment or for employees who are
taking a break.
5. Blog articles or social media posts – are non-academic
reading or writing. Blogs or social media contents can
add more ideas about a particular thing but it’s not good
to be a source of research, like for a thesis, except if your
topic is about social media. Bloggers or social media
personalities are very popular when it comes to website
content writing.
Point of View of Non-Academic Texts
● Subjective and personal – It is based on personal
opinions and feelings rather than on facts that come
from reliable sources like research papers do.
● Asking rhetorical questions – Non-academic texts may
not necessarily answer any question it has though it may
give an obvious answer. Usually, the writer simply lays
the answer to be discovered by the reader.
● Rule Breaker – rules in spelling, grammar and other
writing mechanics need not be followed by non-
academic writers.
Parts of the Academic Text
I. Title Page– provides information regarding the title,
author, and type of work.
II. Abstract or Summary- provides a brief account of the
main content of an academic paper.
III. Table of Contents- gives an opportunity to gain an
idea of what the academic paper is about at an early
stage.
IV. Introduction- it is a soft-start and orientation to
engage and acquaint with the academic text.
V. Background- gives the necessary background info to
understand the context of the academic text.
VI. Aim and Issue- provides the terms of reference for
academic paper.
VII. Theoretical Framework- defines the key concepts,
proposes relations between them, discusses relevant
theories and models based on a literature review.
VIII. Method- provides methodological details of the
paper.
IX. Results, Analysis and Discussion- involves the result of
the study, its analysis and discussion.
X. Closure- the end section of the academic paper. A
summary or a concrete conclusion about the issue and
questions can be used to end the academic paper.
XI. List of References- acknowledges the contribution of
other writers and researchers in your work.
XII. Appendices- contains supplementary materials that
may be helpful in providing a more comprehensive
understanding of the academic paper.
Text structure refers to how the information within a
written text is organized. This strategy helps you
understand that a text might present a main idea and
details; a cause and then its effects; and/or different
views of a topic.
Summarization teaches you how to take a large selection
of text and reduce it to the main points for more concise
understanding. It is a technique that enables you to
focus on key words and phrases of an assigned text that
are worth noting and remembering.
Types of Writing
1. Narrative – This is the basic structure that writers use
in presenting ideas. This may inform through illustration
and anecdotes, entertain readers through stories,
predict what will happen next or explain how something
works or happens. This can be any of the following:
a. Objective - Presents an objective timeline or details for
accuracy.
b. Subjective - Presents an insightful point of view,
depending on the writer’s feelings.
2. Argumentative - This goes beyond giving information,
writers use this to let readers understand their side of an
argument, with analysis and support to their claims, this
should have valid reasoning and enough evidence.
3. Informational – This basically just to develop ideas
using techniques to present details and well-chosen
sequences.
Types of Text Structures
1. Definition – used in explaining unfamiliar terms either
to explain or to convince.
a. Standard Definition – Universally-accepted and rarely
changes. For example: definition of essay.
b. Regulatory Definition – Assigned meanings based on
an organization, regulating body and changes on
situations. For example: classification of typhoon signal
as per PAG-ASA
c. Personal Definition – This depends on the
interpretations of the writer and as experienced by the
writer. For Example: what is a true friend?
d. Invented Definition – Given meanings to word coined
and as used by society. For example: the definition of
“first blood” in Mobile Legends.
2. Description - used by writers to describe something.
These may be an object, a person, place, experience,
emotion, situation, event, etc.
3. Classification – used by writers to organize ideas into
categories. For example: kinds of On-line games.
4. Comparison and Contrast – used to show how two
ideas are alike and different. Writers present
information by chunks and by following a sequence. For
example: IOS and android are both system used in
mobile cellular phones. IOS is a more closed system
which does not allow customer or user customization
while android system is more open as it allows users or
customers to download a wider variety of applications.
5. Cause and Effect – used to explain why things happen,
and the results of a certain phenomenon. Writers
enumerate factors and possible outcomes resulting to
phenomena or events.
6. Chronological – used to show order of things, how
something happens and the logical arrangement of
things. This structure lends itself in other text structures
in a sense that in narrating writers need to present a
timeline of events; in persuading people, writers
enumerate evidence in a sequence.
7. Problem and Solution – used in showing patterns of
organization where a dilemma is explained either
through a solution or a dilemma is explained and a
solution/s is/are given.