GRADE 12_ ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES HANDOUT

WHAT IS ACADEMIC TEXT?

Academic texts are typically formal. They have clearly structured introduction, body and conclusion. They include information from credible
sources which are, in turn, properly cited. They also include list of references used in developing the academic paper.

STRUCTURE OF ACADEMIC TEXT

An important feature of academic texts is that they are organized in a specific way; they have a clear structure. This structure makes it easier for your
reader to navigate your text and understand the material better. It also makes it easier for you to organize your material. The structure of an academic
text should be clear throughout the text and within each section, paragraph and even sentence.

Moreover, structure is an important feature of academic writing. A well-structured text enables the reader to follow the argument and navigate the
text. In academic writing a clear structure and a logical flow are imperative to a cohesive text.

INTRODUCTION The introduction usually consists of a single paragraph, although a long composition may have two or more. The introduction presents
opening remarks on the topic, presents the thesis statement, and previews the subtopics to be covered in the paragraphs that follow. The thesis
statement is the most important sentence in the introduction because it presents the controlling idea or main point of the composition.

BODY The body consists of a series of paragraphs that support, explain, and elaborate on the thesis. The number of body paragraphs in a composition
depends on the complexity of the thesis statement, the number of subtopics into which the writer divides the main topic, and the quantity of available
supporting information.

CONCLUSION The conclusion wraps up the composition with a reminder of the main point and closing remarks. It leaves the reader satisfied that the
topic has been fully covered. References It is the action of mentioning or alluding to something or the use of a source of information to ascertain
something.

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 information 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 the 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 that 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- contain supplementary materials that may be helpful in providing a more comprehensive understanding of the academic paper.

Texts are structured in different ways in different subjects, but the majority of reading that undergraduates do falls into just three categories:
1. An argumentative/thesis structure
2. A problem – solution structure
3. A report structure
The purpose of an argumentative text is to persuade the reader; to accept a point of view, an opinion or perhaps a new truth. In a way, a problem –
solution text also presents an argument and attempts to persuade the reader that the solutions presented are workable and worth implementing. A
report does not present an argument, but it may still be biased if all the facts are not presented. It is important to find out whether the facts have been
taken from a credible source.

WHAT IS A THESIS STATEMENT?

A thesis statement is a one or two sentence encapsulation of your paper’s main point, main idea, or main message. Your paper’s thesis statement will
be addressed and defended in the body paragraphs and the conclusion.

QUALITIES OF A GOOD THESIS STATEMENT

1. It should be factual.
A strong thesis statement requires solid evidence to support and develop it because without evidence, a claim is merely an unsubstantiated idea or
opinion.
2. It should be interesting.
Avoid generic arguments and formula statements. They work well to get a rough draft started, but will easily bore a reader. Keep revising until the thesis
reflects your real ideas.
3. It should be limited.
A thesis statement should be limited to what can be accomplished in the specified number of pages. Being specific will be much more successful than
writing about general things that do not say much.
4. It should be manageable.
Similar to the specificity guideline, a good thesis statement must also be manageable. Manageability will vary according to the length of the paper you
are writing.
5. It should be researchable.
This statement should encompass all of the topics you will explore within the essay as a whole, even if it only broadly hints at these points. If your thesis
states that your paper will be about the importance of student participation in sports, you should not discuss the rules of soccer in your paper, as this
discussion is not directly connected to the thesis you laid out.
GRADE 12_ ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES HANDOUT
OUTLINING
Outlining is a device used in the writing process to help arrange your thoughts and ideas, see the paper’s possible structure and to further flesh out and
develop points. An outline allows you to understand how you are to stitch together information to support the thesis statement and claims of the paper. It
also provides you with space to consider ideas easily without writing long and complex paragraphs or sentences.

Two Main Types of Outline

a.Topic Outline
A topic outline provides an overview of the topics to be included in an essay.
Example:
Thesis: Among the pluralist, elitist, and Neo-Marxist political theories, Neo-Marxism provides the most powerful analysis of the current political scene.
b.Sentence Outline
A sentence outline allows a writer to fully write the thesis and topic sentence of each supporting paragraph. This type forces part of the essay
to be written out before the first draft.
Example:
Thesis: E-mail and internet monitoring, as currently practiced, is an invasion of employees’ rights in the workplace
Five Steps in Outlining a Text
1. Read and comprehend the text.
2. Write a clear thesis statement.
3. Create an outline.
4. Organize the outline using the supporting details.
5. Adjust your outline as needed.

WRITING THE REACTION PAPER / REVIEW / CRITIQUE

A Reaction/Review or a Critique Paper may be a response, or reaction, or a kind of prompt. The prompt could also be a matter, a current
event, or a kind of media, including movies or video clips.
Furthermore, it allows writer to express their views, enabling others to share their point or a contrary viewpoint. These types of papers require evidences
to make the writer’s claim more valid.

Reaction Paper
A response paper that requires the writer to analyze a text, then develop commentary related to it.

WRITING CONCEPT PAPER

All research projects need a concept paper: a short summary that tells the reader what the project is, why it is important, and how it will be carried out.
Even if no one else ever reads it, the concept paper helps a researcher spot hole in her or his project that might later prove fatal. It is far better to be
clear at the beginning than to put in a lot of effort for nothing!

Elements of a Concept Paper

1.A title in the form of a question. This may be the last part of the concept paper that you write, but it should appear at the heading of the paper.
2.A clear description of the research topic, including a summary of what is already known about that topic.
3.A one-sentence statement of the research question that the project will seek to answer. (This is almost always something that is not known.)
4.A demonstration of why it is important to answer this research question.
5. A description of how the researcher plans to answer the research question.

This includes:
a. a description of the data or evidence that the researcher plans to gather or use;
b. a description of how the researcher will analyze these data, and
c. a demonstration of how these data and this analytic method will answer the research question.

How to Write a Concept Paper

A concept paper is a document used to convince a panel of potential funders to help a product, program, or service becomes a reality.

Three Ways in Explaining a Concept

1.Definition
a. Definition usually forms the core of a concept paper;
b. this definition may consist of the original meaning of the term/concept, especially one of foreign borrowing, and the modifications on its original
meaning; and
c. formal sentence definitions: their components are the term being defined, the class it belongs to, and its distinguishing characteristics.

2. Explication
-is a term in research and literary criticism for the close analysis of a text or of an excerpt from a longer text. Also known as exegesis. The term
is derived from explication de texte (explanation of text), the practice in French literary studies of closely examining the language of a text to determine
meaning.
Explication is a method of explanation in which sentences, verses, quotes, or passages are taken away from a literary or academic work and then
interpreted and explained in a detailed way.

3.Clarification
a. To clarify is to make something clearer or easier to understand.
b. Points are organized from general to specific ideas/abstract to concrete examples.
c. This entails the analysis of the concept by looking at the examples.