Critical Reading and

Writing
 Language and Academic Context
The language used in academic context is distinct
from the language we are familiar with and language
we use in other contexts such as home or the
workplace.
There is comparatively high degree of formality in
the language of academic texts.
This formality is achieved through use of specific
vocabulary and conciseness of the language.
There is a high proportion of content words that
make it tightly packed with information.
The language used in academic context is often
impersonal and often avoids expressions of feelings.
 READING CRITICALLY FOR
ACADEMIC WRITING
 Reading and Writing are among the most useful and
important skills that can be cultivated in college and
implement continually throughout our academic life
in college.
 Reading prepares you to learn what other people
have discovered in the past, to understand what you
read today, to receive and adapt tomorrow’s ideas.
 It trains us to think, to acquaint ourselves with other
people’s new ideas and knowledge, to evaluate and
adapt them, and contribute new ideas and
discoveries of our own.
READING CRITICALLY FOR
ACADEMIC WRITING

Writing, on the other hand is undeniably hard

work, and not just for beginners.
We enjoy an enormous advantage if we are
articulate writers, alert and insightful readers, and
resourceful researchers.
We should accept the difficulty and preserve
through periods when writing gets tough, knowing
eventually we will work through them.
 As writers, we are artists in a sense that we are
able to use our imaginations, experiences, and
talents to create, from the unlimited options
available to us, works that are original and
effective.
 Writing gives us the means to communicate and
due to hard work and hard choices involved in
writing, the sense of achievement we derive from
having created a work uniquely our own can be
great and exciting.
CRITICAL READING FOR
ACADEMIC RESEARCH

 Especially for novice researchers, critical reading will

help you to double check your sources and it will make
sure that any reports that you write are based on
good evidence. If you don’t read text critically, you
can be easily led to believe biased or false arguments/
opinions.
 http://petermjfitzgerald.wordpress.com/2010/12/15/crit
ical-reading-and-thinking/
 CRITICAL READING FOR
ACADEMIC RESEARCH

Questions you may ask while reading are:

Is the problem worth researching on?

Does the author present something current, interesting and useful?
What is the method used and is it coherent with the questions
asked?
How are the findings presented?
Are the findings in line with other researches?
Is there anything missing from the text that should be there?
Do you suspect the/any information to be misleading or incorrect?
Is the language clear and easy to understand?
 Tasks

In pairs, find a research article to

read and present the findings to
the class.

The end