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MODIFIED LEARNING MATERIALS/MODULES BASED ON THE DEPED CURRICULUM

Grade Level: 11 Quarter/Duration: 3rd QUARTER – MONTH 1 School Year: 2021-2022

Teacher: CHRISTIAN JAY C. CALAMBA Subject: ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND
PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES

Learning Material

Descriptive Title: NATURE OF ACADEMIC TEXTS

Sub Topic:

1. STUCTURE OF ACADEMIC TEXT

2. READING TEXTS CRITICALLY

OBJECTIVES:

1. Define academic writing and distinguish it from other kinds of writing;

2. Explain what critical reading is;
3. Identity the different characteristic of academic texts;

DISCUSSION:

NATURE OF ACADEMIC TEXTS

Definition of Academic Writing

Academic writing is aprocess that starts with posing a question, problematizing a concept, evaluating an
opinion and ends in answering the question/s posed, clarifying the problem, and/or arguing for stand.

Purpose of Academic Writing

Academic writing has a specific purpose which is to inform, to argue a specific point, and persuade.

Audience

The audienceis your teacher (for the most part), your peers who will read and evaluate your work, and
academic community that may also read your work. The assumption is that your audience is composed of
composed of people who are knowledgeable on the subject that you are writing about; thus, you have to
demonstrate a thorough understanding of your subject at hand. This makes academic writing different from a
personal narrative or a creative essay, or a legal document, in which the knowledge of the writer is assumed to
be greater than that of the readers.

Language Style & Tone

Academic writingis thinking; you cannot just write anything that comes to your mind. You have to abide
by the set rules and practices in writing. You have to write in language that is appropriate and formal but not too
pretentious. You also have consider the knowledge and background of your audience. You have to make sure
that you can back up your statement with a strong and valid evidence. Writing academic papers requires
deliberate, thorough, and careful thought and that is why it involves research.

It was mentioned earlier that a formal but not pretentious language is required. It is a misconception,
however, that big and difficult words have to be used because ultimately the purpose of writing is to engage the
readers. You are just not expected to inform or to persuade but you are also expected to engage the readers in a
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conversation by giving them clear ideas and points to evaluate and question. You have to make sure that your
purpose (i.e., to react to an issue or an event, to convince readers to take your side) is clear and that your
language, style, and tone are appropriate to convey your purpose to your target readers. Your audience is varied
and you write, you keep the readers in mind.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ACADEMIC TEXT

 Formal
 Objective (Impersonal)
 Technical

Formal Objective Technical

an academic text is it is impersonal at A text is technical
formal by avoiding causal the same time objective by using vocabulary
or conversational language because it avoids direct wordings and references
such as contractions or reference to people or used have a clear focus on
informal vocabulary. It uses feelings instead it the issue. It also includes
appropriate language and emphasizes objects, facts, accurate word choice.
tenses, and it’s clear, and ideas. It well focuses on
concise and balanced. the idea rather than the
people or emotion that
being portrayed.

Examples

Academic Texts Non-academic Texts

 Essays  Resolutions
 Concept Papers  Contracts
 Reaction Papers  Application Papers
 Position Papers  Business Documents
 Reports (Educational)  Oath/ Pledges
 Research Papers  Journalistic Articles

Language Used in Academic Texts from various Disciplines

Academic language

represents the language demands of school (academics). Academic language includes language
used in textbooks, in classrooms, on tests, and in each discipline. It is different in vocabulary and
structure from the everyday spoken English of social interactions. Each type of communication (both
academic and social) has its purpose, and neither is superior to the other.

Academic vocabulary

is used in all academic disciplines to teach about the content of the discipline, e.g., a water table
is different from a periodic elements table. Before taking chemistry, for example, some students know
the technical words used in chemistry, while others do not. Pre-teaching of vocabulary and subject-
specific terminology helps to address that need. Teaching academic language can be challenging

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because struggling readers and English learners do not always know the vocabulary used to learn
specific academic terms or key concepts.

Academic structure

also includes the established ways of organizing writing (which can affect how one reads) in a
discipline. Different genres, paragraph/sentence structure, level of text difficulty, purpose, intended
audience, overall organization, and knowledge of outside resources for the text all affect how one writes
and reads in that discipline.

In determining the language used in academic text from various discipline, be reminded of the
following:

 Identify the text and then analyze the genre, academic structure and academic vocabulary. For
example, a lab report for chemistry requires different academic structure and vocabulary than a
newspaper article for social studies or a food recipe for home economics.
 Identify and analyze the explicit instruction/deconstruction concerning the text; consider multiple
models if necessary. Example: Deconstruct a word problem in algebra that requires different academic
language from deconstructing a proof in geometry, a poem in English, or a musical symphony. Use
textual evidence to support their ideas in speaking and writing.
 Use explicit, scaffolded instruction: a clear instructions, both auditory and visual, and make
models of expected or possible outcomes.
 Bring academic language to the surface: identify its usage to a particular discipline.

The Structure of Academic Texts

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.

Text structure refers to the way an author arranges information in his writing. Text structure enables authors to
organize their thoughts as they write. It also helps the reader in that it provides a structure in which information
can be found and understood while it's being read. The term “text structure” refers to how information is
organized in a passage. The structure of a text can change many times in a work and even within a paragraph.
Students are often asked to identify text structures or patterns of organization on state reading tests. Also,
understanding text structures can help students make and interpret arguments. For these reasons it is important
that students are exposed to the various patterns of organization.

 Chronological: discussing things in order

 Cause and effect: explaining a cause and its results
 Problem and solution: presenting a problem and offering a solution
 Compare and contrast: discussing similarities and differences
 Classification-division: sorting information into topics and categories

The Structure of Academic Texts

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

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cohesive text. Furthermore, in many university assignments the correct use of structure is part of the final
assessment.

Common structures
The structure of your writing depends on the type of assignment, but two common structures used in academic
writing are the three-part essay structure and the IMRaD structure. Even shorter essays that are not divided into
titled sections follow such a structure. Longer texts may be further divided into subsections. Different
disciplines or departments may prefer that students use a certain structure, so make sure to check with your
instructor if you are not sure what is expected of you.

The three-part essay structures

The three-part essay structure is a basic structure that consists of introduction, body and conclusion. The
introduction and the conclusion should be shorter than the body of the text. For shorter essays, one or two
paragraphs for each of these sections can be appropriate. For longer texts or theses, they may be several pages
long.

These are common used patterns of organization, provide examples, and then offer users free text
structure worksheets and interactive online practice activities to help students learn this essential reading skill.

Cause and Effect: The results of something are explained.

Example: The dodo bird used to roam in large flocks across America. Interestingly, the dodo wasn’t startled by
gun shot. Because of this, frontiersmen would kill entire flocks in one sitting. Unable to sustain these attacks,
the dodo was hunted to extinction.

The sample cause and effect chart above can be visually represented as it is.

Compare and Contrast: two or more things are described. Their similarities and differences are discussed.

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Example: Linux and Windows are both operating systems. Computers use them to run programs. Linux is
totally free and open source, so users can improve or otherwise modify the source code. Windows is
proprietary, so it costs money to use and users are prohibited from altering the source code.

SIMILARITIES DIFFERENCES SIMILARITIES

The sample compare and contrast chart above can be visually represented.

Order of Importance: information is expressed as a hierarchy or in priority.

Example: Here are the three worst things that you can do on a date. First, you could tell jokes that aren’t funny
and laugh really hard to yourself. This will make you look bad. Worse though, you could offend your date. One
bad “joke” may cause your date to lash out at you, hence ruining the engagement. But the worst thing that you
can do is to appear slovenly. By not showering and properly grooming, you may repulse your date, and this is
the worst thing that you can do.

Problem and Solution: a problem is described and a response or solution is proposed or explained.

Example: Thousands of people die each year in car accidents involving drugs or alcohol. Lives could be saved
if our town adopts a free public taxi service. By providing such a service, we could prevent intoxicated drivers
from endangering themselves or others.

READING TEXTS CRITICALLY

What Is Critical Reading?

Imagine that you are reading a magazine and you see the following statements:

 Girls most likely do well in academics during high school years but boys get ahead of them in college.
 Female teenagers are more concerned with their physical appearance than male teenagers.

Do you believe and agree with the statements after reading them? Would you question their veracity? How
would you react after reading the statements?

If you question the validity of the statements by asking the person to give the basis for his/her assertions,
then you are one step closer to becoming a critical reader.

Definition of Critical Reading

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Critical Reading is an active process of discovery because when you read critically, you are not just
receiving information but also making an interaction with the writer. The interaction happens when you
question the writer’s claims and assertions and when you comment on the writer’s on the writer’s ideas.

Ramage, Bean,and Johnson (2006) identified the following requirements in critical thinking:

 The ability to pose problematic questions

 The ability to analyze a problem in all its dimensions-define its key terms, determine its causes,
understand its history, appreciate its human dimension and its connection to one’s own personal
experience, and appreciate what makes it problematic or complex
 The ability to find, gather, and interpret data, facts, and other information relevant to the problem
 The ability to imagine alternative solutions to the problem, to see different ways in which the question
might be answered and different perspectives for viewing it
 The ability to analyze competing approaches and answers, to construct arguments for and against
alternatives, and to choose the best solution in the light of values, objectives, and other criteria that you
determine and articulate
 The ability to write an effective argument justifying your choice while acknowledging counter-
arguments

The following are some suggested ways to help you become a critical reader:

1. Annotate what you read. One of the ways to interact with the writer is to write on the text. You can
underline, circle, or highlight words, phrases, or sentences that contain important details, or you can
write marginal notes asking questions or commenting on the ideas of the writer. There are no clear and
definite guidelines to annotating a text; you can create your own style. For instance, you can circle the
unfamiliar words or underline the ideas that you think are questionable. You can use the sample
annotated essay below as your guide.
Who wrote this essay?
What is the writer’s
WHY Do They Say That Our English Is Bad?
stand on the subject (An Excerpt)
matter? Grace M. Saqueton
English teachers in the Philippines often find themselves in a very frustrating situation- no matter how
hard they try to teach the rules of written English to their students, the students still commit
errors in word order, word choice, subject-verb agreement, tenses, prepositions, articles, What
punctuations, and the like. Teachers get frustrated when they hear or read sentences such as accou
“They decided to got married,” “What did the students watched?” or “Ana go to nt for
Yeah, I these
canteen.” It is also alarming because the rules that apply to these sentences are
also errors
supposedly simple rules that the students should have learned in grade school. Yet,
notice that .
here they are in college, still committing those same errors.
these are
common
errors. Teachers and linguists alike have sought and (probably) are still seeking for ways What is the
and strategies to teach English effectively in the light of teaching English as a strategy
that they
second language or as a foreign language. Different research studies have been conducted and are using
different theories have been used to address the situation. One of the topics that the now?
researchers have explored is the recurring errors in phonology, morphology, syntax,
semantics, and discourse of second language learners. They believe that studying these Look these
terms up
recurring errors is necessary to address the supposed grammar problems of the Filipino
college students.

In a paper titled, “Why does They Say That Our Sentences Is Wrong When We Knows English? An
Analysis of the ‘Common Errors’ of Freshmen Compositions,” Saqueton (2008) identified some of the
Who is
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common errors found in the essay of first year college students. She provided explanations, using error
analysis, language acquisition theories, and Fairclough’s paradigm on the appropriacy of
“appropriateness,” as to what caused the “errors.” This is in the hope of helping English teachers
develop teaching materials and devise teaching strategies that are appropriate for Filipino first year
college students of different linguistic backgrounds.

Saqueton (2008) found out that among the student’s essays, errors in the use of verbs are the most
common, followed by errors in the use of prepositions, problems in word choice, and problems in
subject-verb agreement. There are also errors in the use of articles, conjunctions, pronouns; spelling
problems are also evident.

These “errors” are considered errors because of certain standards that language teachers What
certain
want their students to follow. These standards are the ones prescribed by grammarians. standard
Educators want their students to master Standard English as second language learners of
English. The problem here lies in the definition of “Standard” English. Is there really a common
standard? If there is, who uses it? Whose standard should be followed?

Answering the question would entail a lot of problems. First, there should be a clear definition of what
standard is. What kind of English is Standard English? Dr. Andrew Moody, when asked
Who is during the International Conference on World Englishes and Second Language Teaching Does this
he? mean
on how to maintain correctness and consistency when teaching English in the Philippines,
that
said that it would be dishonest to teach Standard English as if it exists.
there is
Standard
English?
2. Outline the text. In order to fully engage in a dialogue with the text or with the writer of the
text, you need to identify the main points of the writer and list them down so you also identify the ideas
that the writer has raised to support his/her stand. You don’t necessarily have to write a structured
sentence or topic outline for this purpose; you can just write in bullet or in numbers. Look at the
example below.

Thesis statement:

Supporting Details:
Point 1:
Point 2:
Point 3:

If we outline the essay, “Why Do They Say That Our English Is Bad?” we can come up with something
like this:

Thesis statement: The concept of Standard English is problematic because there is

no clear definition of what standard is.
Point 1: The author gives a scenario in the Philippines classrooms in which English teachers
get frustrated because of students’ grammatical errors.
Point 2: The author mentioned that research studies are being conducted in order to improve
teaching English as a second language but failed to mention what those specific studies are.
Point 3: The common errors that Filipino college students commit in their writings are
mentioned

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3. Summarizing the text. Aside from outlining, you can also get the main points of the text you are reading
and write its gist in your own words. This will test how much you have understood the text and will help
you evaluate it critically. A summary is usually one paragraph long.
4. Evaluate the text. The most challenging part in critical reading is the process of evaluating what you are
reading. This is the point where the other three techniques- annotating, outlining, summarizing- will be
helpful. When you evaluate a text, you question the author’s purpose and intentions, as well as his/her
assumptions in the claims. You also check if the arguments are supported by evidence and if the
evidence are valid and are from credible sources.

NAME: ____________________________________STRAND AND YEAR:____________________

Subject: ___________________________________Date: ______________ Score: ____________
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Activity 1

Direction: Differentiate language used in academic texts using the Ven diagram below:

a. Language tone/ style

b. Reading text Critically

Language Reading Text

Tone/ Style Critically

Activity 2

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Direction: Give five examples of Academic texts and five examples of Non-academic texts. Write
your answers on the space provided.
Academic Texts Non-academic Texts

1. ____________________ 1. ____________________

2. ____________________ 2. ____________________

3. ____________________ 3. ____________________

4. ____________________ 4. ____________________

5. ____________________ 5. ____________________

Activity 3

Direction: Recall or research a certain story and create a diagram or flowchart in choosing a type of
text structure (cause and effect, compare and contrast, problem solving, order of importance). State
the main idea and explain vividly the story inside the flowchart. Write your answers on the space
provided below:

Activity 4

Summarizing the text

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Direction: Search one story in the internet or book then summarize the main idea of the story. Write
your answer the space provided.

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