Discourse and Academic Writing

• Five Macro-skills in English Language:

  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Listening
  • Speaking
  • Viewing
• Reading:

  • Defined according to two types (Lapp and Flood)
  • A decoding process (analyze and interpret)
  • A comprehension process
  • Word Recognition
  • Comprehension Motivation
  • Fluency
• Reasons for reading:

  • To further understanding of something
  • To create motivation and interest
  • To build a good vocabulary
  • For pleasure and enjoyment
• Benefits of reading:

  • Exposes readers to accurate spelling and correct forms of writing
  • Shows readers how to write more complex sentences, expand vocabulary, and improve writing abilities
  • Improves concentration and memory
  • Allows readers to hear the thoughts of others
• Writing:

  • Method of representing language in a visual or tactile form
  • A systematic of graphic symbols that convey meaning
• Reasons for writing:

  • To express
  • To describe
  • To explore and learn
  • To inform
  • To entertain
  • To explain
  • To persuade
  • To solve problems
• Benefits of writing:

  • Allows writers to write their thoughts
  • Provides writers with a vehicle to use their imagination
  • Aids writers to engage with the texts they are reading
  • Motivates writers to engage with the texts they are reading
• Lesson 1: Definition and Purposes of a Discourse

  • Definition of Discourse:
  • Comes from the Latin word "discursus"
  • Formal and often lengthy discussion of a topic
  • Often associated with speech but may also be a written text
  • The way that language is used to convey messages or to provoke a specific response
• Examples of Discourse:

  • Critique
  • Diary
• Purposes of a Discourse:

  • To inform
  • To persuade
  • To entertain
• Analyzing a discourse:

  • Consider factors that may have influenced the writer
  • Factors include culture, social environment, and personal experiences
• Genre:

  • A particular subject or style of literature, art, or music
  • Informational Text
  • Kinds: Encyclopedia, Magazines, Textbooks, Newspaper/Periodicals, Websites, Literary Text
• Kinds of Literary Text:

  • Drama
  • Fable
  • Fairytales
  • Fantasy
  • Folklore
  • Legend or Epic
  • Historical Fiction
  • Horror
  • Mystery
  • Mythology
  • Realistic Fiction
  • Science Fiction
• Types of Literary Discourse:

  • Poetic Discourse
  • Expressive Discourse
  • Transactional Discourse
• Academic Discourse:

  • Expository or argumentative in nature
  • Academic journals and essays
• General Format of Academic Discourse:

  • Introduction
  • Body
  • Conclusion
• Five Macro-skills in English Language:

  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Listening
  • Speaking
  • Viewing
• Reading:

  • Defined according to two types (Lapp and Flood)
  • A decoding process (analyze and interpret)
  • A comprehension process
  • Word Recognition
  • Comprehension Motivation
  • Fluency
• Benefits of reading:

  • Exposes readers to accurate spelling and correct forms of writing
  • Shows readers how to write more complex sentences, vocabulary expansion, and writing abilities
  • Improves concentration and memory
  • Allows readers to hear the thoughts of others
• Writing:

  • It is a method of representing language in a visual or tactile form
  • A systematic of graphic symbols that can be used to convey meaning
• Why do we write?

  • To express
  • To describe
  • To explore and learn
  • To inform
  • To entertain
  • To explain
  • To persuade
  • To solve problems
• Benefits of writing:

  • Allows writers to write their thoughts
  • Provides writers with a vehicle to use their imagination
  • Aids writers to engage with the texts they are reading
  • Motivates writers to engage with the texts they are reading
• Lesson 1: Definition and Purposes of a Discourse

  • Definition of Discourse:
  • Comes from the Latin word “discursus”
  • Formal and often lengthy discussion of a topic where concepts and insights are arranged in an organized and logical manner
  • Often associated with speech but may also be a written text
  • The way that language is used to convey messages or to propel action or provoke a specific response
• Examples of Discourse:

  • Critique:
  • States a writer's opinion about the good and the bad parts of another piece of writing or a work of art
  • Uses formal language
  • Contains ideas that are arranged in an organized and logical manner
  • Diary:
  • A daily record of someone’s personal experiences and thoughts
  • Gives readers a sense of the writer’s character or values
• Purposes of a Discourse:

  • To inform:
  • Provides a descriptive and comprehensive discussion on the topic
  • Points out what one should know about a topic or subject
  • To persuade:
  • Tries to convince the readers that the proposed claim or solution is better than any other proposal
  • Tries to convince the readers to believe in or do something
  • To entertain:
  • Aims to amuse the readers
  • Provides a source of entertainment for its readers
• Analyzing a discourse:

  • Consider several factors that may have influenced the writer to make certain claims
  • Those factors explain the author’s biases, philosophy, and educational and professional backgrounds, among others
  • Culture:
  • Beliefs, customs, attitude, language, and other things that define culture may influence the author’s perspective on several issues
  • Social Environment:
  • The author’s physical surroundings and social relationships, as well as the culture of the time may have influenced his or her writing
  • Experiences:
• • Personal accounts or firsthand experience of events, though subjective, establish credibility and reliability of information presented in any discourse
• Genre:

  • A particular subject or style of literature, art, or music, etc.
  • Informational Text:
  • A subset of the larger category of non-fiction
  • Primary purpose is to inform the reader about the natural or social world
• Kinds of Informational Text:

  • Encyclopedia
  • Magazines
  • Textbooks
  • Newspaper/Periodicals
  • Websites
  • Other reference materials
• Literary Text:

  • Pieces of writing material, such as a book or poem, that has the purpose of telling a story or entertaining
  • Drama
  • Fable
  • Fairytales
  • Fantasy
  • Folklore
  • Legend or Epic
  • Historical Fiction
  • Horror
  • Mystery
  • Mythology
  • Realistic Fiction
  • Science Fiction
• Types of Literary Discourse:

  • Poetic Discourse
  • Expressive Discourse
  • Transactional Discourse
• Academic Discourse:

  • Expository or argumentative in nature
  • Sometimes presents an individual’s insights regarding a concept or method in a scholarly way
  • Academic journals and essays
• General Format of Academic Discourse:

  • Introduction:
  • 1-3 sentences
  • States the significance of the topic
  • Issues need to be addressed
  • Objectives of the discourse
  • Body:
  • 3-5 sentences
  • Conclusion:
  • 1-2 sentences
  • Insight and recommendations