English Lesson 1 & 2

• Academic writing


  A formal style of writing used in universities and scholarly publications, a nonfiction writing produced as part of academic work
• Academic writing


  • Relatively formal prose register
  • Frequent reference to other academic work
  • Use of rhetoric to convey the topic effectively
• Planning in academic writing


  • Usually takes place after research and evaluation, according to a specific purpose and plan
• Organization in academic writing


  • Flows easily from one section to the next in a logical fashion
  • Structure is easily determined by the genre of the text
• Formality in academic writing


  • Using formal language rather than everyday common language
  • Choosing expanded forms over contracted forms
  • Choosing one verb form over two-verbs
  • Avoiding colloquial/idiomatic expression
  • Choosing expanded terms over their abbreviated equivalents
• Objectivity in academic writing


  • The writing must be impersonal
  • Main emphasis should be on the presented information and/or arguments rather than what you think about the issue
  • Avoid the use of personal pronouns such as You, We, and I
  • Avoiding rhetorical questions
  • Avoiding emotive language that show biases
• Explicitness in academic writing


  • The writer must make it clear to the reader how the various parts of the text are related
  • Using different signaling words
  • Citing/Acknowledging sources of ideas
• Caution in academic writing


  • Achieved through the use of devices such as modal verbs, adverbs or verbs to avoid sweeping generalization
• Hearing


  Accidental and automatic brain response to sound that requires no effort
• Listening


  Purposeful and focused rather than accidental, requires motivation and effort
• How do we listen?

  1. Begin by listening carefully to the main idea to identify the subject or topic

  2. Listen for "Key words" to help you remember details

  3. Pay attention to the discourse markers used in the text
• Discourse markers


  Words or phrases whose function is to organize speech into segments
• Benefits of listening

  • Become a better student
  • Become a better friend
  • People will find you as intelligent and perceptive
  • Can help you improve your public speaking abilities