12

English for Academic and

Professional Purposes
Quarter 3-Module 1
Language Used in Academic Texts
English for Academic and Professional Purposes – Grade 12
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 1 – Module 1: Language Used in Academic Texts
First Edition, 2020

Republic Act 8293, section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist in any work of
the Government of the Philippines. However, prior approval of the government agency
or office wherein the work is created shall be necessary for exploitation of such work
for profit. Such agency or office may, among other things, impose as a condition the
payment of royalties.

Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems, pictures, photos, brand names,
trademarks, etc.) included in this module are owned by their respective copyright
holders. Every effort has been exerted to locate and seek permission to use these
materials from their respective copyright owners. The publisher and authors do not
represent nor claim ownership over them.

Published by the Department of Education

Secretary: Leonor Magtolis Briones
Undersecretary: Diosdado M. San Antonio

Development Team of the Module

Writer: Grace A. Cimafranca
Editor: Ellen E. Edrial EdD
Reviewer: Ellen E. Edrial EdD
Illustrator: Name
Layout Artist/Typesetter: James Anthony C. Diputado
Management Team: Senen Priscillo P. Paulin, CESO V Rosela R. AbieraFay C.
Luarez, TM, EdD, Ph Maricel S. Rasid

Nilita L. Ragay, EdD Elmar L. Cabrera

Anna Lee A. Amores, EdD

Elmar L. Cabrera
Printed in the Philippines by ________________________

Department of Education –Region VII Schools Division of Negros Oriental

Office Address: Kagawasan, Ave., Daro, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental

Tele #: (035) 225 2376 / 541 1117
E-mail Address: negros.oriental@deped.gov.ph
English for Academic and Professional Purposes
Quarter 3 – Module 1

TOPIC: Language Used in Academic Texts

Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

Welcome to the English for Academic Purposes for Grade 12 Alternative

Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on Language Used in Academic Texts!

This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by

educators both from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher
or facilitator in helping the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12
Curriculum while overcoming their personal, social, and economic
constraints in schooling.

This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and
independent learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this
also aims to help learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking
into consideration their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the
body of the module:

Notes to the Teacher

Education is not the filling of a pot but the
lighting of a fire.”
-W.B. Yeats

As a facilitator, you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this
module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing
them to manage their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to
encourage and assist the learners as they do the tasks included in the module.

ii
For the learner:

Welcome to the English for Academic Purposes for Grade 12 Alternative

Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on Language Used in Academic Texts!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful
opportunities for guided and independent learning at your own pace and time.
You will be enabled to process the contents of the learning resource while
being an active learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

This will give you an idea of the skills or

What I Need to Know competencies you are expected to learn in the
module.

This part includes an activity that aims to

check what you already know about the
What I Know
lesson to take. If you get all the answers
correct (100%), you may decide to skip this
module.
This is a brief drill or review to help you link
What’s In the current lesson with the previous one.

In this portion, the new lesson will be

What’s New introduced to you in various ways; a story, a
song, a poem, a problem opener, an activity
or a situation.
This section provides a brief discussion of the
What is It lesson. This aims to help you discover and
understand new concepts and skills.

This comprises activities for independent

practice to solidify your understanding and
What’s More
skills of the topic. You may check the
answers to the exercises using the Answer
Key at the end of the module.
This includes questions or blank
What I Have Learned sentence/paragraph to be filled in to process
what you learned from the lesson.
This section provides an activity which will
What I Can Do help you transfer your new knowledge or skill
into real life situations or concerns.

iii
 This is a task which aims to evaluate your
Assessment level of mastery in achieving the learning
competency.
In this portion, another activity will be given
Additional Activities to you to enrich your knowledge or skill of the
lesson learned.

Answer Key This contains answers to all activities in the

module.

At the end of this module you will also find:

References This is a list of all sources used in

developing this module.

The following are some reminders in using this module:

1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part
of the module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other
activities included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your
answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through
with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do
not hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that
you are not alone.

We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful

learning and gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You
can do it!

iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENT PAGES

TITLE PAGE ------------------------------------------------ i

INTRODUCTORY MESSAGE --------------------------------- ii

For the Facilitator --------------------------------- ii
For the learner ----------------------------------------- iii

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW --------------------------------- 1

Learning Competency --------------------------------- 1

WHAT I KNOW ------------------------------------------------ 2

Task 1 ------------------------------------------------ 2

WHAT’S IN ------------------------------------------------ 2
Task 2 ------------------------------------------------ 2

WHAT’S NEW ------------------------------------------------ 3

Task 2 ------------------------------------------------ 3

WHAT IS IT ------------------------------------------------ 4

WHAT’S MORE ------------------------------------------------ 8

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED --------------------------------- 10

WHAT I CAN DO ---------------------------------------- 10

ASSESSMENT ------------------------------------------------ 11

ANSWER KEYS ------------------------------------------------ 12

REFERENCE LIST -------------------------------------------- 13

v
 WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

INTRODUCTION

Academic writing is usually seen as a lonely and frightening endeavor. Most of

the time, students and even professionals cower when asked to hand in academic
papers. They seem to have a notion that writing academic papers requires skills
that very few possess.

This is true for most students. They probably equate academic writing to
research writing. There is a big possibility that you dread writing papers, be it a
reaction paper, argumentative essay, or proposal. This imposing manner of
looking at academic writing has to be changed; students have to see that
academic writing is an activity that is within their grasp. Hence, it is important
for students to know what academic writing is and be able to write in this style.

In this module, you will be able to learn the language used in academic texts
from various disciplines.

MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCY

CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-la-c-4 Differentiates language used in academic
texts from various disciplines

At the end of the module, you should be able to:

Knowledge: differentiate academic texts from non-academic texts;

Skills: recognize the characteristics of language used in academic texts;

and,

Attitude: show the importance of academic writing through evaluating the

academic texts based on its use of language.

Please take note that all answers shall be written in your activity
notebook, and there should never be any markings placed in this module.

1
 WHAT I KNOW

Task 1
Direction: Write T if the statement is true and write F if the statement is
incorrect.

_____ 1. Academic writing is intended for a scholarly audience.

_____ 2. The main aim of academic writing is to entertain the audience.
_____ 3. The tone of academic writing is objective and formal.
_____ 4. Contractions are discouraged in an academic text.
_____ 5. Newspaper articles are some examples of non-academic writing.
_____ 6. Like academic writing, non-academic writing often does not
have a rigid structure.
_____ 7. Academic writing may not be based on research.

WHAT’S IN

Task 2

Directions: Arrange the words/phrases where they belong. They are used to
describe either academic text or non- academic text.

Personal opinions Subjective Objective

No fixed structure Validate idea Diaries Formal
Research papers Informal essays Scholarly audience

Academic Text Non-Academic text

________________________________ _________________________________

________________________________ _________________________________

________________________________ _________________________________

________________________________ _________________________________

________________________________ _________________________________

2
 WHAT’S NEW

Task 3
Direction: Read the following sentence from a student’s essay:

Articles on women's sports were placed on the left page and often at the bottom,
which is a place skipped by many readers.

A. Which two sentences below express the same idea using more formal
language? Write these two sentences on your notebook.

1. Articles on women’s sports were placed on the left page, often at the
bottom, which is an area often overlooked by readers.
2. Articles on women’s sports were placed on the left page, often at the
bottom, which is an area most readers jump over.
3. Articles on women’s sports were placed on the left page, often at the
bottom, which is a less prominent position.
B. Match the informal vocabulary in the list below with the more
appropriate formal options underneath.

English often has more than one way to express an action. The choice is usually
between a phrasal verb (often verb + preposition) and a single word. Phrasal
verbs (e.g. give up, write down) are often used in conversation; however, in
academic writing single verbs are used wherever possible.

1. Look at – 6. A lot of -
2. Go over - 7. A bit -
3. Show - 8. Fix-
4. Begin - 9. Make sure-
5. Good -

Solve , repair, amend Demonstrate, indicate, illustrate

Commence, initiate, undertake A great deal of, many, an abundance

Confirm, determine, verify Revise, review

Consider, monitor, analyze Somewhat, fairly, quite

Satisfactory, positive, favorable Excellent, perfect, accurate

3
 WHAT IS IT

What is Academic Writing?

Academic writing is a formal and rather impersonal mode of writing that is

intended for a scholarly audience. It tends to depend heavily on research, factual
evidence, opinions of educated researchers and scholars. Scholarly essays,
research papers, dissertations, etc. are some examples of academic writing. All
these types of writings have a rigid structure and layout, which includes an
introduction, thesis, an overview of topics discussed, as well as a well-written
conclusion. The main aim of academic writing is to inform the audience while
providing non-biased information and backing up the writer’s claims with solid
evidence.

Moreover, academic writing heavily contains vocabulary typical to a specific field.

Citations and a list of references or sources are another important feature in
academic writing. Moreover, the tone in academic writing should always be
objective and formal.

Each subject discipline will have certain writing conventions, vocabulary and
types of discourse that you will become familiar with over the course of your
degree. However, there are some general characteristics of academic writing that
are relevant across all disciplines.
Sources: https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-academic-writing-and-non-
academic-writing and https://library.leeds.ac.uk/info/14011/writing/106/academic_writing

Some Tips for Academic Writing

• Always use formal language. Avoid using colloquialism or slang.

• Don’t use contractions (shortened verb forms).
• Use the third-person point of view and avoid the first-person point of view.
• Don’t pose questions; convert the questions into statements.
• Avoid exaggerations or hyperbole.
• Don’t make sweeping generalizations
• Be clear and concise and avoid repeating.

Source: https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-academic-
writing-and-non-academic-writing/

4
 What is Non Academic Writing?

Non-academic writing is writing that is not intended for an academic

audience. They are written for a lay audience or the mass public. This type of
writing may be personal, impressionistic, emotional, or subjective in nature.

The language in non-academic writing is informal or casual. Some types of non-

academic writing may even contain slang. Newspaper articles, memoirs,
magazine articles, personal or business letters, novels, websites, text messages,
etc. are some examples of non-academic writing. The content of these writings is
often a general topic, unlike academic writing, which mainly focuses on a specific
field. Furthermore, the main aim of a piece of non-academic writing is to inform,
entertain or persuade the readers.

Most non-academic writings do not include references, citations or a list of

sources. Nor are they extensively well-researched as academic writing. Moreover,
non-academic writing often does not have a rigid structure as academic writing.
It is often free-flowing and reflects the style and personality of the writer.
Source: https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-academic-writing-
and-non-academic-writing/

Examples of non-academic texts are the following:

1. Email messages
2. Personal opinions
3. Newspapers
4. Magazine
5. Blog article

Non-academic texts are masterpiece by anyone whose audiences are general

public. The author style of writing is informal, casual, or sometimes slang
words. Non-academic text does not have any reference to support the idea.
Typically, non-academic text will be found and read through newspapers,
magazine, blog articles, facebook post and email messages. The author of non-
academic writing does not have credentials like educational background, other
writing or even experience putted in their writings.
Source: https://brainly.ph/question/605392

Point of view of non-academic text

• Subjective and personal – It is based on personal opinions and feeling
rather than on facts that comes from reliable sources.

• Asking rhetorical questions – It is a self-evident, and used for style as an

impressive persuasive device. It may have an obvious answer, but the
questioner asks it to lay emphasis to the point.

5
 Source: https://brainly.ph/question/605392

What is academic language?

Academic language is the language used in the classroom and workplace, the
language of text, the language assessments, the language of academic success
and the language of power.

The term academic language may be used to refer to formal English rules,
structure, and content for academic dialogue and text, and the communicative
conventions that allow students to meet the demands of school environments.

“Academic English is the language of the classroom, of academic disciplines

(science, history, literary analysis), of texts and literature, and of extended,
reasoned discourse. It is more abstract and decontextualized than
conversational English” (Gersten, Baker, Shanahan, Linan-Thompson, Collins,
& Scarcella, 2007, p. 16).

Features of Academic Language

Academic language has a unique set of rules: it should be explicit, formal and
factual as well as objective and analytical in nature. Students often think that
academic language should sound complex and be difficult to write and
understand but that is not necessarily the case. Instead, academic writing
should be clear and concise in order to communicate its contents in the best
way. It is important to remember that academic texts are written with an
academic audience in mind and your writing style needs to conform to the
conventions of the field you are studying.

The language used at university has various features which distinguish it from
the language styles used in other contexts. Consider the language used in novels,
conversation, newspapers or law courts. Each has its own style, with varying
degrees of formality and objectivity. Academic language is:

• formal
• objective
• impersonal
• precise

These features ensure that ideas and arguments are communicated in a clear,
convincing and professional manner.
Formal

Formal writing requires considerable effort to construct meaningful sentences,

paragraphs, and arguments that make the text easy to comprehend. Choose
words precisely and carefully so that the reader can accurately understand the
concepts within the text.

6
The tone used in academic writing is usually formal, meaning that it should not
sound conversational or casual. You should particularly avoid colloquial,
idiomatic, slang, or journalistic expressions in favour of precise vocabulary.
Informal and colloquial language is often imprecise, so is open to
misinterpretation, and can be inaccessible to non-native English speakers.

Academic writing requires that you use full forms rather than contractions. For
example, write ‘do not’ instead of ‘don't’, ‘it is’ instead of ‘it's’, ‘they have’ instead
of ‘they've’ and ‘we will’ instead of ‘we'll’.

Objective

Academic writing is based on research and not on the writer’s own opinion
about a given topic. When you write objectively you are concerned about facts
and not influenced by personal feelings or biases. When presenting an
argument to the reader, try to show both sides if you can and avoid making
value judgments.

At the same time you will probably have to do an analysis or a discussion and
in that manner express an attitude. In order to convey attitude without using
for example “I think”, you may use words such as apparently, arguably, ideally,
strangely and unexpectedly. Note that the attitude you are expressing should
not be based on personal preferences but rather on the evidence that you are
presenting.

Impersonal

Academic language is impersonal in that you generally don’t refer to yourself as

the performer of actions. This involves avoiding the personal pronouns ‘I’ and
‘we’. For example, instead of writing ‘I will show’, you might write ‘this report will
show’. The second person, ‘you’, is also to be avoided.

Avoiding personal pronouns

If you need to avoid using the first or second person, in your writing, here are
some ways of doing it:

Using passive voice:

‘We administered the questionnaire...’ (active voice)
‘The questionnaire was administered...’ (passive voice)

Using third person:

‘I discovered that…’ becomes ‘Research reveals that…’
‘We can see that….’ becomes ‘It is evident that…’

Making things rather than people the subject of sentences:

‘I show...’ becomes ‘The report shows...’
‘I interpret the results as...’ becomes ‘The results indicate...’

7
PRECISE

The facts are presented accurately. The choice of words are appropriate. The
use of technical terms to achieve precision is applied.

Source: https://www.monash.edu/rlo/research-writing-
assignments/writing/features-of-academic-writing/academic-language

WHAT'S MORE

Activity 4

Directions: Read the articles below. Evaluate these two texts and answer the
following questions. Write your answers on your notebook.

1. In your opinion, which of the texts is an academic text?

2. Why do you consider it as an academic text?

A. The Impact of COVID-19 on Drug Testing

Brian P. Feeley
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has created hesitation as far as workplace drug
testing is concerned, it can still be done in a safe and effective manner.

The COVID-19 pandemic is responsible for what could be the greatest economic
collapse of all time. Since March 1, 2020, thousands of businesses have been
forced to close their doors—at least temporarily—causing literally millions of
Americans to become unemployed. Now, over half a year later, employers are
anxious to reopen their businesses and those who lost jobs are eager to find
employment and get back to work.

While states are taking plans to reopen at different speeds, one constant
remains—the question of workplace drug testing and safety during the
pandemic. This article will give an overview of the general impact of COVID-19
on the industry, alternative testing methods during the pandemic and best
practices for returning to work.

B. 2021 Law and Society Association Annual Meeting

8
 Thu, 27 May 2021 12:00:00 AM – Sun, 30 May 2021 11:59:59 PM
We are excited to announce the theme of the 2021 Annual Meeting that will take
place in Chicago from May 27-30! Please keep an eye out for the official Call for
Papers later this fall
The 2021 Law and Society Association Annual Meeting will be held, we hope, in
Chicago, a city that embodies inequality and violence but also has a long history
of reform and re-imagination. In this setting, we invite scholars in the law and
society tradition to submit panels and papers that speak to the themes of law
and justice in crises and disasters, but also in healing and reparations, in
building sustainable systems, in reshaping social practices and imaginaries, and
in creating new possibilities. A conference focused on crisis foregrounds the
present, but it also looks to the past and to the future with the themes of healing
and re-imagining. As scholars, we have a special role in re-imagining law and
legal institutions to make our societies and institutions more resilient and just.
We can also contribute to a multi-faceted understanding of healing, which opens
new and different entry points to old problems. These themes cut across
disciplines and invite creative thinking beyond law and beyond social science, to
encompass the humanities, the arts, medicine, and the natural sciences.

Questions include, but are not limited to:

▪ Health: How has law contributed to the COVID-19 pandemic response and to the
racial and economic inequities in exposure and morbidity? What might be the
role for law and justice in creating a sustainable system for access to health in
its wake?

▪ Democracy: What is the role of law and legal institutions in facilitating or

retarding the global erosion of democracy?

▪ Race: The mass demonstrations against police brutality that followed the death
of George Floyd in 2020 spread around the world. Can policing and the carceral
state be re-imagined in response to what many now refer to as the pandemic of
violence against racialized minorities? What might defunding look like in
practice?

▪ Environment: Climate change has caused many to question whether we are

reaching the limits of the planet’s ability to sustain human society in its current
form. What role has law played in getting us here, and what role might it play in
creating an economic system that is resilient and sustainable?

▪ Economy: The set of legal institutions that governed the expansion of trade over
the past decades are being rapidly undermined. What role will law play in an
economic downturn and recovery?

▪ Law: How has law contributed to the various crises we find ourselves in? How
might legal institutions themselves be re-imagined?

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

9
Activity 5
Directions: Write your reflection in your notebook by completing the
unfinished statements below.

I have learned that __________________________________________________________.

I have realized that______________________________________________________.
I will apply _______________________________________________________________.

WHAT I CAN DO

Activity 6
Directions: Paste on your notebook two (2) examples of academic texts from
various disciplines. Then, evaluate the characteristics of the
academic language found in the academic texts using the criteria
below.

Characteristics of Text A Text B

Academic Language
Does the text use a
formal language?
(Yes/No)
Is the language
impersonal? (Yes/No)
Are the choice of words
appropriate for an
academic text? (Yes/No)
Does the text use
technical terms? (If yes,
write 1 term found in the
text./No)
Is the academic text
objective? (Yes/If No,
write 2 phrases that
indicate subjectivity.)

ASSESSMENT

10
Activity 7
Directions: Read each statement carefully and identify whether each statement
is true or false. Write T if the statement is true and F if it is false.

_______ 1. Non-academic text is based on personal opinions and feeling.

_______ 2. Academic texts are written for a lay audience or the mass public.
_______ 3. Academic texts can use first person point-of-view and include one’s
emotional attachment to the topic.
_______ 4. The tone used in academic writing is usually formal, meaning that it
should not sound conversational or casual.
_______ 5. Academic writing is based on research and not on the writer’s own
opinion about a given topic.
________6. Scholarly essays, research papers, dissertations, etc. are some
examples of non academic writing.
_______ 7. The features of Academic language are informal, objective, precise,
and impersonal.
_______ 8. Both academic and non-academic texts employ the use of informal
language.
_______ 9. Academic language is impersonal in that you generally don’t refer to
yourself as the performer of actions.
_______10. The main aim of academic writing is to inform the audience while
providing non-biased information and backing up the writer’s
claims with solid evidence.

11
Answer Key

Task 1
1. T
2. F
3. T
4. T
5. T
6. F
7. F

Task 2

Academic Text Non Academic Text

Research papers Personal opinions
Validate idea No fixed structure
Objective Subjective
Scholarly audience Informal essay
Formal Diaries

Task 3
A.

Articles on women’s sports were placed on the left page, often at the bottom, which is an area
often overlooked by readers.

Articles on women’s sports were placed on the left page, often at the bottom, which is a less
prominent position.

B.

1. Look at – consider, monitor 6. A lot of – a great deal of

2. Go over – revise, review 7. A bit – somewhat, fairly
3. Show – demonstration 8. Fix- solve, repair
4. Begin – commence, initiate 9. Make sure- confirm
5. Good – satisfactory

Task 4- Answers may vary

Task 5- Answers may vary

Task 6- Answers may vary

Task 7

1. T 6. F

2. F 7. F

3. F 8. F

4. T 9. T

5. T 10. T

12
 REFERENCES

(n.d.). In M. T. Grace M. Saqueton, English for Academic and Professional Purposes. Rex Book Store
Publishing Company.

(n.d.). Retrieved from Law and Society Association: http://conferences.academicjournals.org/cat/legal-

studies/2021-law-and-society-association-annual-meeting

(2021, February 26). Retrieved from Occupational Health and Safety:

https://ohsonline.com/articles/2021/03/01/the-impact-of-covid19-on-drug-testing.aspx

(2021, February 21). Retrieved from The University Library: https://lnu.se/en/library/Writing-and-

referencing/academic-language/

(2021, February 21). Retrieved from https://brainly.ph/question/605392

(2021, February 25). Retrieved from Using Academic Language: www.monash.edu.

(2021, February 21). Retrieved from

https://library.leeds.ac.uk/info/14011/writing/106/academic_writing

Hasa. (2019, February 1). Retrieved from Difference Between Academic and Non Academic Writing:
https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-academic-writing-and-non-academic-
writing/

Scarcella, R. (2021, February 25). Retrieved from Academic Language for English Language Learners:
www.colorincolorado.org.

13
 For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – Schools Division of Negros Oriental

Kagawasan, Avenue, Daro, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental

Tel #: (035) 225 2376 / 541 1117

Email Address: negros.oriental@deped.gov.ph
Website: lrmds.depednodis.net