English for Academic and Professional Purposes

Lesson 1: The Difference of Creative Writing to Beginning

Academic and Technical Writing ・What can I create out of a particular feeling, image,
experience, or memory?
Three Styles of Writing:
・Technical Purpose
・Academic ・Carries out a writer’s compelling desire to imagine,
・Creative or Imaginative invent, explore, or share; has a life on its own
Form
Technical Writing
・Some of the common types of creative writing are
・Closely related to the process, or “how to” essay
poetry, essays, character-sketches, short-fiction,
・Function is to clearly explain the steps to accomplish a
anecdotes, play-scripts, songs, parodies, reminiscences,
task
historical fiction, etc.
・Communication written for and about business and
industry, focusing on products and services Audience
・A specific audience may not be known in the beginning,
ex: memos and email, letters, reports, brochures and
and each situation is different
newsletters, the job search, fliers
・If it has a universal meaning, the story will speak to a
Academic Writing
wide range of readers and may have varied meaning for
・Process that starts with posing a question,
various people
problematizing a concept, evaluating an opinion, and
Style
ends in answering the questions posed, clarifying and
・Writer’s style comes from an array of choices that result
arguing
in the sole ownership of the finished product
・More complex because most academic writing is tied to
・The key to attaining a unique style is focused control
a specific discipline or field
・A good write up has the ability to affect a reader
・Occurs even in the business and computer sectors for
mentally and emotionally
emphasis on technical writing
・Requires deliberate, thorough and careful thought,
Lesson 2-3: Critical Reading
involves research
Critical Reading
・Purpose: Inform, Argue, Persuade
・Scrutinizing any information that you read or hear
ex: essay, research, summary-reaction papers, review of ・Not easily believing information offered by a text
the literature, critique paper, thesis ・An active process of discovery (Gary Goshgarian)
Creative Writing ・You are not just receiving information but also making
・Process of inventing or rather presenting your thoughts an interaction with the writer

in an appealing way
・Each piece of writing has a purpose and is targeted at
an audience
・Beginning, Middle, and an End
・Figurative use of language and style

ex: poetry, plays, fiction, songs, speeches, memoirs

Requirements in Critical Thinking
Lesson 4: Academic Writing
Ramage, Bean, and Johnson (2006)
・Most academic texts adhere to the model called imrad,
・The ability to pose problematic questions
which is an acronym for introduction, methods and
・The ability to analyze a problem in all its dimensions; to
materials, results, and discussion.
define its key terms, determine its causes, understand its
history, appreciate its human dimension and connection Introduction
to one’s own personal experience ・Literature Review
・The ability for find, gather, and interpret data, facts, and ・Statement of the Problem
other information relevant to the problem ・Plan to Solve the Problem
・The ability to imagine alternative solutions to the ・What Question was Asked
problem, to see different ways in which the question
Methods and Results
might be answered
・How Research was Done
・The ability to analyze competing approaches and
・Data; How is it Studied
answers, to construct arguments for and against
・What Answers were Found
alternatives, and to choose the best solution in the light
of values, objectives, and other criteria Discussion
・The ability to write and effective argument justifying ・Interpretation of Results
your choice while acknowledging counter-arguments ・(What Does It Mean?)
・Implications for the Field
Ways to Help Become a Critical Reader

Annotate what you Read 1. Essay - argumentative text; usually short (1.5k-6k)
・One of the ways to interact with the writer is to write on Introduction - gives the reader with a clear idea of the
the text emphasis and purpose of the writing
・Can underline, circle, or highlight words or sentences Body - where the essay’s argument, concepts and
that contain important details, or can write marginal outcomes are established and discussed
notes asking questions or commenting on the ideas of Conclusion - function as a brief repetition of the key
the writer arguments and facts that have been treated in the
essay; should not include new facts or ideas
Outline the Text
・In order to fully engage in a dialogue with the text, you 2. Research Paper - longer essay involving library
need to identify the main points of the writer has raised research (3k-6k)
to support their stand Title - gives information and description of the subject
・Thesis Statement, Point 1, Point 2, Point 3 matter of the research; must be short, informative, made
up of only 15 to 20 words
Summarize the Text
Abstract - giving 100 to 150 word discussions of the
・You can get the main points of the text you are reading
salient parts of the research paper
and write its gist in your own words.
Introduction - explains the background of the Research
Evaluate the Text Problem; states a set of specific Research Questions,
・The most challenging part and Optional Hypotheses or Assumptions
・You question the author’s purpose and intentions, as Method - the types and sources of data; method used in
well as their assumptions in the claims collecting and analyzing the data gathered
Findings, Discussion, and Conclusion - finding of Language Used in Academic Texts
your study; any conclusions derive their validity or
Academic Text - critical, objective, and specialized text
truthfulness from factual or logically determined data
written by professionals using a formal language
Recommendations - to broaden the readers’
knowledge by recommending activities they can possibly 1. Formal Language - things to avoid:
do to extend, modify, replicate the findings a. Colloquial words (stuff, a lot, thing)
References - uses the author/date method of citation b. Abbreviations (can’t, doesn’t, shouldn’t)
using APA-recommended style c. Two-word verbs (put off, bring up)
Appendix - contains copies of table, questionnaires, 2. Precision - you need to be precise when you use
interview rates, observation checklist, etc. information, dates, or figures
a. 50 million people > a lot of people
3. Dissertation - long essay involving study and
3. Objectivity - has a basis (facts)
research (6k-2k)
4. Technical - specific words that are only suited for a
Cover Page - reveals most crucial data (name, title)
specific discipline “virus”
Acknowledgements - structure section where you
express gratitude Technical Language - As well as using formal
Abstract - briefly describes the topic language, you also need to write technically; you need to
Table of Contents - involves figures and tables develop a large vocabulary for the concepts specific to
Introduction - explain topic and relevance the discipline or specialization you’re writing for. To do
Literature Review - backbone of structure this, take note of terminology used
Methodology - how research is conducted
Results - what did the obtained data indicate Lesson 5: The Writing Process
Conclusion and Discussion - were hypotheses
Writing Process (4 Distinct Types)
confirmed; provide recommendations and limitations
Pre-writing, Drafting, Revising, Editing
Reference List - list all sources mentioned (APA,
Oxford, MLA, etc.) Pre-Writing
Appendix - normally includes survey questions or ・Helps writers develop clear reasoning
interviews’ transcripts ・Helps writers find weak points in arguments
・Increases efficiency by helping the writer map, plan, or
Purposes in Reading an Academic Text
brainstorm about their writing before beginning a first
1. To locate a main idea
2. To scan for information draft
3. To identify gaps in existing studies
Steps to Fully Understand the Process of Writing
4. To connect new ideas to existing ones
1. Jot down the different terms or ideas
5. To gain more pieces of information
6. To support a particular writing assignment 2. Reread what you have written and decide which of
7. To deeply understand an existing idea the ideas are connected to each other
Factors to Consider in Writing an Academic Text 3. Examine the ideas that you mapped out and identify
1. State critical questions and issues which ideas are broad or general and which are specific
2. Provide facts and evidence from credible sources 4. Understand why you are writing the paper
3. Use precise, accurate words while avoiding jargon 5. Think of the people who will possibly read you paper
4. Take an objective point of view
5. List references
6. Use cautious language
Steps in Choosing a Topic Post-Writing (according to Murray, 2005)
1. Brainstorming ・“Writing is revising”
・Writing any idea that comes to mind ・“Re-seeing the entire draft so that the writer can deal
・Group problem-solving technique with the large issues that must be resolved before he or
2. Freewriting she deals with the large issues that must be resolved”
・Writing ideas, allowing to generate and narrow
3. Clustering Reaction Paper / Review / Critique
・technique that provides a graphic representation of ・Form opinions based on facts
ideas; allows to visualize connections or relationships of ・Requires the writer to analyze the text then develop
ideas commentary related to it
・Requires thoughtful reading, research, and writing
Plagiarism
・Response to an event, incident, project, etc
・Claiming of other works as one’s work
・Primarily subjective since it manifests writer’s ideas and
・Using somebody else’s work or ideas without proper
emotions; objective because it is based on facts
acknowledgement or citation
・Forms opinions based on facts
Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines RA 8293
・Contains provisions regarding published works and The following needs to be considered:
copyright ownership ・facts, opinions, and claims
・Act prescribing the intellectual property code ・sources to support claims
Paraphrasing ・language use
・Rendering the essential ideas using own words ・presenting views
・Usually shorter than the original text ・approaches in writing a critique
Directly Quoting
Fact - truth, reality, thing that exists/existed
・Identical to the original text
Opinion - person’s view, appraisal, judgement
・Preferred when author’s ideas are so important that
paraphrasing them will change the essence Criticize - analyze, evaluate, judge the merits and the
demerits of the reading material
Writing ・formulates evaluative statements
1. Develop your Thesis Statement
Presenting Views - writer of a reaction paper, review, or
a. Thesis Statement - the claim or stand that you
critique may have favorable and unfavorable views
will develop in your paper
b. Controlling the idea of your essay Approaches in Writing Critique - cultural, formalistic or
c. Should not announce something or state a fact literary, historical, impressionistic, moral or humanistic,
2. Organizing your Paper psychological, sociological
a. Support thesis statement with sufficient evidence
b. Organize ideas in a logical order
c. Finding the connections of one point to another