Lesson 1 Module PDF

 Ateneo de Davao University Senior High School Km. 7, MacArthur Highway Bangkal, Talomo, Davao City S.Y: 2021-2022 LEARNING CO...

 Ateneo de Davao University Senior High School Km. 7, MacArthur Highway Bangkal, Talomo, Davao City S.Y: 2021-2022 LEARNING CONTENT FOR MODULE 1 Identifying Text Structure and Language Academic Text. An academic text is a product of communication or piece of language used for academic purposes or in relation to academic courses (subjects) (Menoy, 2016). It is discipline-specific rather than a general set of writing practices (Academic Writing in English: Lund University, 2014). Academic texts use formal language, are written with precision and accuracy, and follow a particular pattern of organization. According to Hyland (2006), academic writing is characterized by: High lexical density- a high proportion of content words in relation to grammar words such as prepositions, articles and pronouns which makes academic writing more tightly packed with information High nominal style- actions and events are presented as nouns rather than verbs to package complex phenomena as a single element of clause Impersonal constructions- avoiding first-person pronouns by using passive structure as well as expression of feelings Examples of academic text are essays, case studies, journal articles, research reports, theses/dissertations, book reviews, field studies, marketing proposals, technical abstracts, sections in a reference book, and other texts written by scholars/academicians for academic purposes. Structuring the Text A well-structured academic text communicates the writer's intentions and results to the reader. In such a text, the structure acts like a framework, in that it enables the material to be presented in a coherent and logical manner. A text without structure, on the other hand, is difficult to read as it leaves the reader unprepared for what will come next, and the ideas that the writer wishes to convey to his or her reader therefore risk being lost or misunderstood. Depending on discipline, there are different traditions, conventions and demands on text structure and text types. What follows below is general information regarding the structure of texts. A. Framing the Text: Title and Reference List These two elements frame the text in the sense that the title is what first welcomes the reader to the text and the list of references is the final part of the text. Title Titles need to be informative and attractive in order to gain prospective readers' attention. Consider the following when formulating a title: Avoid long and convoluted titles. If choosing a so-called compound title (a title consisting of two elements separated by a colon, for instance), make sure that both parts of the title are relevant and necessary. Include keywords of the text in the title in order to inform prospective readers as well as to make sure that the text is easily found by readers interested in the subject. Sometimes it is appropriate to describe what kind of investigation the text comprises. For instance, nouns such as 'investigation', 'exploration', 'discussion', or 'comparison' could be used. Avoid false marketing - make sure that your title does not indicate something that is not actually discussed in the article. ADDU Senior High School | English for Academic and Professional Purposes | pg. 2  Ateneo de Davao University Senior High School Km. 7, MacArthur Highway Bangkal, Talomo, Davao City S.Y: 2021-2022 Reference List This is to establish credibility and reliability of the work. This may also help ease the search for more information on the same topic. The institution decides what particular reference style to follow. B. Structuring the whole Text A standard format for analytical and argumentative essays is the three-part essay structure consisting of Introduction, Body and Conclusion. In the Introduction, the reader is introduced to the topic that will be discussed and to the argument that will be presented which is called a thesis. After the Introduction, follows the Body, which is the main part of the text. In the Body, the discussion/analysis is carried out and the results are presented. In the last part of the essay, the Conclusion, the argument is summed up and conclusions are drawn. For analytical research, the structure follows the IMRD (Introduction, Methodology, Results, and Discussion) format. For argumentative research/essay, the structure includes Introduction with Thesis Statement, Background, Pro-Arguments, Counterarguments, and Conclusion. (The structure usually depends on the format the institution follows.) C. Structure within Section of Text Working with subheadings One way of signposting the structure while writing is to insert tentative subheadings as soon as a new topic or turn of reasoning begins. Such subheadings help writers to see the structure of their developing texts and they also serve to clarify the pros and cons of the chosen structure. Depending on instructions from supervisors or publishers, subheadings may have to be removed in the finished text. If this is the case, they can be transformed into suitable topic sentences or transitional phrases in order to help the reader make the desired transition from one section to another. Division into Paragraphs Ideally one idea per paragraph. Some genres accept very long paragraphs (a whole page, perhaps) while others expect them to be fairly short (about three sentences). In any case, there are two ways of indicating the start of a new paragraph. Either you leave a blank line between paragraphs, or you indent the first line of a new paragraph. ADDU Senior High School | English for Academic and Professional Purposes | pg. 3  Ateneo de Davao University Senior High School Km. 7, MacArthur Highway Bangkal, Talomo, Davao City S.Y: 2021-2022 D. Structure within Paragraphs 3. In the topic sentence (introductory sentence), the topic or focus of the paragraph is presented. The topic sentence serves as a focal point, foregrounding the content of the whole paragraph. By signaling to the reader what the paragraph deals with, the topic sentence will thus increase the readability of the text. Although it is possible for the topic sentence to appear anywhere in a paragraph, it usually appears at the beginning. 4. The main part of the paragraph consists of supporting sentences: this is where the argument that explains and/or proves the topic sentence is delivered. 5. At the end of the paragraph is the concluding sentence (transition sentence), which sums up the argument of the paragraph, and may create a transition to the next paragraph. A transition provides the text with a smoother flow between paragraphs. Think of a burger when see a paragraph. E. Signposting the Structure Academic writing should be easy to follow. One way to do this to give your reader clear signposts about how your argument is developing. Here are some examples of effective signposting. It comes in a form of: 1. Subheadings (usually observed in analytical papers such as theses and dissertations) 2. Transitional words (Recall Reading and Writing lessons) The following will show you different signposts used in academic writing. The notes will be deemed useful especially that you’ll be writing lots of academic papers. Read and learn from it! ADDU Senior High School | English for Academic and Professional Purposes | pg. 4  Ateneo de Davao University Senior High School Km. 7, MacArthur Highway Bangkal, Talomo, Davao City S.Y: 2021-2022 ADDU Senior High School | English for Academic and Professional Purposes | pg. 5  Ateneo de Davao University Senior High School Km. 7, MacArthur Highway Bangkal, Talomo, Davao City S.Y: 2021-2022 These are just a selection of the phrases you can you to make your writing flow and to keep the reader with you and following your line of argument. Academics often complain about a lack of this in assignments they mark so make sure you use them in your writing. ADDU Senior High School | English for Academic and Professional Purposes | pg. 6  Ateneo de Davao University Senior High School Km. 7, MacArthur Highway Bangkal, Talomo, Davao City S.Y: 2021-2022 Motivation Takeaway: The image of the dream house in the module is quite different from what we have imagined because it does not follow our concept of a livable house – one that is rooted on the ground, and not tumbling upside down! When applied to reading and writing, it is necessary for a text to follow a structure because 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 cohesive text. Most academic texts follow established structures. This lesson describes some common structures in academic writing: the three-part essay structure, the IMRDC structure and our Authentic Assessment Task at the end of the semester – the Argumentative paper in a form of POSITION PAPER. Structure should be considered on all levels of text so you will also find information on structuring paragraphs. Stylistic Differences in Writing Among Disciplines: [Ward, D. (1997). Tradition and adaptation: Writing in the disciplines. Mountain View, California: Mayfield.] ADDU Senior High School | English for Academic and Professional Purposes | pg. 7  Ateneo de Davao University Senior High School Km. 7, MacArthur Highway Bangkal, Talomo, Davao City S.Y: 2021-2022 REFERENCES AND RESOURCES Academic Writing: University of New England. (n.d.). Sample essay. Retrieved from http://learninghub.une.edu.au/tlc/aso/aso-online/academic-writing/sample- essay.php#read Academic Writing in English: Lund University. (2016). Structuring the text. Retrieved from http://awelu.srv.lu.se/the-writing-process/writing-stage/structuring-the-text/ Academic Writing in English: Lund University. (2014). What characterizes academic writing. Retrieved from http://awelu.srv.lu.se/genres-and-text-types/the-nature-of- academic-writing/what-characterises-academic-writing/ Hyland, K. (2006). English for academic purposes: An advanced resource book. New York: Routledge. Menoy, J. (2016). English for academic and professional purposes: A multidisciplinary approach. Mandaluyong City, Philippines: Books Atbp. Ward, D. (1997). Tradition and adaptation: Writing in the disciplines. Mountain View, California: Mayfield. ADDU Senior High School | English for Academic and Professional Purposes | pg. 8