UNIT A understanding academic convention
How is academic writing different from other forms of writing?
‘Talent alone cannot make a writer.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson
STEP 2 A
Reflection What are the key characteristics of academic writing? • Select the appropriate term – more or less – in the middle box.
is more / less objective
Generally speaking, academic writing
B uses more / less referencing
is more / less complex has a more / less formal structure
Contextualization compare and contrast the following pieces of writing.
• On the left is an e-mail written by a student. On the right is an essay extract about the same topic.
E-mail (standard writing) What is academic English?
Dear Professor Plum, Please find below my answers to your questions.
I believe academic English and general English are different for the main reason that they have very different goals. Lectures and seminars need a different approach to general spoken English. And, of course, academic essay writing is not the same as standard writing.
I think there are 4 main areas where I can see big differences between standard writing and academic writing. They are: • You should not be subjective. • You should be more complex. • You should have more structure. • You should use academic style and systems.
Best wishes, Sophia
Essay (academic writing) Characteristics of academic English
‘Academic English’ is differentiated from ‘general English’ in its focus on ‘those communication skills in English which are required for study purposes in formal education systems’ (Jordan, 1997: 1). Within these systems, there are three main areas of focus: the lecture, the seminar and the essay, each of which has a specific set of sub-skills which are required for successful performance. It is essays where the most significant distinction between academic English and general English is made. Generally speaking, there are four main areas where differences between standard writing and academic writing can be seen: the inherent objectivity of academic writing, its complexity, its formality of structure and its adoption of academic style.
than other forms of writing.
Step 2
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