When you have finished this section, you
will be able to
§ recognise features of academic
writing;
§
understand
how academic texts are written in English;
§
identify
the writing conventions and rules for academic texts;
§
use
these academic features in your own academic writing.
Resource
List
1)
Features
of academic writing:
2)
Characteristics
of academic writing: http://www.rmit.edu.vn/sites/default/files/file_basic_page/characteristics_of_academic_writing_new.pdf
3)
Exercises
on Formality:
4)
Exercises
on Objectivity:
5)
Newcastle
University: Features of academic writing:
Key
Concepts
§ Academic vocabulary
§
Academic
conventions
§
Formal
words and informal words
Procedure
A.
Before Class
the Resource List.
other
specialists which you are required to read in your own disciplines. Observe
the
writing style and choice of words.
B. In Class
Reflecting on
what you have read and surveyed, compare your answers for Task A1 & A2 with a partner or in a small group. Be prepared to
share your answers with the rest of the class.
C.
After Class
Do Task B.
Tasks
Read the three texts below, noting the use
of so-called informal and formal
elements. Answer the questions which follow.
|
Text A
Exchange Bias in
Nanoscale Antidot Rays
. . . . In summary, we have established that
it is possible to induce exchange bias in ordered nanoscale antidot arrays.
We observed that the antidot arrays exhibit asymmetric hysteresis loops and
show larger HE
and HC
values as compared to the continuous film. The exchange bias field
progressively increases as the size of antidots increases, possibly due to
reduced FM-FM interactions and constraints imposed on the AFM domain size by
the antidots. The uniaxial symmetry of HC
and the unidirectional symmetry of HE
was confirmed using angular dependent measurements, and it was concluded that
higher order anisotropy terms cannot be neglected for antidot arrays. Our results demonstrate a
convenient technique to tune and probe the exchange bias in systems with
reduced lateral dimensions. (p. 022502-3)
Source:
Tripathy,
D., Adeyeye, A.O., & Singh, N. (2008). Exchange bias in nanoscale antidot
rays.
Applied Physics Letters, 93, 022502- 022502-3.
doi: 10.1063/1.2959727
Text B
Fine Brush and
Freehand: The Vocabulary-Learning Art of Two
Successful Chinese EFL
Learners
.
. . . In particular, in this study I examine two successful adult Chinese EFL
learners and portray in detail what they do in vocabulary learning. I show,
for example, how these learners conduct rote learning such as memorising word
lists.3 In so doing, I attempt to account for the apparent discrepancy
between the rote style of learning and the high levels of success achieved by
these learners. This study also attempts to confirm what other researchers
(e.g., Ahmed, 1989; Gu & Johnson, 1996; Parry, 1997) have indicated,
directly or indirectly: that learners can achieve success through different
approaches to and styles of learning. I examine three stages of learning
a word (Brown & Payne, 1994; Gu & Johnson, 1996): (a) initially
identifying and handling a new word, (b) committing the word to memory, and
(c) attempting to use the newly learned word. (p. 77)
Source:
Gu,
P.Y. (2003). Fine brush and freehand: The vocabulary-learning art of two
successful Chinese EFL learners. TESOL
Quarterly, 37, 73-104.
Text C
Becoming Middle Class: How Working-Class University Students
Draw and Transgress Moral Class Boundaries
.
. . . Many of these studies conceptualize working-class status as a form of
deficiency
or
barrier, which creates dispositions for agency that lead to largely socially
reproductive outcomes. This article aims to investigate working-class
students’ strategies of drawing upon their class status as a source of
strength and foundation for mobility. (p. 633)
Source:
Lehmann,
W. (2009). Becoming middle class: How
working-class university students
draw and transgress moral class boundaries. Sociology, 43, 631-647.
doi:
10.1177/0038038509105412
|
(a) What informal words did you
find in Text A and Text B?
(b) How does Text C differ from
Texts A & B?
2. Writing
Style
Read the three texts below noting whether the
writing style is formal or informal.
Answer the questions which follow.
|
Text A
English
has a very rich vocabulary derived from many languages. Because of this, there may be more than one
way to express an idea. You should strive to choose words that are less
informal in nature and also precise.
In lectures, you will likely hear less formal speech; however, in
writing you should use a more formal form if one exists and seems to be more
precise than its less formal alternative.
(Swales
& Feak, 2004)
Text B
feeling nostalgic
on this eve of Xmas eve, “Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson: You find the
present tense and the past perfect”
(a
message on Facebook reproduced with the
writer’s permission)
Text C
Plagiarism
functions at different levels. On one level there are the so-called paper
mills, online services that provide academic term papers for a fee. On
another level there is what this article is more concerned with, namely,
textual plagiarism, or the copying of sections of one text in the composition
of another. To combat these practices, at both levels, an increasing number
of plagiarism detection software applications are being developed and put
into use. Ironically, however, in some cases, the same companies are both
operating paper mills and offering antiplagiarism services. Together with the
antiplagiarism movement there has developed what might be called a widespread
antiplagiarism discourse.
(Flowerdew
& Li, 2007)
|
(a)
Which of the text(s) is/are written in a formal style?
B. Analysing
Below are some aspects of written English, which may
or may not be considered as formal by the academic community.
Where would you place each one on a continuum of 1
(informal) to 5 (formal)?
(a) Frequently putting exclamation marks (!) and
ellipsis (. . . .) at the end of
sentences
(b) Using the passive voice instead
of the active voice
§
It
was suggested that the developing world will require in excess of US$100
billion in aid every year to cope with the effects of global warming. (Passive)
(c) Using expressions or phrases such as:
§ lots of
§ what’s more
§ looks like it
§ didn’t yield
any new results
§ not . . .
much
§ doesn’t have
many solutions
§
You
can see the results in Table 2.
§ a great many
§ moreover
§ it seems to
be so
§ yielded no
new results
§ little
§ has few
solutions
(d) Using spellings that imitate speech (wanna) or employing non-standard
grammar (I
ain’t got no idea)
(e) Using abbreviations and short
forms, such as aka, Engin, etc.
(f) Using direct questions, e.g. What can be done to mitigate climate change?
(g) Incorporating sentences without verbs into the
text. For example: Not so. Of
course. Like that.
Reference:
Tutorial
notes adapted from ES1102 handouts of semester 2, AY2012/2013.
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