English

for
Academic Purposes
EAP

 focuses instruction on skills required to

perform in an English-speaking academic
context across core subject areas generally
encountered in a university setting
Structure of academic texts

 three-part essay structure

 the reader is introduced to the topic that will be
discussed and to the argument that will be
presented
 the discussion/analysis is carried out and the
results are presented
 the argument is summed up and conclusions
are drawn
introduction

 to provide the reader with a clear idea of

the focus and aim of the text
 the topic of the essay/article will be
presented in the introduction,
 often accompanied by a thesis
statement (the claim that the writer
wishes to make)
introduction

provides the context/background of

the argument
introduces the theoretical
perspectives, terminology, etc. that
will be used
explains how the writing will be
organised
Body

where the essay's (or article's)

argument, ideas and results are
developed and discussed
conclusion

should not contain any new facts or

ideas, but rather function as a brief
restatement of the main arguments
and facts that have been treated in
the essay
Academic Writing
 process that starts with:
 Posing a question
 Problematizing a concept
 Evaluating an opinion
 Answering the question/questions posed or
 Clarifying the problem or
 Arguing for a stand
Purposes

 to inform

 to argue a specific point

 to persuade
 Features
of
Academic Texts
COMPLEX

 Written language has longer words, it is

lexically more dense and it has a more
varied vocabulary.
 Written texts are shorter and the
language has more grammatical
complexity, including more subordinate
clauses and more passives.
FORMAL

should avoid colloquial words and

expressions
PRECISE

Facts are given accurately and

precisely
OBJECTIVE

objective rather than personal

has fewer words that refer to the
writer or the reader
main emphasis should be on the
information that you want to give and
the arguments you want to make,
rather than you
EXPLICIT

 it is the responsibility of the writer in

English to make it clear to the reader how
the various parts of the text are related
ACCURATE

 uses vocabulary accurately

most subjects have words with
narrow specific meanings
HEDGING

itis necessary to make decisions

about your stance on a particular
subject, or the strength of the claims
you are making
RESPONSIBLE

you must be responsible for, and

must be able to provide evidence
and justification for, any claims you
make.
You are also responsible for
demonstrating an understanding of
any source texts you use