English for Academic and Professional Purposes - Academic Language

Academic Language
Academic Language refers to the oral, written, auditory, and visual language proficiency required to learn effectively in schools and academic programs.
It is also the language used in classroom lessons, books, tests, and assignments.
It is the language that students are expected to learn and achieve fluency in.
Why is academic language so important?
- Students who master academic language are more likely to be successful in academic and professional settings/
What is difference between academic language and social language?
Social language is the simple, informal language we use when talking face to face with family members and friends. It allows us to use contemporary or slang terms like “cool,” “awesome,” or “dude.”
We can also communicate feelings, needs, and wants using symbolic hand gestures for drink, eat, hot, cold, hurt, or tired. Social language also includes writing emails, friendly letters, and texts or retelling stories.
Academic language is different from everyday social language. It is the vocabulary students or adults must learn to succeed in the classroom or in the workplace.
We use academic language to describe and comprehend complex ideas, process higher-order thinking, and understand abstract concepts. Academic language is what students read in textbooks and on tests and what they hear during instruction in the classroom. Students with limited or low academic language skills are more than likely to have low academic performance in classroom settings.
Some of the differences between social and academic language that students should look for include: Social Language Academic Language repetition of words variety of words, more sophisticated vocabulary sentences start with “and” and “but” sentences start with transition words, such as “however,” “moreover,” and “in addition” use of slang: “guy,” “cool,” and “awesome”
CHARACTERISTICS OF ACADEMIC LANGUAGE
FORMAL It should not be conversational and casual. Avoid colloquial and idiomatic expressions, slang, and contractions. X dig in X cup of tea X dude X don’t IMPERSONAL Do not refer to yourself as the performer of actions. Do not use personal pronouns. For example: “It is commonly said that”… instead of “Many of my friends and colleagues say that…” “Research revealed that…” instead of “I discovered that” PRECISE The facts are presented accurately. The choice of words are appropriate. The use of technical terms to achieve precision is applied. For example: “85% of the population”, “The results are okay (satisfactory).”, asphyxiation (medical term) OBJECTIVE It is unbiased, based on facts and is not influenced by personal feelings. For example: “The essay on… is distressing.” instead of “I do not like the essay

Topic: Academic Language
Sub Topics: Academic Language VS Social Language | Characteristics of Academic Language
Focus Questions
What is Academic Language?
Why is Academic Language so Important?
What is social Language?
What is the difference between academic language and social language?
When and where do we use Academic Language?
What are the Characteristics of Academic Language?
Define each of the characteristics and give 2 examples each.

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