Senior Night High School

Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region VII - Central Visayas
DIVISION OF LAPU-LAPU CITY
JOHN M. HYLAND INSTITUTE OF LEARNING, INC.
School Year 2024-2025

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET (LAS) in

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND
PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES

Grade Level: Grade 12

Subject: English for Academic and Professional
Purposes
Quarter: First Quarter

LAS NO.1 (WEEK 1)

Reading Academic Texts

 Academic Language used from Various
LESSON 1 Disciplines

Pre-test
Direction: Read the passages below. Then, identify whether each passage can be an academic
text or non-academic text. Write A if it is academic and N if it is non-academic.
_____1. Some educators suggest that the distinction between conversational and academic
language is somewhat arbitrary and that it is the situation, community, or context that is either
predominantly social or academic.
_____2. The current study showed that COVID-19 pandemic lockdown affected the academic
performance of most participants with varying degrees.
_____3. In his reverie he remembers how nature marked the season it happened.
_____4. I believe they are the first and last and the closest things I have to say about my own
life.
_____5. The current study showed that the most popular device that students used to access
the online materials was the smart phone followed by laptop, while the least used tool was the
personal computer.

Nature and Characteristics of an Academic Text

An academic text is a written language that provides information, which contain ideas and
concepts that are related to the particular discipline. Essay, Research Paper, Report, Project, Article,
Thesis, and Dissertation are considered as academic texts.

Structure
The basic structure that is used by an academic text is consist of three (3) parts
introduction, body, and conclusion which is formal and logical. This kind of structure 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.

Tone
This refers to the attitude conveyed in a piece of writing. The arguments of others are
fairly presented and with an appropriate narrative tone. When presenting a position or argument
that disagrees with one’s perspectives, describe the argument accurately without loaded or
biased language.

Language
It is important to use unambiguous language. Clear topic sentences enable a reader to
follow your line of thinking without difficulty. Formal language and the third person point-of-view
should be used. Technical language appropriate to area of study may also be used, however, it
does not mean using “big words” just for the sake of doing so.

Citation
Citing sources in the body of the paper and providing a list of references as either
footnotes or endnotes is a very important aspect of an academic text. It is essential to always
acknowledge the source of any ideas, research findings, data, or quoted text that have been
used in a paper as a defense against allegations of plagiarism.
 Complexity
An academic text addresses complex issues that require higher-order thinking skills to
comprehend.

Evidence-based Arguments
What is valued in an academic text is that opinions are based on a sound understanding
of the pertinent body of knowledge and academic debates that exist within, and often external
to a specific discipline.

Thesis-driven
The starting point of an academic text is a particular perspective, idea or position applied
to the chosen research problem, such as establishing, proving, or disproving solutions to the
questions posed for the topic.

Features of Academic Texts:

1. Complex
- Written language has no longer words, it is lexically more varied vocabulary.
- Written texts are shorter and the language has more grammatical complexity, including
more subordinate clauses and more passives.

2. Formal
- Should avoid colloquial words and expressions.

3. Precise
- Facts are given accurately and precisely.
4. Objective
- has fewer words that emphasize on the information you want to give and the arguments
you want to make
- mostly use nouns (adjectives), rather than verbs (adverbs)

5. 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.

6. Accurate
- Uses vocabulary accurately
- Most subjects have words with narrow specific meanings.

7. Hedging
- It is necessary to make decisions about your stance on a particular subject, or the
strength of the claims you are making.

8. Responsible
- You must be responsible for and must be able to provide evidence and justification for
any claims you make.

9. Organize
- Well-organized.
- It flows easily from one section to the next in a logical fashion.

10. Plan
 - Well-planned.
- It usually takes place after research and evaluation, according to specific purpose and
plan.

Purposes in Reading an Academic Text

1. To locate a main idea;
2. To scan for information;
3. To identify gaps in existing studies;
4. To connect new ideas to existing ones;
5. To gain more pieces of information;
6. To support a particular writing assignment; and,
7. To deeply understand an existing idea.

Factors to Consider in Writing Academic Text

1. State critical questions and issues;
2. Provide facts and evidence from credible sources;
3. Use precise and accurate words while avoiding jargon;
4. Take an objective point of view;
5. List references; and,
6. Use cautious language

Academic Language
Academic language is the language needed by students to do the work in schools.
It includes, for example, discipline-specific vocabulary, grammar and punctuation, and applications of
rhetorical conventions and devices that are typical for a content area (e.g., essays, lab reports,
discussions of a controversial issue.) Students who master academic language are more likely to be
successful in academic and professional settings.

Social language is the set of vocabulary that allows us to communicate with others in the context
of regular daily conversations.
Characteristics of Academic Language
A. Formal
- It should not sound conversational or casual. Colloquial, idiomatic, slang or journalistic
expressions should particularly be avoided.
Examples:
Use… Instead…
Consider, monitor Look at
Revise, review Go over
Solve, repair, amend Fix

B. Objective
- This means it is unbiased. It should be based on facts and evidence and are not influenced by
personal feelings.

C. Impersonal
- This involves avoiding the personal pronouns ‘I’ and ‘we’. For example, instead of writing ‘I will show’,
you might write ‘this report will show’. The second person, ‘you’, is also to be avoided.

ACTIVITY 1
Instruction: Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if is not.

____________1.Students who master academic language are more likely to be successful in academic
and professional settings.
____________2. An academic text makes use of complex jargons to promote a higher level of
comprehension.
____________3. Academic text uses words which tones up claims expressing certainty.
____________4. Both academic and non-academic texts can be used to inform.
____________5. The language used in academic texts should be conversational.
____________6. In reading an academic text, it helps acquire new information.
____________7. An academic text needs less concentration and focus because the terms are simple.
____________8. It is in academic text that issues are stated to provoke information discussion.
____________9. A magazine is an academic text.
____________10. Academic language should be objective, precise, impersonal and formal.

ACTIVITY 2
Instruction: Using the criteria given, evaluate the language of the following sample academic texts from
various disciplines. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

A. This essay intends to investigate whether there is a causal relationship between music
listened to and the mood of individuals. Additionally, it will seek to explore whether this
relationship is used in advertising to encourage people to spend money.

B. This essay intends to investigate whether there is a causal relationship between music
listened to and the mood of individuals. Additionally, it will seek to explore whether this
relationship is used in advertising to encourage people to spend money.
 C. This essay intends to investigate whether there is a causal relationship between music
listened to and the mood of individuals. Additionally, it will seek to explore whether this
relationship is used in advertising to encourage people to spend money.

D. This essay is focused on investigating the photo tactic responses of three different species of
fish that occupy different areas of an aquarium: danios (Danio rerio), which group near the
surface of the water, black skirt tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi),which swim in the middle of the
tank, and kuhli loach (Pangio kuhlii), which swim near the bottom of tank. It is anticipated that
they will respond differently to light according to their niche with the tank.

E. This essay is focused on investigating the photo tactic responses of three different species of
fish that occupy different areas of an aquarium: danios (Danio rerio), which group near the
surface of the water, black skirt tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi), which swim in the middle of the
tank, and kuhli loach (Pangio kuhlii), which swim near the bottom of tank. It is anticipated that
they will respond differently to light according to their niche with the tank.

ACTIVITY 3
Instructions: Using the Venn diagram, compare and contrast the characteristics of academic texts from
non-academic texts.

ACADEMIC TEXT NON- ACADEMIC TEXT

 LESSON 2 Text Structure

Activity 1
Direction: Match the informal vocabulary in the list below with the more appropriate formal options from
the box.

Revise, review Commence, initiate, undertake Solve, repair, amend

Confirm, determine Satisfactorily, positive, favorable Consider, monitor, analyze
Somewhat, fairly Demonstrate, indicate, illustrate A great deal of, many
Reasonable

1. Go over - _______________________ 6. A lot of - __________________________

2. Show - ________________________ 7. A bit - _________________________
3. Begin - _________________________ 8. Fix - _________________________
4. Good - _________________________ 9. Make sure - ________________________
5. Look at- ________________________ 10.Quite good - _______________________

Activity 2
Directions: Classify the signal words given below based on how they are used. Write your answers on
a separate sheet of paper.
Since because however for instance
Such as although so that important
powerful due to finally later

Definition
Cause & Problem/ Compare &
Narrative Sequence or
Effect Solution Contrast
Description

Have you ever wondered how are the thoughts in academic texts organized? Now, let us learn how
academic texts are structured.

Common Text Structures

Text structures (WDPI, 2012) refer to the way authors organize information in text. Recognizing
the underlying structure of texts can help students focus attention on key concepts and relationships,
anticipate what is to come, and monitor their comprehension as they read.
Why is Text Structure Important?
The readers can significantly improve their comprehension and retention of information when
they can identify and recognize the text structure of a text. It can also help them:
1. Organize information and details they are learning in their minds while reading.
2. Make connections between the details being presented in a text
3. Summarize the important details shared in a text
At this stage, you should have several ideas on the common text structures used in academic
texts. Keep in mind these ideas because you are going to use your knowledge on text structures for
enhancing your skills in gleaning information.

Activity 3
Direction: Identify the text structure based on the given statement. Write your answers on a separate
sheet.
_________1. This text structure is “how are things in the text similar or different.”
_________2. The text structure that discusses what is specifically being described.
_________3. The text structure that is written in a style that tells what happened and why it
happens.
_________4. This text structure tells what the conflict is, or problem, and how it was solved.
_________5. The text structure that shows events taking place over time or gives steps is…
_________6. “Similar, same, alike, both, on the other hand, instead” are signal words for…
 _________7. Before putting the model car together, we gathered our supplies. Then we were
able to read and follow the directions. Before long, our car was done.
_________8. Which type of text structure answers the question of what happened and why?
_________9. Which type of text structure shows how two or more things are alike and different?
_________10. The sentence structure that narrates a story.

Activity 4
Direction: Read the passages and determine what sentence structure is used. Choose your answer
from the list of words below. Write only the letter of your choice. You may use a separate sheet in
writing your answers.
a. Narrative b. Chronological/Sequence c. Cause-Effect
d. Descriptive e. Problem-Solution f. Compare-Contrast

______1. There are two popular sports played at Milton, basketball, and volleyball. Both take place
inside of the gym at Milton. Also, each sport has two teams of people. In basketball, however, the ball
can be played off of the floor, and in volleyball, the ball cannot touch the floor, or it is out of play.
Basketball and volleyball are popular sports at Milton. What text structure is this?

_____2. Lots of students fail classes. Some students fail because the work is too hard for them. Other
times they may fail because they are lazy, and don’t do any work. Another reason why students may
fail is if they don’t go to school. If you’re not in class, you may miss a lot. Many students fail classes
every quarter. What text structure is this?

_____3. Dr. Knapp doesn’t want people to sit back and let the toad vanish. He believes that everyone
is responsible for restoring the toad species. Dr. Knapp thinks we could help restore the toad population
if we stop mowing parts of our lawns and let the grass grow wild to reserve space for the toad. He also
believes we need to stop using pesticides and fertilizers. The chemicals kill the insects that toads eat.
If we preserve some spaces in our lawns and stop using fertilizers, Dr. Knapp believes we can save
the toads. What text structure is this?

_____4. Devers experienced the highlight of any sprinter’s career, as she stood on the huge platform
in the giant stadium and received an Olympic gold medal. Eighteen months earlier she wasn’t thinking
about running. She was hoping that she would be able to walk again. Just four years earlier, in the
summer of 1988, as Devers was training for the Olympic Games, to be held in Seoul, South Korea, she
began to feel very tired all the time and failed to make the Olympic finals. What text structure is this?

_____5 The Eiffel Tower is divided into three sections.

I. The lowest section of the tower contains the entrance, a gift shop, and a restaurant.
II. The middle section of the tower consists of stairs and elevators that lead to the top.
III. The top section of the tower includes an observation deck with a spectacular view of Paris.
 What I Have Learned
Directions: Complete the chart by stating what you have gained in this module.

Before this lesson, what are your What insights have you learned from
thoughts about the topics? this lesson?