LANGUAGE USED IN ACADEMIC TEXTS FROM VARIOUS DISCIPLINES
Academic language represents the language demands of school (academics). Academic language includes
language used in textbooks, in classrooms, on tests, and in each discipline. It is different in vocabulary and
structure from the everyday spoken English of social interactions. Each type of communication (both
academic and social) has its purpose, and neither is superior to the other.
Characteristics of Academic Language
1. Formal
Academic writing is relatively formal. In general, this means that you should AVOID:
▪ colloquial words and expressions like stuff, a lot, thing
▪ abbreviated forms like can’t, doesn’t, shouldn’t
▪ two-word verbs such as put off, bring up
▪ subheadings, numbering, and bullet points
▪ asking questions
It should not sound conversational or casual. Colloquial, idiomatic, slang or journalistic expressions
should particularly be avoided.
Examples:
Use… Instead of…
Consider, monitor Look at
Revise, review Go over
Solve, repair, amend Fix
2. Objective
This means it is unbiased. It should be based on facts and evidence and are not influenced by
personal feelings.
In school, you are supposed to research a topic using information found in relevant
publications, reference books, and textbooks. In other words, you will need to cite respected
scholars/authorities who are considered credible in the academic community and especially in
your discipline.
The information you find for use in assignments should be factual. Facts are objective, concrete
bits of information, usually expressed by precise numbers or quantity, in weights and measures,
and concrete language. Since anyone can look up facts, they are not usually the subject of
debate.
The main emphasis should be on the information that you want to give and the arguments you
want to do. Thus, avoid using words like I, me, myself. A reader will normally assume that any
idea not referenced is your own.
3. 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.
4. Accurate
▪ Academic writing uses vocabulary accurately. Most subjects have words with narrow specific
meanings. In academic writing, you need to be accurate in your use of vocabulary. Choose the
correct word, for example, “meeting,” “assembly,” “gathering,” or “conference.” Or from:
“money,” “cash,” “currency,” “capital,” or “funds”.
▪ Academic vocabulary is used in all academic disciplines to teach about the content of the
discipline, e.g., a water table is different from a periodic elements table. Before taking
chemistry, for example, some students know the technical words used in chemistry, while
others do not. Pre-teaching of vocabulary and subject-specific terminology helps to address
that need. Teaching academic language can be challenging because struggling readers and
English learners do not always know the vocabulary used to learn specific academic terms or
key concepts.
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5. Hedged language
▪ It is often believed that academic writing, particularly scientific writing, is factual, simply to
convey facts and information. However, it is now recognized that an important feature of
academic writing is the concept of cautious language, often called “hedging” or “vague
language.”
▪ Hedging is defined as the use of linguistic devices to show hesitation or uncertainty and to
display politeness and indirectness.
▪ When writing for academic disciplines it is necessary not only to show that you are able to
write in a formal, abstract fashion, but also that you are able to show the extent to which you
believe in, or are prepared to stand up for, what you are reporting/claiming.
People use hedged language for several different purposes but perhaps the most fundamental are:
• to minimize the possibility of another academic/teacher/lecturer/colleague/student opposing the
claims you are making
• to enable you as a writer to be more precise when reporting results, e.g. you can show that
something is not 100% proven, but rather that it is indicated and subsequently assumed
• to enable you to execute a politeness strategy in which you are able to acknowledge that perhaps
there may be flaws in your claims
• to conform to a now accepted practice writing style
Language used in hedging Examples
Certain Modal Verbs will ,must, would, may, might, could
Adverbs of Frequency often, sometimes, usually
Modal Adverbs certainly, definitely, clearly, probably, possibly, perhaps, conceivably
Modal Adjectives certain, definite, clear, probable, possible
Modal Nouns assumption, possibility, probability
That clauses It could be the case that , It might be suggested that, There is every
hope that
To clause + adjective It may be possible to obtain, It is important to develop, It is useful to
study
Example:
Implications of these findings may be that, if moderation of alcohol consumption in certain
groups is strived for, it may be sensible to cut down on the portrayal of alcohol in programs aimed at
these groups and the commercials shown in between.
*In the example given, the words “Implications” and “may be” are examples of hedge.
6. Responsible
In academic writing, 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. This is done by paraphrasing and summarizing what you have read and
acknowledging the source of these information or ideas by a system of citations.
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
