ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES

LESSON 1
INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL WRITING
Writing, especially in English, is a tedious task for some who have not regularly practiced it; while others would
rather write than speak in front of an audience. If you have not yet taken writing seriously before, it is now high
time to indurate writing in English for academic and professional purposes. Your writing skills would be an
effective investment in school and at work. Seeing your work published will surely make you orgulous.

It is an accepted fact that learning the English language gives an utmost importance especially in
this time of globalization. Following the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
economic integration, English language is being the universal language, is given greater
importance. As the main objective of promoting collaboration and mutual assistance on matters
of common interest among nations, there should be one common language to use – the English
language. (Tandoc, S. 2016)

Objectives:

1. Differentiate the two forms of writing using the English language.

- Define academic writing and distinguish it from other kinds of writing.
2. Identify the different types of academic writing.
3. Identify the different types of professional writing.

I. Difference Between Academic and Professional Writing

How many times have you been asked to write about your summer vacation or your Christmas
vacation? How many times have you been assigned to do a book review or a reaction paper? Maybe at
some point, you were also asked to write poems, skits, letters, etc. You have had different writing
assignments. But have you really pondered on the differences of the various writing assignments that
you have done? Would you know the difference between an academic essay and a personal narrative?
Can you distinguish a news report from an editorial?

The entire semester will be divided into forms of writing using the English language -- academic writing
and professional writing. It is important that these will be differentiated before starting the discussion
of any of the two.

A. Academic Writing

Academic writing is a process that starts with posing a question, problematizing a concept,
evaluating an opinion, and ends in answering the question or questions posed, clarifying the
problem, and/or arguing for a stand.

Essays, reaction paper, reviews (movie, book, play, etc.), critique paper, concept paper and research
paper are the usual text you read or write in school.
1. Style, Focus and Formality

The style of academic writing is formal and uses the third person perspective. The focus of the
writing is on facts and issues rather than the writer's opinion. The language uses precise words
and does not include slang words, jargon, or abbreviations.
• An example of formal writing:
The man made bad choices which caused him to lose money and fame.
• An example of informal writing would be:
I think the man's a loser. The second one is not precise, uses the first person, has a slang
word, and uses a contraction.

To write in the academic style, you need to put a lot of thought into your writing before you
start. An outline can be a helpful tool for good planning. You also need to have a consistent
style.

2. Formats

Academic writing is intended for an informed audience and is serious in nature. Here are some
of the formats that incorporate academic writing with explanations of some.
• Abstract - This is a short summary of an article, thesis, review, or other long report on a
subject or event.
• Books and book reports
• Conference paper - This paper is presented at a conference.
• Dissertation or thesis - This is written as a requirement for an advanced degree.
• Essay - An essay is a short piece written from the author's personal point of view.
• Explication - This is usually a short work explaining a part of a particular work
• Research article or research paper - The paper is much longer than the article.

This handout will provide guidance in formatting an academic paper: how to set up document
margins, indentations, font, alignment, page numbers, and document and paragraph spacing in
Microsoft Word (Note: this is a guide for standard setup. If a student writer’s professor gives
specific instruction for an academic paper format, follow the instructed guidelines on the
assignment’s rubric).

a. Document Margins - Final papers should have 1” margins on all sides. This can be changed
by going to the “Layout” tab and changing the Top, Bottom, Left, and Right margins to 1”, or
by going to Format > Document in the menu bar and changing the margins there. Make sure
the gutter is set to 0”.
b. Indentations - The first line of every new paragraph should automatically indent. If this is not
the default setting, change the indentation format for a document by clicking Format >
Paragraph in the menu bar. Look under the “Special” drop-down menu in the Indentation
section, and select “First Line.” This setting automatically indents the first line so that
student writers don’t have to do it manually.
 c. Font - Academic papers should be written in an academic font: either Times New Roman or
Cambria. All papers should also be written with 12-point font. (Note: Times New Roman and
Cambria are the default fonts for Microsoft Word, and 12-point font is also the default
setting for font size).
d. Alignment - The text of your paper should be left aligned, NOT justified, as justified text is
hard to read if it hasn’t been professionally typeset. The default in Word is left alignment so
don’t change it. Page Numbers Go to View menu and choose “Header and Footer.” You’ll
see a header box appear at the top and a footer box at the bottom. Click in the header box,
type your last name (or title), make it align to the right, and then select Page Numbers from
the Insert menu. When finished, click on the “Close” tab under the Header view. Each page
of the document should now display a page number at the upper right that updates
automatically when changes are made to the document. It will appear as grayed out text
unless you active the Header and Footer tool to make changes.
e. Document Spacing - The entire paper should be double-spaced, including the heading and
bibliography. Choose Edit > Select All > Format > Paragraph and choose “double” from the
“line spacing” menu in the Spacing section.
f. Paragraph Spacing - Papers should have no extra spacing after paragraphs. This should be
the default for Word, but if your default setting is to have 10pt spacing after paragraphs,
change your default. Go to the menu bar and click Format > Style make sure “Normal” is
selected from the list of styles, and click “modify.” In the lower left corner, select the
dropdown menu that starts with “Format” and drag down to Paragraph. In the paragraph
settings menu that pops up, change the settings for Spacing After to 0 pt.

B. Professional Writing

Professional writing transpire in the work area --- whether in private or in the government. Often it
is also called as business writing.

1. Style, Focus and Formality

The main requirement and focus of business writing is clarity. Clear and precise language must
be used so the communication is easy to read.

The style needs to be professional and courteous but not overly formal.
Ideas need to be well developed with examples and details as needed. There should not be too
many extra words, like adjectives and adverbs, and clichés are not necessary.
There is much more involved in academic writing than in business writing.

2. Formats

The format for the following business documents vary from one organization to another:
• Letters
 • Memos
• Business email
• Press releases
• Executive summaries
• Resume writing

Making a comparison of business and academic writing is important so you can understand the different writing
methods. There are more types of academic writing than business writing and the main differences between the
two relate to the style of the writing.

II. Business vs. Academic Writing

As you can see, there some differences between these two styles of writing.
 Academic writing is formal, using the third person, while business writing is less formal and can use
any point of view.
 Academic writing focuses on facts, while business writing gives opinions.
 Long sentences are all right in academic writing, but are cumbersome in business writing.
In the comparison of business and academic writing, there are few points in common. Both styles need well-
developed ideas that are communicated precisely and clearly. The tone is serious in both, whether reporting
on research or making recommendations for change. Lastly, proper grammar and punctuation is very
important in both forms of communication.

Enrichment:

1. Based on the standards and requirements of academic writing write a three-paragraph essay on what
you think is the state of academic writing in the Philippine context. Use your personal knowledge, what
your hear from your teachers and on the news, and what you have read from books to substantiate your
opinion.
2. Consider the following areas as you write:
a. Content - Clarity of the purpose and the thesis statement, relevance of the supporting points to the
thesis statement, knowledge on the subject matter.
b. Structure - Coherence and logical sequence of the ideas.
c. Language and style - word choice, sentence construction
d. Mechanics - grammar, punctuations, capitalization, formatting, documentation

References

Bumatay-Cruz, R., Laurel, M., Lucero, A. (2016). English for academic and professional purposes. Quezon City: Sunshine
Interlinks Publishing House.

Baraceros, E. (2009). English 3: English for academic writing. Quezon City: Rex Printing Company, Inc.

Comparison of Business and Academic Writing. (n.d.). Retrieved May 01st, 2019, from https://grammar.
yourdictionary.com/writing/comparison-of-business-and-academic-writing.html