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.
Just like other kinds of writing, academic writing
has a specific purpose, which is to inform, to argue
a specific point and to persuade.
It also addresses a specific audience; the
audience is your teacher (for the most part), your
peers who will read and evaluate your work, and
the academic community that may also read
your work.
The assumption is that your audience is
composed of people who are knowledgeable on
the subject that you are writing about; thus, you
have to demonstrate a thorough understanding of
your subject at hand. This makes academic
writing different from a personal narrative or a
creative essay, or a legal document, in which the
knowledge of the writer is greater than that of the
readers.
Academic writing is thinking; you cannot just write
anything that comes to your mind. You have to abide by
the set rules and practices in writing. You have to write
in a language that is appropriate and formal but not too
pretentious. You also have to consider the knowledge
and background of your audience. You have to make
sure that you can back up your statement with a strong
and valid evidence
Writing academic papers requires deliberate, thorough
and careful thought and that is why it involves research.
It was mentioned earlier that a formal but not pretentious
language is required. It is a misconception, however, that a big
and difficult words have to be used because ultimately the
purpose of writing is to engage the readers. You are not just
expected to inform or to persuade but you are also expected to
engage the readers in a conversation by giving them clear ideas
and points to evaluate and question.
You have to make sure that your purpose is clear and that your
language, style and tone are appropriate to convey your
purpose to your target readers. Your audience is varied and you
have to make sure that when you write, you keep the readers in
mind.
Your audience will determine the language of
your paper. For example, your audience is a
group of experts on language policies, it is
acceptable that you use jargons such as
vernacular, mother tongue, first language and
English.
If your audience however, are your fellow
students, you have to make sure that the words
you use are explained in layman’s terms.
 Ponder on this:
It was mentioned in Text A “Why Do They Say That Our English Is
Bad?” that Filipino college students encounter problems in
grammar when they write papers. It would interesting to find out if
the same scenario applies to you and your classmates, so why
don’t you pair up with a classmate and do a quick random survey
on how your classmates write their essays? Use the following
questions as your guide.
1. What do you think are some problems that you and/or your classmates
encounter when you write academic papers?
2. What language do they use at home? Is it English or Filipino or any other
language (Chines, Cebuano, Bikolano, etc)
3. Do you think they find it difficult to express their in English if they don’t
speak the English language at home? How does this affect their language
and style?
4. Can you identify some words that are direct translation from Filipino which
may affect the meaning of sentences? For example, saying “result to”
instead of “result in” or saying “open lights” instead of “turn on the lights.”