Simpson in blatant stopgap blog post shocker!
Ok, I’m in the middle of writing a really long investigative journalism-type blog post and it’s taking quite a while to get it done. In the meantime, here’s a little something for the tens of people who actually read my blog so you don’t think I’ve fallen off the face of the planet.
A while back somebody asked me to define ‘academic writing’ in about three minutes. Given that what you see in the video was totally unrehearsed and off the cuff, I’m fairly happy to have clocked in at three minutes and five seconds. Feel free to violently disagree with what I’ve said in the comments section. I’m always happy to get someone else’s perspective.
Happy new year, by the way. I’ll be back in a more substantive way soon.
via @yearinthelifeof ‘Academic Writing’ in three minutes http://t.co/fGnnhnXO
‘Academic Writing’ in three minutes: http://t.co/7Eg3SKnr #ELT #ELTchat #ESL
Thanks @AnnLoseva @ELTane @baibbb @burcuakyol for RTs ‘Academic Writing’ in three minutes http://t.co/Itqndbpp short stopgap blog post :-0
Nice and succinct, I thought it was a good summary.
Best wishes, Jon.
Thanks, Jon. Sometimes it’s nice to be given a really short time limit in which to get your point across.
via @yearinthelifeof ‘Academic Writing’ in three minutes: Simpson in blatant stopgap blog post… http://t.co/HSIxAXNl #elt #efl #fb
Well done – to the point, good choice of lexis and rhetoric
. What I appreciate the most is the lack of emphasis on “fancy language” which I notice many of my colleagues aim for (long, complex sentences, ‘big’ words and the passive voice). I’ll be sure to show your clip to my trainees!
Agreed, particularly on the… well no, I guess all three. It is especially the third, rhetoric, that trips students up as it’s challenging to know all the lexical chunks and expected patterns of organisation that are authentically used and not just taught from some academic English textbook. Even as instructors, it can be hard.
3 points. Succinct. RT @yearinthelifeof ‘Academic Writing’ in three minutes http://t.co/YtecbBTF
Thanks, Louise… and, as ever, Tyson!
Although I think that a degree of complexity can be good, indeed necessary to get certain points across, I’d agree that complexity for the sake of it often leads to a situation where the point is lost. The wonderful Ken Hyland puts forward the case that simple present, simple past and their passive forms are perfectly adequate for communication – written or spoken – in most academic English environments.
Interestingly, this issue is causing a bit of commotion at my place of work at the moment, as the research is indicating that we don’t need to place too much emphasis on the present continuous at elementary level. Moving away from the *Headway syndrome* of having to teach a lot of grammar that simply isn’t that vital just because that’s the way it’s always been done.
As far as rhetorical patterns are concerned, even being a proficient writer in your native tongue doesn’t particularly help, given that such patterns are proven to be highly cultural.
Monumental thanks for RTs @seburnT @bloggersELT @harrisonmike @davedodgson http://t.co/Itqndbpp As ever, 3 mins is as much as I can manage
You have an elementary EAP level? How foreign, to me! I’ve read a couple Hyland articles, particularly on vocabulary, but he has a point about aspect. After you mentioned the simple aspect being most commonly used, I actually noticed in two academic articles I read today that present perfect was all over. Maybe I was just acutely aware.
We kind of segway from general to academic fairly early on.
Actually, regarding the whole present perfect thing, there are two ways of looking at this. If you’re an academician who’s writing up research you’re more like to employ the present perfect, as you’ll be quoting sources that still have certain implications on the present. If you don’t, then it can often mean that you haven’t considered the most up-to-date writing on the subject. If you’re a student, however, you are less likely to be presenting your own research, merely using past sources to confirm your understanding. This tends to lead to either simple present or simple past being used. At least, that’s how I understand it.
[...] with us Academic writing in 3 minutes Posted on 9 January, 2012 by Simon Thomas There’s a nice, personal definition on offer at the one year in the life of an English teacher blog, delivered via YouTube.Share this [...]
Good way to look at it. Honestly, I haven’t thought about it enough. I’ll trust you.
Inspired by @DenizAtesok ‘Academic Writing’ in three minutes http://t.co/Itqndbpp
Thank you. Very useful. You’re definitely right about the second and third points. The thing is we, the EFL teachers, might be putting more emphasis on the use of proper language. Well, I always tell my students “I am a real human being reading what you write. Please, mercy me!” Academic or not it really works and they try to be more creative and think about the question more attentively.
Thanks, Filiz. I can totally understand what you mean. The need to engage the reader is difficult for anyone to consider when writing, even in their first language. I often find myself pleading with my students to think about me when they’re writing… I have to read twenty versions of the *same* thing, can you at least try to inject a bit of your soul into it?!?!