While there are many different types of academic writing and different styles appropriate to different branches (physical and life sciences, social and behavioural sciences, humanities) and to each discipline, there are a number of generally accepted features that characterise good academic writing in English. One feature is writer-responsiblity, where it is the responsibility of the writer to make sure his/her ideas are expressed with clarity. A related feature is organisational coherence, both at the macro (whole text) and meso (paragraph) level, where the connection between the different sections and sentences is made clear through the use of signalling and transition words, resulting in a logical flow. The grammar and vocabulary used will be rich and complex and often technical, yet this should not detract from the clarity of the ideas and overall argument. The tone is rational and neutral, the register generally formal, the content precise and concise and the purpose is to present a position backed by evidence, reasoned argument and critical thinking.
Academic English Services offers personal training in acquiring proficient academic writing skills that include:
- Developing a writer-responsible approach that guides the reader
- Learning macro- and meso-level organisational skills and linguistic devices
- Practising skills like paraphrasing, summarising, hedging, parallel structures and concise writing
- Building vocabulary and grammatical structures that are specifically relevant to academic writing
- Mastering the key elements of each part of a research article and other academic texts
Training is done on a one-to-one or group basis via Skype, FaceTime or Zoom and email. For more details please contact me.
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The other key element of good academic communication skills involves speaking proficiently in English in academic contexts, especially giving academic presentations, for which Academic English Services also offers support.
