© Paul Smit 2006-2020
There are many differences between academic English and non-academic English. It is important to understand what these differences are in order to make the right language choices for the situation. If you use informal English when using English for academic or business purposes, you will sound unprofessional. Let’s compare two texts and answer some questions to identify some of these differences.
1) Compare the two texts below and decide which is more academic.
Text 1
A researcher interviewed many teachers because he wanted to find out why so many Chinese kids have trouble learning English. He said that some mums and dads were worried about their kids’ learning but didn’t know how to help them. The parents yelled at the kids and stressed them out. This wasn’t good for their English. The kids often didn’t have opportunities to practice English to speak or write about things that they thought were cool. They became bored with their English classes and didn’t like learning. The kids often just couldn’t understand what they were studying English for.
Text 2
According to the results of recent research by Dr. William Smith of Nottingham University (2011), there are several reasons which explain the difficulties faced by young Chinese students when learning English. Firstly, the behaviour of some concerned parents who shouted at their children frequently created stress for young learners and this had a negative effect on their English. Secondly, students frequently lacked opportunities to speak or write about topics of interest to them and consequently became disinterested with their English classes and lost motivation to learn. Finally, the learners were often unaware of the benefits of being able to speak English.
References
Smith, W. 2011, Barriers faced by young Chinese learners of English, viewed 26 August 2016, http://www.someacademicwebsite.com.au
© Paul Smit 2006-2020