Answer to Question #174718 in English for Mellow

Question

Cite three specific features and examples of academic language from the passage. Refer to 

Unit 5 of Tutorial letter 501 for this question.

Answer 1

Academic language refers to the oral, written, auditory, and visual language proficiency required to learn effectively in schools and academic programs. Academic language has a unique set of rules: it should be explicit, formal and factual, and objective and analytical. It has several features as explained below;

Formality; Academic language is relatively formal. In general, this means that in an essay, you should avoid colloquial words and expressions. An example is that you can't use local language in the mix with academic language.

Objectivity; Written academic language is in a general objective rather than personal. It, therefore, has fewer words that refer to the writer or the reader. It means that the main emphasis should be on the information that you want to give and the arguments you want to make rather than you. For example, if you're discussing a specific topic, you have to stick to it.

Complexity; Written language is relatively more complex than spoken language. Written language has longer words, it is lexically denser, and it has a more varied vocabulary. It uses more noun-based phrases than verb-based phrases. Academic language has more grammatical complexity, including more subordinate clauses and more passives.