Extend your Academic Vocab AKA HACKA & GUPSA WORKSHOP IG: - - PDF document
5/09/2018 Extend your Academic Vocab AKA HACKA & GUPSA WORKSHOP IG: @bicyles_create_change IG: @nina_griffith_uni FB: nina_griffith_uni Warm up: Write a paragraph Write on every second line. Write a 5-8 sentence paragraph on the topic
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AKA HACKA & GUPSA WORKSHOP
IG: @bicyles_create_change IG: @nina_griffith_uni FB: nina_griffith_uni
Write on every second line. Write a 5-8 sentence paragraph on the topic of:
Academic vocabulary
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5/09/2018 NINA GINSBERG: BICYCLES CREATE CHANGE.COM
Go to: Bicycles Create Change.com > Resource Page
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Who ….
Describe your current academic vocab level? How much time/effort do you put in to building your vocab? What is your approach to learning new words? Who do you know who has ‘good vocabulary’? What do you want from today’s session?
5/09/2018 NINA GINSBERG: BICYCLES CREATE CHANGE.COM
5/09/2018 NINA GINSBERG: BICYCLES CREATE CHANGE.COM
Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words.
Mark Twain (1835-1910)
Learning a specific vocabulary for an academic discipline involves a bifurcated experience. It requires learning of:
field This makes learning academic vocabulary very complex - it requires both a construct and its embedded cultural values.
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(and paraphrasing)
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Synonyms are words with very similar meanings to another e.g. big and large are synonyms. Using suitable synonyms is an important skill (esp. for paraphrasing). However, not all words that are synonyms have exactly the same meaning or can be used in the same way. Be careful about using words you are not familiar with. Also, do not use synonyms for specialist vocabulary or commonly used terms. Hint: try using antonyms as a form synonyms
See Cohesion & Coherence Workshop PPT for more ideas on this
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5/09/2018 NINA GINSBERG: BICYCLES CREATE CHANGE.COM
Use an online resources like thesaurus.com for synonyms – check you are using the correct definition
Online Thesaurus
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Change words into different parts of speech: Change: nouns into verbs…. adjectives into adverbs… verbs into adjectives This will (automatically) change the sentence structure (reordering). It avoids just swapping synonyms and also help to avoid plagiarism.
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Consider: The economy will increase over the next ten years. Over the next ten years, there will be an economic increase. There are negative impacts to native plants and animals of Australian forest
Destroying the forests of Australia is negatively impacting native plants and
Australian deforestation negatively impacts native plants and animals. (8)
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4 types of sentences
investors are worried.
See Academic Writing for International Students Workshop PPT for more
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In some cases, you may be able to change sentences written in active voice into passive voice (and vice versa). Remember that the tense does not change.
She presented the report > The report was presented by her. McDonalds is implementing a diversification strategy > A diversification strategy is being implemented by McDonalds. An audit needs to be undertaken > (Someone) needs to undertake an audit.
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Edit your paragraph. Apply each of these techniques once. Need at least 3 to mitigate plagiarism
2 & 3. Use different parts of speech AND different word order
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Academic writing frequently uses nominalisation - using noun forms of verbs. The process of nominalisation turns verbs (actions or events) into nouns (things, concepts or people) The text is then no longer describing actions (active/concrete): it is focused on objects or concepts (abstraction) It usually uses less words and is considered to be more ‘formal’ in expression.
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We walked for charity. The verb 'walked' is nominalised to the noun 'walk' The charity walk ..... When a verb is nominalised, it becomes a concept rather than an action. As a consequence, the tone of your writing will sound more abstract and more formal.. We walked for charity. We raised money for the Leukemia Foundation. The charity walk raised money for the Leukemia Foundation.
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See below: how verbs are replaced by nouns (nominalisation) Example one: Crime was increasing rapidly and the police were becoming concerned. The rapid increase in crime was causing concern among the police. Example two: Germany invaded Poland in 1939. This was the immediate cause of the Second World War breaking out. Germany's invasion of Poland in 1939 was the immediate cause of the outbreak of the Second World War.
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Extract from a biology report. Nominalisation has been used frequently in this passage, creating a more academic, abstract tone. Many Australian plant species produce seeds with fleshy appendages called elaiosomes. It was hypothesised that elaiosomes are involved in the dispersal of seeds by ants. To test this hypothesis, the removal of seeds with elaiosomes was compared to seeds from which the elaiosome had been removed and observations were made to confirm that the agents of seed removal were indeed ants. It was found that the removal of seeds with elaiosomes was significantly greater than those without elaiosomes. Observations of the seed removal process confirmed that ants were the
5/09/2018 NINA GINSBERG: BICYCLES CREATE CHANGE.COM
Extract from a biology report. Nominalisation has been used frequently in this passage, creating a more academic, abstract tone. Many Australian plant species produce seeds with fleshy appendages called elaiosomes. It was hypothesised that elaiosomes are involved in the dispersal of seeds by ants. To test this hypothesis, the removal of seeds with elaiosomes was compared to seeds from which the elaiosome had been removed and observations were made to confirm that the agents of seed removal were indeed ants. It was found that the removal of seeds with elaiosomes was significantly greater than those without elaiosomes. Observations of the seed removal process confirmed that ants were the
5/09/2018 NINA GINSBERG: BICYCLES CREATE CHANGE.COM
Because only a few people have most of the money and power in Australia, I conclude that it is not an equal society. Society has an Upper, Middle and Lower class and I think that most people when they are born into one class, end up staying in that class for their whole lives. When all three classes are looked at more closely, other things such as the differences between the sexes and people's racial backgrounds also add to the unequal nature of Australian society. Women earn less than men and own less than men. Why is this so? What formal academic vocab and writing style features could be applied to improve this text?
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The inequity in the distribution of wealth in Australia is yet another indicator of Australia's lack of
population owned 72.2% of the wealth with the top 50%
in the distribution of wealth indicates that, at least in terms of economics, there is an established class system in Australia. McGregor (2011) argues that Australian society can be categorised into three levels: the Upper; Middle and Working classes. In addition, it has been shown that most Australians continue to remain in the class into which they were born (McGregor, 2011) despite arguments about the ease of social mobility in Australian society (Fitzpatrick, 2014). The issue of class and its inherent inequity, however, is further compounded by factors such as race and gender within and across these class divisions. The relative disadvantage of women with regard to their earnings and levels of asset ownership indicates that within classes there is further economic inequity based
Because only a few people have most of the money and power in Australia, I conclude that it is not an equal society. Society has an Upper, Middle and Lower class and I think that most people when they are born into one class, end up staying in that class for their whole lives. When all three classes are looked at more closely, other things such as the differences between the sexes and people's racial backgrounds also add to the unequal nature of Australian society. Women earn less than men and own less than men. Why is this so?
5/09/2018 NINA GINSBERG: BICYCLES CREATE CHANGE.COM
The inequity in the distribution of wealth in Australia is yet another indicator of Australia's lack of
population owned 72.2% of the wealth with the top 50%
in the distribution of wealth indicates that, at least in terms of economics, there is an established class system in Australia. McGregor (2011) argues that Australian society can be categorised into three levels: the Upper; Middle and Working classes. In addition, it has been shown that most Australians continue to remain in the class into which they were born (McGregor, 2011) despite arguments about the ease of social mobility in Australian society (Fitzpatrick, 2014). The issue of class and its inherent inequity, however, is further compounded by factors such as race and gender within and across these class divisions. The relative disadvantage of women with regard to their earnings and levels of asset ownership indicates that within classes there is further economic inequity based
Because only a few people have most of the money and power in Australia, I conclude that it is not an equal society. Society has an Upper, Middle and Lower class and I think that most people when they are born into one class, end up staying in that class for their whole lives. When all three classes are looked at more closely, other things such as the differences between the sexes and people's racial backgrounds also add to the unequal nature of Australian society. Women earn less than men and own less than men. Why is this so? Frequent use of nominalisation is one difference in formality between the model texts.
Nominalisation vs Concrete
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Compare the following two sentences (original A and paraphrase B). Which one uses more concrete language? Which is better? Why? A) This model provides a microeconomic theoretic rationale for why researchers have failed to find consistent evidence of the superiority of
economics (Becker, 1997, p.9). B) This accounts for why theorists working in the area found the following: a student that is taught with Method A is no better prepared than if he is taught with Method B. The evidence does not show that either A or B is better in terms of learning outcomes (Becker, 1997, p.9).
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LINK: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNlkHtMgcPQ&list=PL3V6XwYH-w1jmyJ077ALXHkq_JKufZvwl
Beware of nominalizations (AKA zombie nouns) Helen Sword
Nominalisation vs Concrete There are other changes afoot! Personal pronouns and plain writing Always check with your supervisor!
Challenge – In your paragraph, can you find a place to apply nominalisation & a place to apply concrete verbs
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Verbs are ‘action’ words They are often underrated OR underutilised in academic writing For postgrads – they can make a definitive difference Check use for publication (the schism!) Helps identify ‘author’s voice’ and positionality Two key academic verbs to focus on mastering are Task words and Reporting verbs
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Task words in assignments are VIP! Answer the question! Critical to thesis/purpose statements/Research questions Transferable as reporting verbs (citations)
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See blog: download the list!
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5/09/2018 NINA GINSBERG: BICYCLES CREATE CHANGE.COM
One word = critical thinking and ‘position’ – very powerful!! And very important See blog: download a list!
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Origins of lexical units Prefix - Root word – Suffix Prefix & Roots = Mostly Latin and Greek Suffix = word class/family trans = across, beyond, though transfer, transmit, translate, transient .. port = carry export, porter, portable, portage ….. Transport transportable, transportation, transported, untransportable
TIPS: look for patterns Practice deducing before confirming definitions 3 or more entries (dictionary, word list) = know that root
Review common roots: https://www.learnthat.org/pages/view/roots.html
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What do you think are the most common words in English? Write some down and compare your answers. Which words do you use the most?
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The GSL lists the most common 2000 general English words Any from your list? What kinds of words are these? Other observations or thoughts?
Link: http://jbauman.com/gsl.html
Which of the following words in the pairs below do you think is more commonly used in academic writing? percent OR conclusion notwithstanding OR ethical albeit OR amendment context OR mechanism validity OR fundamental flexibility OR sector
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It is awesome! Helps with comprehension and builds vocabulary Averil Coxhead developed and evaluated The Academic Word List (AWL) for her MA thesis. The top 570 of the most common academic words (in their word families) Is divided into 10 lists each containing 60 words, except Sublist 10 (30 words). Sublist 1 is the the most common words, leading down to least (most common) Sublist 10 The word in italics is the most frequently occurring member of the word family.
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Dr Avril Coxhead Victoria Uni. (NZ)
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Link: //www.victoria.ac.nz/lals/resources/academicwordlist
SAVE TIME: A full PDF copy is uploaded to Bicycles Create Change Resources page!
Some ideas on how to use the AWL. What aspect of the AWL is useful for you? Other strategies to activate these words? Other ideas…
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Discipline – specific AWLs
These are DIFFERENT to the AWL. They have specific jargon and terms that are specific to a discipline Can be used in conjunction with AWL
ACTIVITY:
Check online for a discipline–specific AWL in your field… ..or what else can you find that will help boost your discipline-specific vocab?
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5/09/2018 NINA GINSBERG: BICYCLES CREATE CHANGE.COM
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Use Academic Podcast Transcripts: NB ‘Spoken’
Link: https://upclose.unimelb.edu.au/
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Link: http://freerice.com
Play until you get a wrong answer Look for your favorite new word Can you edit into your paragraph? Have an explore and play this game for a few minutes
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LINK: https://www.lextutor.ca/conc/eng
Eg: Academic Keyword: equals Start family
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LINK: https://www.visualthesaurus.com
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Link: http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/
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Time needed: 15 mins per session Materials needed: timer, vocabulary website or dictionary Activity: Find/receive your new word (ALT: Look on up randomly in dictionary)
Check how it has been used in published texts by taking a close look at examples (if provided).
in your assessments, research reports dissertation, grant applications or journal articles/publications. Try to write three or four different sentences using that particular word. Develop sentences similar to those you might use in your academic writing. Tip: This is a good way to start your working day = warm-up writing task
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Consonance
Context/definition: harmony, agreement, accord or congruity Use instead of: Agreement, in line with Use this in 4 different sentences - similar to what you might write in your work, articles and assessments
most available literature on the topic.
study proposes equally challenging results.
current thinking on the topics – emphasizes the need for further in-depth study.
many scholars, they are in consonance with the latest research findings in this area.
Now you try writing your own consonance sentences
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consonance
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Learning vocab can be fun – but be careful!
with….(a short parenthetical explanation will do)
meaning.. for the word consonance, you may use it in a sentences that also includes the phrase in agreement with – this way reader can deduce the similar meaning without having to define it
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Consonance
topic.
challenging results.
emphasizes the need for further in-depth study.
consonance with the latest research findings in this area.
Turn this exercise into a habit = 300 new words per year! In 10 years, you will have added 3,000 new words – a significant increase!
Time needed: 15 mins for first session, 10 mins per session thereafter Materials needed: timer, well-written journal article in your field Activity: When you first do this exercise, develop a list of words commonly used in your field. To create the list, choose one or two published journal articles. Take no more than 15 minutes to develop the list. Read the articles and jot down the nouns, adjectives, adverbs and verbs used in the publications. Preferably choose words you are not familiar with – or words you normally do not use in your own writing.
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For every practice session this week, do the following:
three verbs)
Use the six words you have selected in your writing. It does not matter what you are writing about: personal writing, research topic Make sure you understand those words precise meaning and how to use them (check the article your sourced them from or a dictionary)
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Broaden the taxonomy: verbs, adj/adverbs, transitions, and phrases I thought were interesting, but I do not often use in my own writing *Does not always have to be NEW words … phrases or expressions
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new vocabulary
Further comparisons between our data and existing evidence may chart a course toward resolving the apparent conflict.
the start of out reporting, we make clear the need for tangible, operational hypothesis, ones our reader can visualise and measure easily.
4-6 words at a time VIP: learn new words AT THE SAME TIME as practice using words = ‘use association’
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Glossary = a list of terms in a special subject, field or area of usage. Helps you to really understand and master terminology and its usage Sometimes…
For example: community building Commonly means: construction of homes, building infrastructure in a locality Health Ed: “a process by which people in a community engage in themselves” and bring about beneficial changes to their community
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To solve the problem
by developing your
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Use a notebook or excel – design it to suit yourself
Term Definition Notes Community Building construction of homes, building infrastructure in a locality (Ball, 1989) “a process by which people in a community engage in themselves” (Mackey & Green, 2003) citizens who bring about beneficial changes to their community (Ribber, 2014) Concrete buildings, architectural PoV This second definition varies because it is process focused, places authority and action on people Behaviours and actions of people – working for an
as to what action can be undertaken = ‘bring out’. Focus on making positive and local change only
Builds vocabulary Builds deeper understanding of key terms and concepts Promotes higher order analysis: shows links, connections and critical thinking Helps process readings and material Aims in critical analysis and literature reviews As you develop your glossary – you will use it less and less.
change in your ‘command’ of the diverse ways in which terms are defined AND being used – that’s extending vocabulary!
Hint: use this exercise when you start a new topic or course or when you are attempting precision in vocabulary
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Use your glossary in conjunction with previous exercises – use glossary terms in your practice writing
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recognised as an authoritative, valid source.
for a definition, then add it to your glossary the next day/session
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Include a mix of verbatim and your
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(Goodson, 2016)
Build your academic vocabulary without memorising anything!
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What was most helpful for you?
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vocab (and paraphrasing)
2 & 3. Different parts and order
Nominalisation vs concrete Know the schism!
Task Words Reporting Verbs
Etymology : prefix-root-suffix General Service List Academic Word List (AWL) Discipline-Specific AWLs
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n.ginsberg@griffith.edu.au
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Oxford English Dictionary
Cambridge English Dictionary
Merriam- Webster Dictionary
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1- Vocabulary.com 2- BBC Learning English 3- Confusing Words 4-Lexipedia
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https://unilearning.uow.edu.au/academic/3b.html https://www.merriam-webster.com/ Goodson, P. (2016). Becoming an academic writer: 50 exercises for paced, productive, and powerful writing. Sage Publications. Sword, H. (2012). Stylish academic writing. Harvard University Press.
*Unless specified, parts of this session used material directly from the above sources
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