Academic vs Media Discourse week 3 B. Mitsikopoulou

Academic style (Jordan Unit 14) Academic discourse is written in its own unique style which is easy to identify among different types of discourse

ACADEMIC VS MEDIA TEXTS Reader (p. 48) The two texts are on the same topic reporting on the same research findings: HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY

TEXT: THE ACADEMIC ARTICLE Where is an academic article published? In an academic journal What is an academic journal? A scientific periodical Who reads academic journals? Experts in a field Where can you buy an academic journal? Order it from publishers usually through subscription

THE CONTEXT OF THE JOURNAL ARTICLE Published in Who writes? (author) What? To whom? (readers) For what purpose? The Breast Journal A researcher doctor who specializes in breast cancer An extensive academic article which describes research process and results Other research doctors and generally doctors interested in breast cancer To report research findings to the medical community

THE LANGUAGE OF THE ACADEMIC ARTICLE Taking into account the context of the academic article (who writes what to whom and for what purpose), what assumptions can the author of the text make about the readers of his/her article? How do these assumptions affect his/her selection of lexico- grammatical choices?

LEXIS AND GRAMMAR OF THE ACADEMIC ARTICLE -Research verbs such as calculate, report, find, associate, compare, detect, show are extensively used to report research results -Adverbs indicating degrees of commitment: moderately, nearly, significantly, poorly, likely, unlikely -Adjectives indicating comparison: slower, younger, similar, no larger, more aggressive, lower, earlier, equivalent, faster -Passive voice is extensively used

INFORMATION ORGANIZATION OF THE ACADEMIC ARTICLE -Review previous research and further investigate into the topic -Reference to other research is mandatory as well as citation of full bibliographical details (at the end) -Structure: sub-sections are necessary (with the exception of short abstracts): the topic is examined in terms of different aspects and this should be explicitly indicated in structure layout. Also reporting the different research stages.

TEXT: A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE Where is a media article published? In a newspaper, magazine, etc Who writes a media text? A journalist Who reads a media text (e.g. newspaper article?) Anybody who buys the newspaper (unspecified audience) Where can you buy a newspaper? Everywhere, in a news agent

THE CONTEXT OF THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE Published inThe Guardian (broadsheet newspaper) Who writes? (author) A journalist who specializes in medical report What?A brief newspaper article To whom? (readers) Lay people, with no specialised knowledge For what purpose? To inform the general public about recent research findings concerning medical issues

THE LANGUAGE OF A (BROADSHEET) NEWSPAPER ARTICLE Taking into account the context of the newspaper article (who writes what to whom and for what purpose), what assumptions can the author of the text make about the readers of his/her article? How do these assumptions affect his/her selection of lexico- grammatical choices?

LEXIS AND GRAMMAR OF THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE -Verb say is commonly used -Use of active voice (to express immediacy and urgency) -Time adverbials (setting the temporal perspective which is important for the presentation of news): yesterday, yet, in August, until recently, eventually, two or three years, for a decade or more) -Emphatic modifiers (adjectives): sharp reduction, strongest attempt

INFORMATION ORGANIZATION OF THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE -Brief and comprehensive overview of relevant information from a variety of sources (MHPRA, Wyeth, European Committee, the chairman of the British Committee) -Reference to other research is optional and citation of full bibliographical details is mostly rare -Structure: sub-divisions/subheadings are not as common

Features of a magazine article Lexicogrammatical features Imperatives (e.g. don’t blame) Questions (e.g. Does light bother you?) Personal pronouns (e.g. you are suffering, your kid’s music) Colloquial expressions (e.g. make you sick) Short forms (e.g. they’re) Direct speech reporting experts’ exact words Phrasal verbs (e.g. fight off, pin down) Active voice Information Organization Use of quiz in the form of list (1,2,3) Several headings break the text into smaller parts Format: short paragraphs

FEATURES OF INFORMAL STYLE Colloquialisms (conversational expressions) Contractions (e.g. it didn’t, they’ve) Hesitation fillers (e.g. well, you know) Phrasal verbs and prepositional verbs FormalInformal conductcarry out discoverfind out investigatelook into Euphemisms (less unpleasant and less direct words) e.g. to pass away (instead of to die) Personal pronouns (I, you, we)

Task 5 (Reader p )

HOMEWORK TASK 3 (Reader p. 52) Re-write the academic extract below (and adapt accordingly) in a short paragraph ( words approximately) for the purpose of appearing in Health magazine under the title: Immunity granted: You already know how to catch a cold. Now learn how to knock one out.