Living Stones International School
Bacolod City, Negros Occidental
First Quarter
ENGLISH FOR ACADEMICS AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES
Teacher: Rhea Mae Braza Patino, LPT
Module 1 Developing the Vocabulary
At the end of this module, the student will be able to:
1. Identify terminologies used in academics texts from various
disciplines.
2. Recognize the meaning of a word using context, examples, synonym
and antonym clues.
3. Give examples of words with denotative and connotative meaning.
Core Values
Flexible, Creative, Enthusiastic
Content
Aids in Developing the Vocabulary
Your vocabulary bank is the determining factor for the improvement of your
reading speed and comprehension. If you encounter a word you don’t understand,
you would normally pause to think about it; this temporary pause affects your
reading speed and comprehension of the text. Thus, to enhance your
comprehension, you should consciously continue to improve your vocaulary.
The following words can help you in building your vocabulary:
1. Context Clues
- are the words or sentences surrounding the unfamiliar word that give hints on its
meaning.
- Using context clues to guess the meaning of an unfamiliar word is a strategy to
improve one’s reading skill.
Activity for Context Clues
See how much you already know in effectively using context clues by guessing the
meaning of the following underlined words. Write your answer on the blanks.
1. Carbohydrates such as pasta, bread, and rice may contribute to weight gain.
___________________________________________________________.
2. When the storm subsided, the residents came out to clean the mess on their
yard.
___________________________________________________________.
3. Grace had no choice but to acquiesce to the orders of her boss; otherwise, she
might get fired.
___________________________________________________________.
4. A theory is futile when it is not practiced.
____________________________________________________________.
5. A hushed and mournful milieu dawned inside the church as relatives viewed
the deceased politician for the last time.
___________________________________________________________.
Teacher’s note: Check your answers by referring to the dictionary.
2. Example Clues
- Example clues are easy to spot! First, the author will mention a word and then
give examples that either describe or explain it. Words or phrases indicating that
example clues are on their way are such as, like, for example, for instance, and as an
illustration.
Teacher’s note: Reread the first sentence in the previous activity:
Carbohydrates such as pasta, bread, and rice may contribute to weight gain.
This sentence gives examples of carbohydrates: pasta, bread, and rice. From the given
examples of carbohydrates, we derive that carbohydrates are food that contain starch.
Activity for Example Clues
Use the following words in a sentence using example clues.
1. recondite
______________________________________________________________.
2. quell
______________________________________________________________.
3. obnoxious
_______________________________________________________________.
3. Synonym or Definition Clues
In synonym, the meaning of an unfamiliar word is given in the sentence if a similar
word is also used to make the meaning clearer. Signal words for synonym clues are or,
in other words, that is, by this we mean, that is to say, and also known as.
Read the following sentence for an example:
Caught in an epiphany, that is, a sudden, strong, and clear realization, I suddenly
knew how to solve the dilemma.
The word epiphany is defined as “a sudden, strong, and clear realization” with the
signal words that is as a hint.
Activity for Synonym Clues
Use the following words in a sentence using synonym clues.
1. preposterous
______________________________________________________________.
2. ameliorate
______________________________________________________________.
3. halcyon
_______________________________________________________________.
4.Antonym or Contrast Clues
In antonym, the meaning of an unfamiliar word is given in the sentence if an
opposite word is used to suggest the meaning. Signal words for antonym clues are but,
however, on the other hand, nevertheless, yet and in contrast.
Read the following sentence for an example:
Jogging long distances exacerbates the pain in my feet. However, soaking my feet
in warm water after jogging feels relaxing and soothing.
The sentence gives you a clue that the word exacerbates must mean “to
aggravate”or “increase the pain” because of the signal word however, which signifies
the opposite.
Activity for Antonym Clues
Use the following words in a sentence using antonym clues.
1. inane
______________________________________________________________.
2. pejorative
______________________________________________________________.
3. reticent
_______________________________________________________________.
5.Denotation and Connotation
When we say denotation, we are referring to the real meaning of a word.
When we say connotation, we ae referring to the implied meaning of a word.
For example:
Denotative the word snake is “a cold, scaly reptile”
Connotative the word snake is “betrayal, evil or danger”
Activity for Denotation and Connotation
“This heart of mine is yours now and forever.”
Does one really take out his or her heart and give it to someone else? Explain
__________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________.
Module 2 Determining the Author’s Purpose and Intended Audience
At the end of this module, the student will be able to:
1. Identify the characteristics of persuasive, informative, and expressive
texts.
2. Tell what sets each type of text apart from another.
3. Create his/her own persuasive, informative, or expressive text.
Core Values
Patient, Responsible, Respectful
Content
Author’s Purpose and Intended Audience
For you to become critical, analytical, and expert reader, you need to know
that every time an author writes a text, he or she has a purpose and an intended
audience in mind. Every time you read, try to determine the author’s purpose and
intended audience first before evaluating the material any further.
There are three general types of purposes an author has when writing:
persuasive, informative, and expressive.
1. Persuasive Text
The author’s main goal here is to convince you. An author may use a lot of factual
information as tools to persuade the reader, but the main goal is to really persuade and
not just to inform the reader.
There are two main goals in convincing a person. These are to make you change
your mind on something or to make you do a certain action.
Activity for Persuasive Text
Take your mobile phone or tablet to record a video on how you were able to
use your persuasive skills to accomplish the following task. Send the video to your
teacher after accomplishing your mission.
TASK:
1. Convince 2 persons in your area/house to sing “Happy Birthday”to the tune
of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”
2. Convince 1 person to do five jumping jacks and shout, “Arriba!”after the
fifth one.
3. Persuade a teacher to take a “selfie” with you.
2. Informative Text
Informative texts, unlike persuasive texts, aim to give information only, but not
necessarily to convince the reader to believe or to do something. Writing informative
texts requires a lot of research. The author must check if the sources of the information
are valid and reliable.
Activity for Informative Text
Research an informative text about the government/ politicians or education and
summarize it. Minimum of 2 paragraphs.
3. Expressive Text
These are texts that are sometimes more creative in nature, and the goal of the
author could be to engage the reader’s emotions such as joy, anger, and frustrations.
Expressive texts may have more opinions than facts.
One less-known form of an expressive text is satire. It is a form of writing that uses
humor to scorn and/or expose follies of a person, an organization, or politics in a
government.
Activity for Expressive Text
Watch a video and explain in one paragraph how Juana Change expressed her
sentiments. You make take note of the words or dialogues she used that left an indelible
mark on you as a viewer.
Visit this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTWtiGOb8ww
Module 3 Identifying the Author’s Tone and Point of View
At the end of this module, the student will be able to:
1. Distinguish words that create a positive, negative or neutral tone in the
written texts.
2. Explain what tone a written text sends to the reader.
Core Values
Respectful, Understanding
Content
Author’s Tone and Point of View
In speaking, we can easily tell the emotions behind the words from a
person’s tone. The sentence “that’s okay” changes in meaning based on the
speaker’s tone in relaying the same message. We tend to believe more the
emotions behind the words than the words’denotative meaning.
In writing, we also convey a tone. The tone is the author’s attitude toward
the topic or issue.
Activity #1 for Author’s Tone and Point of View
The following words express reactions. Your choice of words can connote a
positive, negative, or neutral undertone. Classify the following words under the correct
heading in the table.
delighted refused remarked agreed declined valued agonized
asked rejoiced yelled wondered retorted relayed awed
Positive Negative Neutral
Activity #2 for Author’s Tone and Point of View
Look for a short paragraph for each tone and explain why it is positive, negative
and neutral tone expressed by the author in each paragraph.
