1. Academic X Non-academic Texts - recommended

 
Academic X Non-academic Texts
Monday, 7 September 2020, 10:56 AM

Hello

 

Skim all the 2 texts below. Pay attention to the information in bold. What can you say about them in terms of types of texts: academic X non-academic? What information from the texts did you use to reach your conclusion?


  

Text 1: 

Text Structure in Reading Research and Instruction

One of the major assumptions in reading research and instruction is that all texts have structures above the level of the sentence. This assumption is well supported by a wide range of research on written discourse analysis, cognitive psychology, and rhetoric (Christie, 1989; Hoey, 2001; Kintsch & van Dijk, 1978; Martin, 1989; Meyer, 1975, 1982; Mohan, 1986, 1990; Swales, 1990; van Dijk & Kintsch, 1983). People in these fields generally agree that there are patterns in the organization of texts (e.g., cause and effect, comparison and contrast, classification, problem and solution, for and against, procedure and sequence, definition). These organizational patterns play important roles in how readers read and writers write. A number of researchers have contended that texts following certain conventional organizational patterns are easier to comprehend and remember than texts that do not (e.g., Carrell, 1984; Coiro, 2001; Collins, 1994); some have argued that awareness of text structure promotes reading comprehension and retention (e.g., Carrell, 1985; Coiro, 2001; Collins, 1994; Grabe, 1991; Koda, 2005; Taylor, 1992); still others have suggested that a well-structured expository text facilitates comprehension of main ideas (Kintsch & Yarbrough, 1982). Text structures can be thought of as “knowledge structures or basic rhetorical patterns in texts” (Grabe, 2003, p. 1), “the organization of ideas in text” (Taylor, 1992, p. 221), or the way in which “the ideas of a text are interrelated to convey a message to the reader” (Meyer & Rice, 1984, p. 319).

Source: http://www.nflrc.hawaii.edu/rfl/April2007/jiang/jiang.pdf

 

 

Text 2:

Beyond Peanut Butter

by Kate Dailey December 06, 2010

Schools looking to ban cell phones may have a new excuse: a growing number of people are developing an allergy to metal in the devices. We all know that food allergies are on the rise—a study last year placed the rate at 1 per 70 children, compared with 1 in 250 in the 1970s. But at last month’s meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, allergists reported that many substances that once seemed innocuous are now leading to allergic reactions too.

Allergies can develop when young bodies come into contact with a new substance, and an increasing number of kids have early exposure to tech tools and “adult” products that can lead to a lifetime of reactions. For instance, the nickel hardware often used on phone trim and faceplates can lead to red, itchy skin where the phone is pressed against the face of someone who developed a nickel allergy at a young age. It’s especially problematic for women, says Luz Fonacieran allergist who presented at the conference. Young girls are often first exposed to nickel when they get their ears pierced, and therefore are more likely to develop a sensitivity to the metal that can cause allergic reactions later on.

Temporary tattoos could be another new allergy trigger. They share a pigment used in hair dyes, which can lead to problems down the line. “You might have kids developing the sensitivity now, and then finding out only when they’re much older and decide to dye their hair, then have an attack,” says Fonacier. Foods that were once considered low risk, like pumpkin, are now causing some allergic reactions too.

So what’s behind all these newfangled allergens? Some researchers believe that as humans live in cleaner, safer, more disease-free environments, the immune system—given less to do thanks to antibiotics and Clorox—turns on substances once considered safe. Others note that children are being exposed to more and more new foods and foreign substances at earlier ages, which could up the chances of developing a sensitivity. To be safe, Fonacier recommends that children avoid piercing until after age 10. And it’s all just another reason to keep those cell phones and temporary tats away from young hands.

Source: http://www.newsweek.com/can-you-be-allergic-your-cell-phone-68991

 

 

 

 

 

Picture of Camila Brum San Pedro (18104290)
Re: Academic X Non-academic Texts
by Camila Brum San Pedro (18104290) - Wednesday, 7 October 2020, 5:15 PM
 

Text number 1 is Academic since it brings the reference ( author name, year of the book, page...)  and text number 2 is  Non-academic because it only indicates  researches, metions it, but does not bring the complete reference. 

Picture of Pedro Ricardo Bin (18101609)
Re: Academic X Non-academic Texts
by Pedro Ricardo Bin (18101609) - Wednesday, 7 October 2020, 5:20 PM
 

The first text is academic since its strucure is commonly found in scientific papers and it has in-text citations from important authors in language/reading research. Also, the first text excerpt is from a paper published in the Reading in a Foreign Language journal, a peer-reviewed journal. Peer-reviewed journals are always associated with the dissemination of scientific works.

The second text is non-academic since it is does not have in-text citations to acknowledge properly some of the sources the author uses to write her text. Also, it was published in a site called Newsweek, which is a news website.

Picture of Eduardo Fonseca Nadais (19105491)
Re: Academic X Non-academic Texts
by Eduardo Fonseca Nadais (19105491) - Wednesday, 7 October 2020, 8:29 PM
 

The First is an academic because the author uses citations to avoid plagiarism and to give reliability to the research, there's a lot of specific references of a lot of other research, while the second one ia a non-academic text because the author uses citations but don't show the source, or even uses vage terms like "Some researchers" or "others" that isn't reliable.

Picture of Leticia Anny Gellert (18101601)
Re: Academic X Non-academic Texts
by Leticia Anny Gellert (18101601) - Thursday, 8 October 2020, 4:17 PM
 

The first text is academic, since the statements on the subject are followed by citations to other authors' works. All information is properly put in order to give credit to the other authors, also showing the reader where that information can be found and that it is not the writer's ideas. In addition, the text's source is highly reliable, since the journal foccuses in publishing scientific articles.

 

The second text uses general words like "a study" and "some researchers", but it does not mention anything about the study itself or who are the supposed researchers that said that information, so it does not have any scientific credibility. This kind of publication is often seen in news websites, and writers seldom put the proper references or even other sources to show where that information came from.

Picture of Tainá Araujo Ferreira (19105706)
Re: Academic X Non-academic Texts
by Tainá Araujo Ferreira (19105706) - Sunday, 11 October 2020, 10:53 AM
 

The first text is academic because it is based on specific information related to the theme, what makes the arguments more elaborated and confident.

The second text is not academic, having a different structure and not presenting the same level of sources as the first one.

Picture of Luiza Spiller Fernandes (20104456)
Re: Academic X Non-academic Texts
by Luiza Spiller Fernandes (20104456) - Sunday, 11 October 2020, 7:08 PM
 

The first text is academic because it has citations which are done properly. The second text is non-academic because it gives generic information of the sources used, like using the words "a study" or "allergists" without saying what study and what allergists have said what the author is claiming to have been said.

Picture of Vitória Noya da Silva (20101745)
Re: Academic X Non-academic Texts
by Vitória Noya da Silva (20101745) - Tuesday, 13 October 2020, 9:49 PM
 

The first text is academic. Its structure is well organized, it has in-text citations and it references all of the researches used.

While the second text is non-academic since its references are very vague, and its structure resembles that of a journal article.

Picture of Luciana dos Santos (18101604)
Re: Academic X Non-academic Texts
by Luciana dos Santos (18101604) - Wednesday, 14 October 2020, 3:35 PM
 

The first one is academic since it has thorough references, with the name of the researchers and year of publication. The other text does not have so many details about the sources and is, most of the time, too vague, especially when it mentions "some researches" and "others". The first text shows more responsibility and worries about the reliability of the information that it brings to the reader. 

Picture of Maria Tereza Carneiro Umbelino (20150115)
Re: Academic X Non-academic Texts
by Maria Tereza Carneiro Umbelino (20150115) - Wednesday, 14 October 2020, 11:18 PM
 

      The first text is an academic work, while the second text is a non-academic one. The difference can be noticed through the titles, the lack or presence of scientific research citation, and the type of websites where they were published. The text one brings a more detailed sentence, revealing the subject of the text. It also cites several academic researches to support the text, and build its argument. In addition, the text was published in the online journal named Reading in a Foreign Language, and the online address shows leads to an educational institution in the Hawaii. On the other hand, the text two uses a short title, with an intriguing vague meaning to attract the reader. Even though, the text mention results from researches, there are not in-text citation for the majority of researches. One researcher is identified, but when the text uses a direct quotation from him there is no clear explanation about its source or context (probably, it was taken from the previously mentioned conference). Finally, the text was published in a well-known American weekly news magazine.

Picture of Beatriz Alissa Alves Silva (18103653)
Re: Academic X Non-academic Texts
by Beatriz Alissa Alves Silva (18103653) - Thursday, 15 October 2020, 12:48 PM
 

Text 1 is Academic, since it has proper citations, while text 2 is non-academic for not using citations, only vague references and not properly cited scientific information.