What is general English? What is academic English?

Give examples
of activities and situations that you can perform in each context
(general and academic) Elaborate in Spanish.
A: El inglés social o ingles cotidiano se ocupa diariamente para comunicarse,
el cual puede ser oral o escrito. Lo puede ocupar cualquier persona en
cualquier lugar y contexto con un lenguaje simple y común. Tiene un carácter
más informal, subjetivo, espontaneo el cual puede expresar alguna opinión o
reacción frente a alguna situación o tema.
Un ejemplo de esto, puede ser:
 Para expresar una opinión a alguien de manera oral u escrita.
 Al leer un diario/revista/mensaje.
 Para indicar alguna dirección.

En cambio, del inglés general, el inglés académico se ocupa para situaciones

formales expresadas por académicos, profesionales o intelectuales con
formación académica profesional. Se ocupa un lenguaje más complejo
(tecnicismos), especifico y poco común, no todas las personas pueden
entenderlo y ocuparlo. Este tipo de lenguaje se basa en estudios y hechos
comprobados, teniendo un carácter formal y objetivo.
Ejemplo de cuando se usa inglés académico:
 En charlas/discusiones científicas
 En debates sobre en algún tema de alguna índole profesional
 En Papers/reportaje/tesis,etc.

Why do you need to learn academic English? Elaborate in Spanish.

A: Yo necesito aprender ingles academico para poder entender trabajos
investigativos, papers, etc. Que esten escritos con este lenguaje, ya que usan
un lenguaje mas técnico que el lenguaje ordinario.
¿Qué es el vocabulario académico? ¿Cuáles son las funciones del
lenguaje académico? Elaborate in Spanish.
A: el leguaje académico es aquel que es específico de alguna disciplina que
se enseña en la educación profesional o con cierto grado de formalidad.
Algunas funciones del lenguaje académico son las de:

 Investigar: describir un hecho o fenómeno el cual se estudia, tomando

notas de ello.
 Sintetizar: resumir ideas para una mejor comprensión de un todo.
 Inferir: extraer información, para hacer conclusiones.
 Justificar: dar argumentos, para persuadir/convencer a alguien
mediante de los razonamientos planteados.
 Comparar: hacer contraste sobre objetos/sitaciones/etc.


Read and/or listen to different excerpts to decide what kind of

English they belong to (pg. 9 -10). Classify.

A: the first text (page 9) has a general English type, similar to a life diary, she
narrates about her daily routine, when she wakes up, when she has
breakfast, her work routine, etc. It can be classified as general English,
because of the language he uses, since it is a common and simple vocabulary.
It relates a simple situation that anyone could narrate.

The second text (page 10) is a scientific text whose language is academic
English, since it uses more technical language, such as sulphonamides,
polypeptides, aminoglycosides, etc. These words are not used in a casual
conversation, but in formal situations to report on a specific topic, such as a
scientific talk.
 Categorize vocabulary in context as general or academic (pg. 11).
Classify.
Vocabulary Vocabulary Vocabulary
general academic general
Since therefore fact
Millions researchers may
expectancy field there-is
While findings that
Decreased source More
Amounted discovery is
Which development environments
And treatment those
Many as-well-as most
Health gathered not
drug whereas some
This cell targets
These exert only
How life-threatening early
management due-to stages
Diseases et al must
The However also
New despite As
Among harmful need
landscape In-addition Thus
Its i.e low
Both Issue often
Higher short
Can such-as
Are two
A from
By fatty
Through them
With most
An compounds
search-for Because-of
Their
Design a contrast table explaining general and academic English
using key words or short phrases (pg. 12). Elaborate in English.

- Formal style - Informal Style

- technical, complex and - simple, spontaneous and

specific language. common language.

- expresses facts and - expresses thoughts and

arguments (objective) opinions (subjective)

- - deals with specific - It can be given in any place

contexts such as research and context.

papers, conferences - used by all people to

(papers / thesis / etc.) communicate.

- used by teachers,
students, scientists, etc.
Report orally (2-3 minutes) or in writing (12-14 sentences) a topic related to
general English (personal information and daily routine) and one related to
academic English (my major/field of study description). Elaborate in English.

A: Hello my name is Nicolas Matias Soto Gonzalez, but my friends call me

Nico, I am nineteen, about twenty and I was born on the may one of the two
thousand one. I live with my parents and my older brother; which makes me
ten years apart; I have a cat named zeus and 2 dogs of my uncles called leon
and fanny.

my routine is currently not very varied by the quarantine of the city, but I still
get up in the mornings for breakfast while I give food to my cat, then I think
about the ones I'm going to cook in the afternoon and then I contact my
friends to play.

Well now with college admission you've changed the routine a little bit, now I
wake up earlier for my classes, see the homework I have to do for the next
few days and no longer play very often with my friends.

I´m studying Medical Technology in “Universidad Austral of Chile”, this study

lasts five years and then you can choose an area to work like Clinical
Bioanalysis, Immunohematology and Transfusion Medicine, in this area you
work in Analysis of samples of blood, urine, excrement and more fluids.
Medical Imagenology and Physics, you work taking X-rays, resonances,
tomography and others. After the degree I would work in hospitals, clinics
and research centers.
Get together in pairs/groups, research on the internet and share some links
of texts/audios/videos exemplifying the use of GENERAL & ACADEMIC
English. Collaborate in Teams.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=29nizxc8k5k&ab_channel=CambridgeUniversityPressELT

https://writebetter.io/english-writing/differences-between-general-english-
and-academic-or-professional-english/