English for Academic and

Professional Purposes
Darrel A. Fadrillan
 Objectives:
• Develop your reading skills
• Get to expand your vocabulary through different
strategies such as word structures and use of context
clues
• Recognize statements that can be confusing whether they
are facts or opinions
• Apply critical reading skills in academic and professional
contexts
• Overview of important documents relevant in workplaces.
 Reading and
Analyzing
Academic Text
• Listening
• Reading
Four Macro
Skills in • Writing
English • Speaking
Language
 • Receptive Skills – Have to
Reading and do with how you interpret
Analyzing what your senses
Academic Text
received. Listening and
Reading
Language
Skills Category • Productive Skills – Allow
you to produce something
that you want to
communicate to others.
Writing and Speaking.
 Module 1. Developing Your
Vocabulary
• 1. I have a very handy dictionary application on my mobile
phone or tablet computer.
• 2. I refer to a thesaurus to use new words in my writing
style.
• 3. I play games related to vocabulary building in my
mobile phone or tablet computer.
• 4. I can usually guess the meaning of a word when
reading academic texts.
• 5. I look at a dictionary when I don’t understand a word
and avoid asking my classmates or teacher for its
 Module 1. Developing Your
Vocabulary
• 6. I know the meanings of the most prefixes and suffixes
and I use them effectively.
• 7. I can easily identify even the subtlest root word and
know its meaning.
• 8. I carefully use words especially if they have connotative
meanings.
• 9. I want to enrich my vocabulary
• 10. I want to take what I already know to the next level.
 Write your answers in the following
table
Topic What I already What I want to
know find out

Context clues

Prefixes

Suffixes

Root words

Denotations

Connotations
American speaking hiligaynon
Tips to Increase your Vocabulary
Academic Texts
 Context Clues
Using context clues to guess the meaning of an unfamiliar
word is a strategy to improve one's reading skill. When
encounter an unfamiliar word in a reading passage stopping
to read just to open a dictionary to find the meaning of that
word will reduce reading speed. It will cause you to
unnecessarily read and reread some parts of the passage
just to comprehend what you are reading.

Context clues are the words or sentences surrounding the

unfamiliar word that give hints on its meaning. It will help
you know the meaning of a word without a consulting a
See how much you already know in effectively using context
clues by guessing the meaning of the following underlined
words write your answers on the blanks .

• Carbohydrates such as pasta, bread, and rice may contribute to weight

gain.
• When the storm subsided, the residents came out to clean the mess on
their yard.
• Grace had no choice but to acquiesce to the orders of a boss otherwise
she might get fired.
• A theory is futile when it is not practiced.
• A hushed and mournful milieu dawned inside the church as relatives
view the deceased politician for the last time.
 1. 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.

We read 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 can derive that carbohydrates are food that contains
starch.
 2. Synonym or Definition Clues
In synonym our definition clues, 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 my dilemma .

The word epiphany is defined as “a sudden, strong, and clear realizations” with the
signal words that is as a hint.
 3. Antonym or Contrast Clues
In antonym of contrast clues, 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.

Example:
Driving long distances exacerbates the pain in my feet. However,soaking my feet in
warm water after jogging feels relaxing and soothing.

The second sentence gives you a clue that the word exacerbate must mean “to
aggravate” or “increase the pain” because of the signal word however which signifies
the opposite.
 4. General Clues
Making sense of a word’s meaning by largely depending on
your common sense requires you to use your knowledge and
experience. The more you read, the more you will know. And
the more you know, the stronger your capability to figure
out things based on what you already know.

Example:
Paul knew he just made a cultural faux pas when he kissed
the Muslim woman on the cheek and he was met with a
dead, stunned stare!
In this sentence, how do we know that faux pas
could mean committing some mistakes? Reflect on
the following questions:
1. What's your prior knowledge on Muslim culture?
2. Based on what you know, what does a dead,
stunned stare mean?
Thus,  you will surmise that faux pas refers to
committing a mistake or an unacceptable action.
The “dead, stunned stare” is an indicator that the
action of kissing is not acceptable based on your
prior knowledge and that this expression is a mark
of displeased behavior or reaction.
 Word Structure

• A word in the English language may have three

parts: the, the root word, and the suffix.
• The parts of a word in English have meanings
based on their origin which could be Latin, Greek
and French.
 1. Prefixes
• Pre means “before” and fix means “to attach”.
Prefix means “to attach before a word.” Prefixes
have meanings, and understanding their
meanings can help you in figuring out the
meaning of the word with the prefix. There are
negative prefixes that imply the opposite of the
root words such as un-, non-,  in-, and dis-. There
are also prefixes that show location such as tele-,
sub-, inter-, and trans-. Other prefixes can show
numbers or amounts such as mono-, bi-, multi-,
Negative Words Words That Tell Words That
Location Connote
Numbers
unhappy, subterranean, monolingual,
nonfat, international, bicycle,
incorrect, transatlantic multifaceted,
disappeared decagon
 2. Suffixes
• Suffixes usually change a word from one form or part of
speech (e.g., noun, verb, and adjective) to another form.
A verb can become a noun when you add a suffix, for
example.  Adding the suffix may not change the
meaning of the root word, but it helps change the form
of the word to make it suitable to its usage in a
sentence. For example, the word memory is a noun.
How do you turn this word into an adjective or a verb?
 You do so by changing its suffix. So, if you will turn the
noun memory into an adjective, It will become
memorable. If you will turn it into a verb, it will become
Noun Verb Suffixes Adjective
Suffixes Suffixes
-ance, -dom, -ize, -ify, -ate, -ful, -ous,
-hood, -ity, -en -ious,
-ive, -ate, -y, -al, -ic,
-ment, -ness, -ish, -ive,
-ship, -tion, -able,
-tude, -er, -ible, -less, -ed
Noun Verb Adjective
Pure
Isolation
Relate
Rely
White
 3. Root Words
Many things that root words are easy to spot. This
is true only if the root words are of modern English.
Examples of root words in modern English are aim
in aimless, love in unloved, joy in joyful and happy
in happiness. However, there are many root words
in English that originated from Latin, Greek and
other languages. Root words from these languages
may be hard to spot; but if you know many of these
root words it will be a lot easier for you to dissect
the words and get their meanings.
RootWord Meaning Sample Words
aud hear audience, audible,
auditorium, audio-
visual
belief, faith credit, incredible,
credulous
law legitimate,
legislature
see, look inspect, spectacle,
circumspect
voice, call vocal, vocation
 Denotation and Connotation

• When we say denotation we are referring to

the real meaning of the word. When we say
connotation we are referring to the implied
meaning of a word.
• Example the denotative meaning of the word
snake is a cold, scaly reptile. However, it may
have a connotative meaning which is betrayal, evil
or danger. The words fat, chubby and obese have
the same denotative meaning -- excess flabby
tissue. However, when we use them with their
connotative meaning saying that someone is fat
may be taken offensively; therefore, we use the
term chubby to somehow imply that the person is
still cute in spite of being a little fat. Obese on the
• Another Example is the word Heart.
The denotative meaning of heart is an
organ that pumps blood what are the
connotative meanings of heart in the
sentences in the next section.
Son what now is the condition of your heart?
Ask the priest the remorseful repentant
sinner.
• Does the sinner have a heart disease? What
does the priest mean when he asked this
question? Explain.
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.