1.

Thinking about academic culture

Academic culture means the beliefs, opinions and ways of behaving shared by people working or
studying in a higher education institution. If you go abroad to study, you may find that the academic
culture is different from that in educational institutions in your own country.
In pairs, discuss whether the statements about academic culture (1-8) are True (T) or false (F) in your
country.
1. If you arrive late to a lecture, you shouldnt enter the room.
2. If your mobile phone goes off in class, you should go out of the room to answer it.
3. If your lecturer says something you dont understand, you should ask them to explain.
4. You will get all the information you need to pass exams in the course lectures, so you only need
to do extra reading if you are aiming for excellent marks.
5. Textbooks are written by experts so you can accept what you read in them as true.
6. If you are having difficulties writing an essay, you should go to your tutor for help.
7. To help you understand what is needed in academic writing, you should look at the texts (e.g.
essays, dissertations) of past students.
8. You will get good marks for an essay if you can show you support your tutors opinion on the
subject.
2. Thinking critically
In your academic studies, writers and lecturers will often present you with arguments, trying to
persuade you to accept certain ideas by giving reasons why you should. Critical thinking involves
judging these arguments; that is, deciding whether to accept them or not.
1. Work in pairs and write definitions / explanation of the following words.
a. distinguish (v): _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
b. identify (v): _______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
c. justify (v): _________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
d. provide (v): ________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
e. assumption (n): _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
f. claim (n): _________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
g. evidence (n): _______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
h. explanation (n): ____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
i. fact (n): ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
j. opinion (n): ________________________________________________________________
Source: Hewings, M. (2012). Cambridge Academic English Upper Intermediate. Cambridge, CUP.

_____________________________________________________________________________
k. reason (n): ________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

2. You are going to discuss an extract from a students essay on behavioural studies. Read the
extract and in pairs, discuss whether you are persuaded by the argument the student makes.
Why? / Why not?
The majority of people believe that childrens behaviour is worse
now than it was in the past. The reason for this poor behaviour
can be found in the breakdown in discipline in schools in recent
years. Along with the family environment, school is an important
influence on how a child develops. It follows, therefore, that it is
only by improving discipline in schools that we can stop this
decline in standards of behaviour.

Source: Hewings, M. (2012). Cambridge Academic English Upper Intermediate. Cambridge, CUP.