Academic literacy is acquiring information through wide reading and writing. Understanding complex texts, evaluating arguments, conducting research and effectively communicating ideas. It also refers to understanding the communicative function of various ways of expression in academic language. We communicate through writing, speaking, nonverbal expressions or gestures, creating visual images or a combination of many of these forms.
Academic literacy is more than language proficiency because it emphasises integrating skills and fostering analytical skills. Many students, no matter what language they speak, need to gain the skills of critical thinking, logical reasoning, argumentation, conceptual, information literacy, and problem-solving. Academic literacy is the fundamental set of skills learned in the educational environment. Students must gain the language or literacy skills to succeed at the university level.
MEANING OF ACADEMIC
Firstly, the term Academic refers to educational learning within a formal setting like a school, college, or university. The academic setting involves studying various subjects, conducting research, and engaging in intellectual pursuits to gain knowledge and skills in a specific field. It is a learning process that builds the capacity for better reasoning, sharpens skills and enhances knowledge for educational and intellectual growth.
MEANING OF LITERACY
The second term is literacy, which refers to reading, writing, comprehending, interpreting, and critically evaluating information. Literacy is a set of fundamental skills for communicating in every aspect of life, including daily conversation, learning opportunities, academic success, personal development to consume critical and ethical information and many other skills.
UNDERSTANDING ACADEMIC LITERACY
There is a big difference between difference between school and university life. But in both conditions, adjusting from school to university is challenging. However, in this demanding process, students learn to adopt different life, information, and media skills in the setting of the academic environment. Academic literacy is a mode of reasoning that aims to develop university students into deep thinkers, critical readers and writers. It is the ability to read critically and logically write textbooks, articles, dissertations, theories, and presentations. However, it is essential to gain knowledge and skills to understand the concept of academic discourse.
Literacy is the broader term representing the person’s ability to understand, interpret, and use information effectively. Overall, academic literacy involves understanding the wide range of academic vocabulary and interpreting different genres to analyse the structure of language that differs from the everyday use of English.
KEY COMPONENTS OF ACADEMIC LITERACY
These are some of the significant components of academic literacy. These skills are required to navigate the world today successfully, and those who have mastered them can stand out as leaders among their peers.
1: READING SKILLS
Reading is a fundamental skill in academic literacy that improves academic success. However, it promotes the ability to search, evaluate, analyse information and interact with others when conversing. It enhances comprehension, expands vocabulary, and stimulates critical thinking. While reading, students must analyse the negative and positive aspects of the text as they contribute to the text attentively. Academic reading differs from reading for pleasure.
Academic reading requires an active mind to quickly grasp the text’s central idea and actively take notes. it also involves a multifaceted approach to engagement. The reader uses various reading techniques (prediction, surveying, skimming, scanning, analysis, and asking critical questions about your reading material). These techniques are essential for efficient reading and help you to absorb and analyse information effectively. Literacy development occurs in school and every aspect of daily life in which reading is the primary step in gaining knowledge.
2: WRITING SKILLS
Academic writing is the formal style used in colleges and universities. Presenting academic essays, assignments, and research papers in an informal tone or contractions is prohibited. Academic writing takes time as it is more formal than everyday use of language. It requires much more hard work, understanding word choice, and, most importantly, knowing grammar rules. It follows specific content, structure, and style to communicate ideas, information and research, divided into three stages: Pre-writing, drafting, and the final revision. This process is followed in academic writing to improve writing practice, expression of clear ideas and grammar accuracy. It is vital to follow this writing process.
It is objective writing; students have to avoid asking questions directly and always have to present supporting evidence regarding their arguments. Academic writing critically analyses the work based on evidence and research because it is essential in developing students’ academic literacy.
CRITICAL THINKING
To gather academic information from reading, searching, and multiple sources, analysing it in detail, and explaining and interpreting it to produce new information. As a critical thinker, you need to be able to investigate sources, arguments, theories and processes and explain how they work. It is important to synthesize reasons and evidence to fully recognise, evaluate, and explore the situation to find the reasons and arguments. Good analysis involves the interaction of evidence, reasoning, assumptions, methodologies, claims and arguments. When you develop arguments, you combine your analysis and evaluation insights.
As a student, you will find that the ability to specify arguments is one of the most useful critical thinking skills. It is an essential that enables students to become independent and responsible. Critical thinking includes questioning, predicting, and examining opinions. To be an effective critical thinker, you must focus on your purpose and context to identify problems and issues. Students approach these skills in various ways. Some students find it very helpful to discuss their thinking and explore their ideas. Some students prefer to avoid asking questions and expressing their thoughts they take time to observe the situation.
CONCLUSION
Academic literacy is important for student intellectual growth, boosts confidence, and develops complex higher-order thinking abilities. Literacy development occurs in schools and every aspect of life. However, reading and writing enhance critical analysis, problem-solving, and reflection skills are vital for educational excellence because they directly influence students’ academic performance. Being academically literate will prepare you for postgraduate studies, which require mastery of academic literacy abilities.
Research has proven a strong correlation between academic literacy abilities and overall academic performance. Students read maps, newspapers, and websites, and write reports, blogs, poems, and emails. And also analyse and interpret vast amounts of media information. Academic literacy is navigating, understanding, interpreting, and producing texts in the educational environment.
