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The International Language Institute of Massachusetts (ILI) promotes intercultural understanding and diverse communities by providing high-quality language instruction and teacher training.

You are here: Home / News / Social vs Academic English: What is the difference? Part 2

August 31, 2022

Social vs Academic English: What is the difference? Part 2

In part 1 of our article comparing academic English and social English, we discussed the importance of both and how if you’re ready to begin studying English for academic purposes. We also touched on some specifics regarding the characteristics of academic English.

We also set up a grammar question related to social English and academic English: what’s the difference between saying “My friends and I applied to an Intensive English Program” and “Me and my friends applied to an Intensive English Program.”

Part 2 provides more characteristics of academic English as well as the answer to our grammar question.

Overview of characteristics of Academic and Social English

One big difference is vocabulary. Academic English requires the use of specialized terms from school subjects like science, math, social studies.

For example, in order to get by in the US, a resident needs to know the bank word teller but notColorful square letter tiles with the word vocabulary spelled out in the middle. the biology term zygote.  Likewise, in order to get by in biology class, a student may need to know the term zygote.

Beyond vocabulary, there’s a lot to learn about academic English in order to succeed at a US university.

Looking at the table below, you’ll notice two types of differences.

One type of difference focuses on words themselves. For instance,  in academic English writing you might use the connecting word thus, while in social English you’ll probably avoid thus and say so.

The other type of difference relates to academic culture and the expectations of an academic environment.

For instance, social English is more subjective, which means you talk about your personal opinions, feelings, and experiences. In contrast, academic English is objective, which means it talks about things that are not personal: facts, logic, and analysis. This difference requires different vocabulary choices and grammar structures.

Furthermore (another connector used in academic English!), to succeed in university you need to be able to do research from a variety of scholarly materials. This means no wikipedia. Instead, you must be able to locate specialized academic journals from the library–and then summarize using your own words without plagiarizing from the text. That takes the kind of wide and deep English knowledge not necessary in everyday communication.

The main differences between social and academic English

Social EnglishAcademic English
Can use non standard grammar Must use standard grammar
Can use slang and idiomsMust avoid most slang and many idioms
Can use short phrases Must use complete sentences
Can use long run-on sentencesMust use correct punctuation to end and begin sentences of different lengths
Can repeat the same wordsMust use varied and wide vocabulary
Can repeat simple sentence structuresMust vary sentence structure and length–a mix of simple and complex
Usually uses contractions, like “I’ve,” “It’s,” and “Maria’s finished.”Usually avoids contractions, preferring “I have,” “It is,” and “Mara has finished.”
Requires the vocabulary of household objects like a stapler, a lamp, a coffee table. Requires the use of specialized terms for the field of study
Connect ideas with words like but, and, so.Connect ideas with words like therefore, consequently, conversely.
Can use wikipedia as a source of informationCan NOT use wikipedia; must research sources of information carefully
Can write texts and emails with loose punctuation and capitalizationMust follow all rules of punctuation and capitalization
Can be subjective, using phrases like “I think…” and “I feel…”Must be objective, using evidence and reasoning to support opinions
Can make strong statements of opinion, like “The movie is terrible!”Prefers moderate statements with modal verbs, like “The policy may lead to unintended negative consequences.”
Writing skills center on personal communication and filling out formsWriting skills center on essays with a thesis statement and supporting arguments

How long does it take to learn English for academic purposes?

If you’re just starting out, you may be able to develop A2 level social English in as few as three months. That’s especially true if you can immerse yourself in an English-speaking environment by joining an Intensive English program and living with a home stay.

But what level will an academic English proficiency test accept? Sometimes B1 (Intermediate) can satisfy the minimum requirement to attend university. Usually, B2 (Upper Immediate) is required.

Reaching high intermediate English proficiency usually takes between one year and two years of English study, ideally in an immersive environment.

Much depends on you–your study habits, interests, and background. Online English classes can help, even if they’re part-time. A group academic English course works best to learn all the essential skills, from taking notes to debating issues to revising papers to paraphrasing sources.

While you can pick up social English from TV shows and phone apps, you need an experienced, knowledgeable ESL instructor to guide you through the process of developing academic writing for non native English speakers. 

It’s a process that takes time and patience, not to mention passion, which feeds the fire of your motivation.

The answer to “You and I” or “Me and you” in social and academic English

Drum roll…

As you may have guessed, the proper English form is “My classmates and I are interested in writing academic English.”

Like a polite person holds the door for somebody, you let your classmates go first in the sentence and follow behind. That’s the form you use in academic English, business English, or any kind of writing where standard English is appropriate.

But some social English is technically wrong for formal situations but common in daily life. “Me and my classmates take an academic English course in Massachusetts” reflects the kind of English normal people say every day. 

Which is “better?” Neither.

It all depends on whether you’re writing academic English or speaking social English.

Related articles about how to learn English

While you book your Intensive English course or other academic English or business English course, improve your language skills by reading our free English articles or watching our free English lesson videos. You can learn about writing academic English,  ways to show skills that academic English proficiency tests accept, and get more details to answer the question “What is academic English?”

  • Read about Top 7 Reasons to do an Intensive English Program in the Summer
  • Study how to improve English for academic purposes. 
  • Learn how business and academic English lessons can broaden your mind and open up a world of opportunities.  
  • Learn techniques for brainstorming essay ideas for typical assignments in Academic English lessons or business English courses. 
  • Learn techniques for outlining essay ideas for typical assignments in Academic English lessons or business English courses. 
  • Watch fun and informative videos with English tips useful for work, school, and creative writing. We continuously update our free English playlists of easy-to-understand videos. 

Bringing decades of passion as educators, at ILI Massachusetts we believe in open access to education for language learners around the world, regardless of race, religion, gender identification, physical and mental abilities, economic standing, documentation status, and educational levels.

By Chris Elliott, IEP Academic Coordinator and ESOL Instructor

Article by ILI Staff / News

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“Music is the universal language of mankind.” “Music is the universal language of mankind.”
― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

ILI English and French instructor, Josh Owsley is also a musician! He will be playing bass with @landownerband tonight at @thedrakeamherst . 🎶Hope to see you there!

📸Photo by @vagabundodeltiempo 

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Congratulations 🎉 to our graduates  Jeffrey ( Congratulations 🎉 to our graduates  Jeffrey (Peru), Azhar (Kazakhstan), Ruveyda (Turkey), Andrei (Russia) and Yasemin (Turkey). Every month we have an international potluck to celebrate our graduates. You might have seen Azhar’s cakes before, but the cake that she made, as you will say, is truly over the top! We are sad to say goodbye to the students, but excited about the next steps that they will be taking in their lives.

Cake by @_azhar_bakery 

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“We must risk everything for the raw recipe of o “We must risk everything for the raw recipe of our passion” 

We had such an engaging afternoon at @parlorroommusic with ILI Board Member + former president of @gccgreenfield Bob Pura. Bob led a reading and discussion of his new book The Community’s College: The Pursuit of Democracy, Economic Development, and Success, which he co-wrote with Dr. Tara L. Parker. Audience members also got the chance to learn more about the process behind the creation of the book. 

Thank you for joining us! 📚

#ili #internationallanguageinstitute #massachusetts #bobpura #authorevent #reading #discussion #communitycollege #thecommunityscollege #northampton
Today Bob Pura and Tara Parker read from and lead Today Bob Pura and Tara Parker read from and lead a discussion of their book The Community’s College: The Pursuit of Democracy, Economic Development, and Success! 📚 Join us at @parlorroommusic at 2pm. 

In their book, The Community’s College: The Pursuit of Democracy, Economic Development, and Success, co-authors Dr. Robert L. Pura and Dr. Tara L. Parker explore the extraordinary impact of this country’s community colleges on people, communities, and our democratic traditions.

As the book’s foreword by Lynn Pasquerella, President of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, states: "[T]he analysis offered by Dr. Pura and Dr. Parker unveils how community colleges—distinctively American institutions—are more essential than ever to fulfilling our nation's historic mission of educating for democracy."

Pura, a member of the ILI board of directors, retired in 2018 as president of Greenfield Community College after 17+ years in that position. Parker is the recently appointed Dean of the College of Education and Human Development at UMass Boston.
 
#thecommunityscollege #authorevent #ili #bobpura #taraparker #theparlorroom #northampton #community
TOMORROW - Saturday, January 28th don't miss an Au TOMORROW - Saturday, January 28th don't miss an Author Reading & Discussion with Bob Pura + Tara Parker at @parlorroommusic at 2pm!

Bob Pura, former Greenfield Community College president (18 years) and now an ILI board member, was on the Bill Newman radio show yesterday discussing his new book. 

So many of our students have found success at @gccgreenfield . Here's a photo of all of ILI's students who were at GCC during Bob's last year...including former board member, Aimee Salmon. Aimee is at Mt. Holyoke and graduating this semester, Florice is at Tulane, Bene is at Smith, Orphee is at Western New England University, Flora just graduated from Western New England and is an electrical engineer in Connecticut and Lastone graduated from UMASS and works in Boston.

➡️Listen to the radio show here: https://whmp.com/podcasts/the-communitys-college/

#whmp #ili #thecommunityscollege #bobpura #taraparker #communitycollege #authorevent #northampton #internationallanguageinstitute #massachusetts
This past fall, ILI applied to #MassachusettsDepar This past fall, ILI applied to #MassachusettsDepartmentofElementaryandSecondaryEducation’s (DESE) competitive grant program to help fund our free English classes for immigrants and refugees. The hard work paid off. When DESE announced the recipients, ILI was on the list! ✨

“We were thrilled to get the good news,” said Macey Faiella, director of ILI’s English programs. “The pandemic shed new light on the disparities that face immigrants and refugees, and we reassessed our program to include greatly expanded offerings. DESE responded positively—all to the benefit of the students.” Starting this fall ILI will teach four levels of online and in-person evening classes and a new intensive in-person morning course. 

For 34 years, ILI has partnered with the state to provide free English classes in western Massachusetts. This award extends the partnership for an additional five years. It funds about two-thirds of the overall program. ILI is responsible for the remaining costs.

#ili #internationallanguageinstitute #massachusetts #dese #education #grant #nonprofit #freeenglishprogram #mass #community
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