Lesson 1.

2: VARIOUS TECHNIQUES IN SUMMARIZING

A VARIETY OF ACADEMIC TEXTS

Learning outcomes:

The learner produces a detailed abstract of information gathered from

the various academic texts read:

• Uses various techniques in summarizing a variety of

academic text.

Time Allotment: 60 Minutes

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 Learning Objectives
This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to

help you enhance their communicative skills, particularly using English for

Academic and Professional purposes. The scope of this module permits it to be

used in many different learning situations. The language used recognizes the

diverse vocabulary level of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the

standard sequence of the course. But the order in which you read them can be

changed to correspond with the textbook you are now using.

The module is good for one session:

• Lesson 1.2- Summarizing Academic Text

After going through this module, you are expected to:

• Define summarizing and summary from various writers through

discussion.

• Identify the various techniques in summarizing and;

• Summarize various academic texts using chain chart and burger chart.

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Lesson
SUMMARIZING ACADEMIC TEXT

1.2
Summarizing is reducing text to one-third or one-quarter its original
size, clearly articulating the author’s meaning, and retaining main ideas.
Buckley (2004)

In this module, you will be able to build and enhance the academic
reading skills of the learners. Various essential topics, from the content and
structure of academic text to basic reading skills such as locating the main
idea, are discussed. These lessons are coupled with numerous exercises which
strengthen the understanding of these topics.

ACTIVITY
How did you fare in the test? As you go through this module, you will be
able to deepen your understanding in our topic and do better in the next test.
Before we learn further more about summarizing, let us be familiar with
some terms that you will encounter in this module by doing the next activity.

Activity 1.2.1 Pre-Writing

Instruction: Try to summarize the year 2020 and its impact in your life.

Name:_____________________________Grade/Section:______________________

Subject: ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES

Subject Teacher: EMILYN W. KUYAN, LPT

Great job! As you can notice, some terms are already familiar to you.
Recall that in your Junior High School you also discussed the fundamentals of
summarizing. Now, in order to know more about reading let us learn together!

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 Activity 1.2.1 PRE-WRITING

Try to recall one of the novels or short stories you

discussed in one of your previous classes in English;
choose one selection out of the several you tackled
throughout your school life. Then, on a separate sheet of
paper, try to rewrite the story using your own words.

Name:_____________________________Grade/Section:____________________

Subject: ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES

Subject Teacher: EMILYN W. KUYAN, LPT

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 ABSTRACTION
What is Summarizing?

According to Buckley (2004), in her popular writing text Fit to Print,

summarizing is reducing text to one-third or one-quarter its original size,
clearly articulating the author’s meaning, and retaining main ideas.
According to Diane Hacker (2008), in A Canadian Writer’s Reference,
explains that summarizing involves stating a work’s thesis and main ideas
“simply, briefly, and accurately”.
From dictionaries, it is defined as taking a lot of information and
creating a condensed version that covers the main points; and to express
the most important facts or ideas about something or someone in a short
and clear form.

From the definitions, take a look on the pool of words and phrases

reducing text “simply, briefly, and

clearly accurately”. condensed version

articulating most important facts or ideas

thesis
short and clear form.

main ideas

Various techniques in summarizing a variety of academic texts

1. Read the work first to understand the author’s intent. This is a

crucial step because an incomplete reading could lead to an
inaccurate summary. Note: an inaccurate summary is plagiarism!

2. One of the summarization techniques you can do is to present

information through facts, skills and concept in visual formats. You
can provide the cause and effects charts, time lines, and Venn
diagrams, templates for outlines, use flow charts or info graphics.

3. To avoid difficulty, you need first to know the main points and the
supporting details. You can exclude any illustrations, examples or
explanations.

4. You need to analyze the text to save time in thinking what you will do.

5. Thinkwhatinformationyouwillputinyoursummary.Besuretocoverthem
ain points and arguments of the document.

6. One of the best things to do in auto summarizing is restating the

words into different one. You should avoid using the original words
of the author instead; use your own vocabulary but be sure to retain
the information.

7. You will fully understand what the document is when you organize all

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 ideas.

8. One of the things you can do is to write down all information in a

coherent and precise form. Keep in mind that a summary is a
condensed version of the original paper, so avoid making it long.

9. You can also decide to represent information through using

dimensional constructions in representing concepts, skills or facts.

10. Paraphrasing is one of the skills you can do in writing a summary.

With it, do not use the same words with the author.
With the tips above, you will no longer worry whenever you need to summarize
because it is your one stop solution to having a fantastic summary that offer
nice details to readers. Follow the tips and you will not make mistakes.

Here’s how you start writing your summary.

Japanese Rail Tunnel

Due to an increase in traffic between the various island which make

up Japan, and predictions of a continuing growth in train travel, a rail
tunnel was built to connect the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. The
Seikan Tunnel in Japan is today the longest tunnel in the world, with a
length of almost 54km. When the tunnel was opened in 1988, all existing
trains went through it. However, newer Japanese bullet trains have never
used the tunnel because of the cost of extending the high speed line
through it. Consequently, the train journey from Tokyo to Sapporo still
takes about ten hours. In contrast, the journey by air takes only three and
a half hours. This has combined with the fall in the cost of flying, has
meant that more people travel by plane than train and the tunnel is not
used as much as forecasters had predicted.

• Increase in traffic
• connect Islands (Honshu & Hokkaido)
• Predictions and continuing growth
• The longest rail tunnel
• opened 1988
• 54km
• Opened in1988
• Bullet trains
• Never used tunnel
• Fall in the cost off-lying
• Not used as much as forecasters predicted

Summary
The longest railway tunnel in the world links the islands of Honshu
& Hokkaido. This 54km tunnel was inaugurated in 1988 to deal with the
predicted increase in rail traffic. However, the fall in the cost of flying and
the fact that high speed trains cannot use the tunnel have resulted in the
tunnel being less widely used than expected.

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Another 2 Easy Techniques in Summarizing Various Academic

Texts Technique 1: Somebody Wanted But So Then

Somebody Wanted But So Then” is an excellent summarizing strategy

for stories.
Eachwordrepresentsakeyquestionrelatedtothestory'sessentialelements:

• Somebody: Who is the story about?

• Wanted: What does the main charter want?
• But: Identify a problem that the main character encountered.
• So: How does the main character solve the problem?
• Then: Tell how the story ends.

Here is an example of this strategy in action:

• Somebody: Little Red Riding Hood
• Wanted: She wanted to take cookies to her sick grandmother.
• But: She encountered a wolf pretending to be her grandmother.
• So: She ran away, crying for help.
• Then: A woodsman heard her and saved her from the wolf.

Technique 3: 5 W's, 1 H

The 5W's, 1 H strategy relies on six crucial questions: who, what,

when, where, why, and how. These questions make it easy to identify the
main character, the important details, and the main idea.
• Who is the story about?
• What did they do?
• When did the action take place?
• Where did the story happen?
• Why did the main character do what he/she did?
• How did the main character do what he/she did?
•
When summarizing is useful?
Summarizing is useful in many types of writing and at different
points in the writing process. Summarizing is used to support an
argument, provide context for a paper’s thesis, write literature reviews, and
annotate a bibliography. The benefit of summarizing lies in showing the
"big picture," which allows the reader to contextualize what you are saying.
In addition to the advantages of summarizing for the reader, as a writer
you gain a better sense of where you are going with your writing, which
parts need elaboration, and whether you have comprehended the
information you have collected.

Source: www.umanitoba.ca/student/academiclearning

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 APPLICATION
Activity 1.2 Summarize Me!

Directions: Following the techniques above, summarize the texts by

completing the sample graphic organizer below.

Importance of Education

Education is a process that involves the transfer of knowledge,

habits and skills from one generation to another through teaching, research
and training. It can be in a formal or informal setting. Formal education
involves institutionalized learning based on a curriculum. In today’s society,
education and learning play an indispensable role in shaping the lives of
individuals and the society at large. The most effective way of boosting
economic growth, reducing poverty and improving people’s health is by
investing in education.

Human labor is essential for economic growth. A highly educated

labor force further stimulates economic growth. Additionally, a highly
educated labor force can easily adapt to new working environments and
conditions. In view of that, it is evident that education serves as the driving
force for innovation of new products and services. Educated workers
exchange ideas in the workplace and come up with new ideas that help in
the growth of the economy.
Education reduces poverty in a number of ways. One way is by
creating employment opportunities for educated people. Through
employment, one is able to afford a decent living. Education helps to
increase economic security, create income opportunities and improve
livelihoods of the economically disadvantaged by providing
sustainable environmental management mechanisms. Education further
alleviates poverty through skills acquired in the learning process. Skills
such as carpentry, plumbing and masonry are relevant in non-formal
economies. One can acquire these skills through technical and vocational
training.

Educated people are health conscious and live longer than their
counterparts because they engage in healthy habits such as eating a
balanced diet, exercising regularly and going for medical checkups. By
investing in education, one will also be investing in their health. Education
serves to create room for technological advancements in the field of medicine
and agriculture. Advanced technology used for conducting surgery has
replaced traditional methods. This has seen an improvement in people’s
general health and an increased life expectancy. Most developing countries
have a low life expectancy compared to developed countries. This can be
attributed to high illiteracy levels present in developing countries. This
translates to poor health and poor eating habits.

In conclusion, education is the only means of alleviating poverty,

improving people’s health and increasing economic growth. Improving
literacy levels in marginalized societies will go a long way in improving
human living standards.

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Name:_____________________________Grade/Section:______________________

Subject: ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES

Subject Teacher: EMILYN W. KUYAN, LPT

Paragraph 1

• Main idea:

• details:

Paragraph 2

• Main idea:

• details:

Paragraph 3

• Main idea:

• details:

Paragraph 4

• Main idea:

• details:

Paragraph 5

• Main idea:

• details:

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 SUMMARIZING RUBRIC
Nearing
Proficient Advanced
Proficiency
2 pts 3 pts
1 pt

Accuracy of Nearing Proficiency Proficient Advanced

information
Some information Almost all of the key All information is
was correct. There pieces of correct and represents
were places that it information are what the original
is evident the correct. contained.
student did not
fully understand
what they had
read.
Content clarity Nearing Proficiency Proficient Advanced

It is difficult to The information is All information is

understand the clearly written and clear to understand.
meaning of what is is understandable. There is a connection
written. Many There is a flow to between all ideas
disjointed most of the presented and the
thoughts. Flow and thoughts and ideas. flow of thought makes
continuity is Some connections it very
lacking. between understandable.
ideas/sentences are
evident.

Original thought Nearing Proficiency Proficient Advanced

Some of the Most of the All of the sentences

sentences are in the sentences are in the are in the student's
student's words. student's words. words. Some original
Some are exactly thought is shown by
as written in the elaborating on topic.
original text.

Sentence Structure Nearing Proficiency Proficient Advanced

Only some Most sentences All sentences are

sentences show show correct grammatically
correct grammar grammar and correct, show good
and structure. structure. sentence structure
and correct spelling.

Rated by: Score:

Feedback

Source: iRubric.com

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 ASSESSMENT
We’re almost done with our first lesson. As an extended activity, your next task
can be done at home.

Activity1.4. Persuasive organizer

Directions: From the essay, complete this organizer with persuasive points
for each of the paragraphs following the thesis statement below. Write your
answer on following the format below. Do not forget to tear it off after
answering it.

Why is Education Important in Our Society?

Introduction

Education is more than just learning from books, and it is a shame

that a lot of schools do not see that it is more than just a curriculum and
school score. A good education can teach a child how to learn so that the
child may take up independent learning as an adult. Education may also
teach a child how to reason so that a child does not grow up to be ignorant.

Persuasive point 1:

The biggest selling point for education in our society is the fact that
it helps people learn “how” to learn. It is not about the knowledge they
accumulate, it is the way a child is taught how to “learn” things. A child
may come away from school not knowing a lot of the course, but if that
child has been taught how to learn, then that child may become an adult
that learns everything he or she needs in life. Otherwise, that child may
grow up to be a person that cannot see the obvious because he or she
cannot reason and consciously learn new things.

Persuasive point 2

Education teaches people how to reason, and if they are taught how to
reason well, then they help subdue their own thoughts of ignorance. For
example, there are lots of posts and websites on the Internet about childhood
vaccinations and how dangerous they are. Ignorant people than never
learned how to reason will look at them, believe them and support them. If a
person is taught how to reason then he or she will know how to recognize
empirical evidence.

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Persuasive point 3

That person would look at all the people in the US that have had
childhood injections (most of them) and then look at all the people with
autism. They would reason that if childhood vaccinations caused
autism then most of the people in the US would have autism. If a
person is taught how to reason then that person may see how people
that smoke seem more likely to develop emphysema than people that
do not smoke. They would then reason there is a link between smoking
and emphysema. This sort of reasoning can be taught in schools, and
if children are not taught it then they walk around risking their
children’s lives by not vaccinating them, and walk around smoking
because their daddy smoked for years and it never hurt him.

Conclusion

If education is not seen as important, then one day it will just be

all about school scores and hitting the factors of a curriculum. There will
be a day when children start to hate learning because school put them
off it for life (this already happens in some cases).Plus, without
education teaching people how to reason things out and teaching them
how to separate what is fact from what is faulty evidence, then our
society will become more and more ignorant until a smarter country
simply marches over and takes our country from under out ignorant
noses.

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Name:_____________________________Grade/Section:______________________

Subject: ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES

Subject Teacher: EMILYN W. KUYAN, LPT

Paragraph
1

Paragraph
2

Paragraph
3

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Directions: After identifying the persuasive points, write a summary of
the text.

Name:_____________________________Grade/Section:______________________

Subject: ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES

Subject Teacher: EMILYN W. KUYAN, LPT

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 SUMMARIZING RUBRIC
Nearing
Proficient Advanced
Proficiency
2 pts 3 pts
1 pt

Accuracy of Nearing Proficiency Proficient Advanced

information
Some information Almost all of the key All information is
was correct. There pieces of correct and represents
were places that it information are what the original
is evident the correct. contained.
student did not
fully understand
what they had
read.
Content clarity Nearing Proficiency Proficient Advanced

It is difficult to The information is All information is

understand the clearly written and clear to understand.
meaning of what is is understandable. There is a connection
written. Many There is a flow to between all ideas
disjointed most of the presented and the
thoughts. Flow and thoughts and ideas. flow of thought makes
continuity is Some connections it very
lacking. between understandable.
ideas/sentences are
evident.

Original thought Nearing Proficiency Proficient Advanced

Some of the Most of the All of the sentences

sentences are in the sentences are in the are in the student's
student's words. student's words. words. Some original
Some are exactly thought is shown by
as written in the elaborating on topic.
original text.

Sentence Structure Nearing Proficiency Proficient Advanced

Only some Most sentences All sentences are

sentences show show correct grammatically
correct grammar grammar and correct, show good
and structure. structure. sentence structure
and correct spelling.

Rated by: Score:

Feedback

Source: iRubric.com

54
References
Tandoc, S. D. (2016). Applied English for Academic and Professional Purposes.
Recoletos St.., Intramuros Manila: Mindshapers CO., Inc.

Barrot J.S & Sipaco P.J (2016). English for Academic and Professional
Purposes.839 EDSA, South Triangle Quezon City, Philippines: C & E Publishing
Inc.

Abellanosa, N.M & Emmalyn L. (2020) English for Academic and Professional
Purposes. Department of Education, Philippines.

Philippine Panorama, Jan. 27, 2008. P.10

Rubric is adapted from the internet

https://www.google.com/search?q=reflection+paper+rubric

http://www.iRubric.com

www.umanitoba.ca/student/academiclearning

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