Academic and Professional Writing: Presentation Review

Topic: Assignments
Words: 550 Pages: 2

This paper aims to provide an analysis of a presentation from linguistic and structural perspectives. The presentation in question was dedicated to the differences between scholarly writing and academic writing, the respective purposes, and specific contexts in which those are applicable. The overall goal is to critically evaluate the presentation on multiple layers and to dissect the communication methods implemented into it and the effectiveness of those.

Comparatively, the presentation relied more on academic written communication, which is evident when examining the academic writing traits discussed by the presenter. The language used in the presentation is impersonal and formal in tone and heavily relies on the vocabulary which is specific for language studies (Araneta, 2021). An argument for business writing can be made since the text is a guideline for writing in either of the respective studies. Yet overall, the tone and vocabulary come off as educational rather than business-oriented.

The written component was effectively incorporated into the presentation, as the fonts utilized were easily visually distinguishable. By comparing the two types of writing against each other, the presenter was able to deliver his message in an engaging and efficient manner. The text follows the three main principles of effective written communication: clarity, completeness, and correctness (Prabavathi & Nagasubramani, 2018). No internal contradictions or blatant logical errors were identified in the writing, and the idea behind it was easy to follow. I was not able to notice any editing, grammar, or formatting errors in the writing throughout the slides. Unintrusive fonts, numeration of points, and the use of neutral black font with the light gray background helped to successfully keep a reader’s attention on the slides. However, certain instances of double spacing could have been avoided to ensure the maximum possible readability of the material.

When developing my own tutorial, I would like to incorporate the comparison aspect of the written communication from the example. I believe that comparatively discussing two types of writing side by side aided the presenter in comparing and contrasting the respective specifics. Personally, I believe this structure to be one of the most effective ones in achieving the three principles of clarity, completeness, and correctness. Minor formatting errors were the only mistake I have identified, and for my own tutorial, I would ensure the biggest possible visual appeal of the text. I do not think that these formatting errors substantially decrease the overall effectiveness, but I think without them, the information would be even easier to follow.

I have already mentioned some of the best practices in the assignment above, yet in this section, I am going to further elaborate on the topic. When it comes to written communication, the best practices would be to use active voice, support claims with examples, avoid unnecessary words, and express thoughts logically (Prabavathi & Nagasubramani, 2018). As written communication is a more official way to exchange information and is often used to keep and later utilize permanent records, rules for this type are stricter than with oral. Written communication is generally believed to be more reliable and academic, and thus audience, in general, tends to take it more seriously. To live up to this impression, it is incredibly important to uphold the best practices and principles when engaging in written communication, especially in official, academic or professional settings.

References

Araneta, J. (2021). Academic and Professional Writing. Youtube.com. Web.

Prabavathi, R., & Nagasubramani, P. (2018). Effective oral and written communication. Journal Of Applied And Advanced Research, 3(S1), 29. Web.