Academic Vocabulary

 Academic Word List (AWL) list contains 570 word families which were selected because they appear with great frequency in a broad range of academic texts. This webpages includes lots of resources to practise using the AWL and developing knowledge of academic vocabulary..
academic vocabulary

AWL Worksheets / Lessons

 Academic Word List (AWL)

 

Academic Word List (AWL) list contains 570 word families which were selected because they appear with great frequency in a broad range of academic texts.

 

Sublist 1

sector • available • financial • process • individual • specific • principle • estimate • variables • method • data • research • contract • environment • export • source • assessment • policy •identified • create • derived • factors • procedure • definition • assume • theory • benefit • evidence • established • authority • major • issues • labour • occur • economic • involved • percent• interpretation • consistent • income • structure • legal • concept • formula • section • required • constitutional • analysis • distribution • function • area • approach • role • legislation •indicate • response • period • context • significant • similar •

Sublist 2

community • resident • range • construction • strategies • elements • previous • conclusion • security • aspects • acquisition • features • text • commission • regulations • computer • items• consumer • achieve • final • positive • evaluation • assistance • normal • relevant • distinction • region • traditional • impact • consequences • chapter • equation • appropriate • resources •participation • survey • potential • cultural • transfer • select •credit • affect • categories • perceived • sought • focus • purchase • injury • site • journal • primary • complex • institute •investment • administration • maintenance • design • obtained • restricted • conduct

Sublist 3

comments • convention • published • framework • implies • negative • dominant • illustrated • outcomes • constant • shift • deduction • ensure • specified • justification • funds • reliance •physical • partnership • location • link • coordination • alternative • initial • validity • task • techniques • excluded • consent • proportion • demonstrate • reaction • criteria • minorities •technology • philosophy • removed • sex • compensation • sequence • corresponding • maximum • circumstances • instance • considerable • sufficient • corporate • interaction •contribution • immigration • component • constraints • technical • emphasis • scheme • layer • volume • document • registered • core •

Sublist 4

overall • emerged • regime • implementation • project • hence • occupational • internal • goals • retained • sum • integration • mechanism • parallel • imposed • despite • job • parameters •approximate • label • concentration • principal • series • predicted • summary • attitudes • undertaken • cycle • communication • ethnic • hypothesis • professional • status • conference •attributed • annual • obvious • error • implications • apparent • commitment • subsequent • debate • dimensions • promote • statistics • option • domestic • output • access • code •investigation • phase • prior • granted • stress • civil • contrast • resolution • adequate •

Sublist 5

alter • stability • energy • aware • licence • enforcement • draft • styles • precise • medical • pursue • symbolic • marginal • capacity • generation • exposure • decline • academic • modified• external • psychology • fundamental • adjustment • ratio • whereas • enable • version • perspective • contact • network • facilitate • welfare • transition • amendment • logic • rejected •expansion • clause • prime • target • objective • sustainable • equivalent • liberal • notion • substitution • generated • trend • revenue • compounds • evolution • conflict • image • discretion •entities • orientation • consultation • mental • monitoring • challenge •

Sublist 6

intelligence • transformation • presumption • acknowledged • utility • furthermore • accurate • diversity • attached • recovery • assigned • tapes • motivation • bond • edition • nevertheless •transport • cited • fees • scope • enhanced • incorporated • instructions • subsidiary • input • abstract • ministry • capable • expert • preceding • display • incentive • inhibition • trace •ignored • incidence • estate • cooperative • revealed • index • lecture • discrimination • overseas • explicit • aggregate • gender • underlying • brief • domain • rational • minimum • interval •neutral • migration • flexibility • federal • author • initiatives • allocation • exceed •

Sublist 7

intervention • confirmed • definite • classical • chemical • voluntary • release • visible • finite • publication • channel • file • thesis • equipment • disposal • solely • deny • identical • submitted • grade • phenomenon • paradigm • ultimately • extract • survive • converted •  transmission • global • inferred • guarantee • advocate • dynamic • simulation • topic • insert •reverse • decades • comprise • hierarchical • unique • comprehensive • couple • mode • differentiation • eliminate • priority • empirical • ideology • somewhat • aid • foundation • adults •adaptation • quotation • contrary • media • successive • innovation • prohibited • isolated •

Sublist 8

highlighted • eventually • inspection • termination • displacement • arbitrary • reinforced • denote • offset • exploitation • detected • abandon • random • revision • virtually • uniform •predominantly • thereby • implicit • tension • ambiguous • vehicle • clarity • conformity • contemporary • automatically • accumulation • appendix • widespread • infrastructure • deviation •fluctuations • restore • guidelines • commodity • minimises •practitioners • radical • plus • visual • chart • appreciation • prospect • dramatic • contradiction • currency • inevitably •complement • accompany • paragraph • induced • schedule • intensity • crucial • via • exhibit • bias • manipulation • theme • nuclear •

Sublist 9

bulk • behalf • unified • commenced • erosion • anticipated • minimal • ceases • vision • mutual • norms • intermediate • manual • supplementary • incompatible • concurrent • ethical •preliminary • integral • conversely • relaxed • confined • accommodation • temporary • distorted • passive • subordinate • analogous • military • scenario • revolution • diminished •coherence • suspended • mature • assurance • rigid • controversy • sphere • mediation • format • trigger • qualitative • portion • medium • coincide • violation • device • insights • refine •devoted • team • overlap • attained • restraints • inherent • route • protocol • founded • duration •

Sublist 10

whereby • inclination • encountered • convinced • assembly • albeit • enormous • reluctant • posed • persistent • undergo • notwithstanding • straightforward • panel • odd • intrinsic •compiled • adjacent • integrity • forthcoming • conceived • ongoing • so-called • likewise • nonetheless • levy • invoked • colleagues • depression • collapse •

The Academic Word List (AWL)

A.W.L. –  Academic Word List Download

This is a download of the Academic Word List in PDF format. It contains 570 non-subject specific words, divided into 10 sublists based on frequency (sublist 1 = most frequent). Overall, including all word forms = 3,000 words. Level: ***** [B1/B2/C1] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Pay-per-Download

Terms & Conditions of Use

An introduction to the AWL (using synonyms)

Introduction to the AWL using synonyms: Sublist 1- 4 

This is a great lesson to introduce the Academic Word List (AWL). It begins with a small explanation about the AWL. This is then followed with a focus activity on Sublist 1 by identifying possible synonyms – this helps students to become acquainted with the AWL. The final activity is a sentence gap fill sheet to consolidate understanding (two worksheets: difficult or easier).The PDF book includes 4 lessons for Sublist 1-4 and an animated PowerPoint.  Time: 30-60 mins per lesson / Example / PPT link in download  Level ***** [B1/B2/C1] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

 

*

Academic Word Formation: Sublist 1- 4

Academic Word Formation: Sublist 1- 4

This lesson is a word formation activity. Each table contains approximately 20 verbs and students need to add the corresponding nouns and adjectives. This then follows with a contextualised sentence gap fill using these words and a kinaesthetic activity. Good motivating activity encouraging students to use online dictionaries and help develop academic vocabulary.  Time: 30mins  Example  Level ***** [B1/B2/C1]  TEACHER MEMBERSHIP INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

*

Academic Word List: Kinaesthetic Lesson (cut up words)

Academic Word List Lesson: Sublist 1-10 

This lesson includes the 10 sublists of the Academic Word List put into tables to be cut up and used as a teaching tool. Give out one set of words to a group of 3/4 students and they take it in turns to explain their word using synonyms, explanation and definition. There are lots of other activities included too.  Level ***** [B1/B2] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Free Download

x

AWL Exercises x4

Academic Word List Free Exercise (AWL sublist 1)

This worksheet has 10 gap-fill sentences. Students choose a word from the box and put it into the sentence gap in the correct form. This exercise only focuses on words from AWL sublist 1 .  Level ***** [B1/B2] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Free Download

x

Academic Word List Exercise x4

Four Academic Word List gap fill exercises. Great way to improve awareness of academic words and word formation Example. Level ***** [B1/B2/C1] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

*

      Memberships (Teacher / Institutional)

      Full access to everything -  £80 £200 / £550

 Join today*x

Academic Word List Games (four-in-a-row)

AWL Verbs to Nouns 

 

Academic Word game: verbs to nouns

100 high frequency words taken from the Academic Word List and put into grid. In groups of four, students guess the noun for each verb. The objective is to get as many four-in-in row as possible. This is a fun lesson to improve awareness of academic words and formality. Example. [webpage].  Level ***** [B1/B2/C1]  TEACHER MEMBERSHIP INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

*

AWL Nouns to Adjectives

 

Academic Word game: nouns to adjectives

100 high frequency words taken from the Academic Word List and put into grid. In groups of four, students guess the adjective for each noun. The objective is to get as many four-in-in row as possible. This is a fun lesson to improve awareness of academic words and formality. Example. [webpage]. Difficult Level ***** [B2/C1] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

*

AWL Word + Preposition

 

Academic Word game: word + preposition

100 high frequency words taken from the Academic Word List and put into grid. In groups of four, students guess the corresponding preposition for each word. The objective is to get as many four-in-in row as possible. This is a fun lesson to improve awareness of academic words and formality. Example. [webpage]. Level ***** [B1/B2/C1] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

*

AWL Word Forms (nouns / verbs / adjectives)

 

Academic Word game: word forms [n/v/adj]

100 high frequency words taken from the Academic Word List and put into grid. In groups of four, students guess the correct form (each word in the grid has an acronym of the word to be guessed). The objective is to get as many four-in-in row as possible. This is a fun lesson to improve awareness of academic words and formality. Example. [webpage]. Level ***** [B1/B2/C1]  TEACHER MEMBERSHIP INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

*

Academic Vocabulary Lessons

Collocation

 

Collocation (verbs / adjectives)

Collocation is words that go naturally together. This sheet refers students to use a collocation website (www.ozdic.com) to ensure fluency through the correct use of adjectives and verbs with key nouns [webpage].  Level ***** [B1/B2/C1]  TEACHER MEMBERSHIP INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Free Downloadx

k

Countable & Uncountable Nouns (general English)

 

Countable & uncountable nouns (General English)

A great lesson to improve students’ knowledge on countable and uncountable nouns. It begins with a matching activity with a variety of countable & uncountable nouns. It then includes a worksheet os sentences with common noun mistakes. This sheet reinforces quantifiers (some, any, a lot of, much, many, and phrases ‘a piece of..’ etc…). It finishes with a productive speaking activity [webpage]  example Time:30 mins  Level ***** [B1/B2/C1]    TEACHER MEMBERSHIP INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

*

Countable & Uncountable Nouns (academic English)

 Countable and uncountable nouns (Academic English)

This lesson helps improve students’ awareness of countable & uncountable nounsIt includes a language review section, lots of guided practice and freer paragraph writing practice. (example) Time: 60mins.  Level ***** [B1/B2/C1] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

X 

Cohesion

 

Cohesion & Coherence

This worksheet helps to consolidate what  ‘cohesion’ is with a focus on pronouns, word forms and summary nouns. It also includes a coherence sheet on key connections and two practice activities [webpage]. Example  Level: ***** [B2/C1] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

*

Noun Phrases 1

  

Noun Phrases Worksheet 1

This lesson is a worksheet to highlight what noun phrases are and provides valuable practice. It focuses on the key concepts of quantifiers, adjectives and nouns, noun + noun, noun + preposition and noun phrase combinations (example).  Level ***** [B2/C1] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

*

Noun Phrases 2

  

Noun Phrases Worksheet 2

This lesson is designed to help students write more concisely by using noun phrases. It takes students through a whole range of tasks including noticing the language in context, eight guided practice tasks and five freer practice activities. There’s a language review sheet included too. (see example).  Level ***** [B2/C1]  TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

*

Parallelism 

 X

Parallelism Worksheet: 8 exercises

This worksheet provides an explanation of the key concepts of ‘parallelism’ and provides an error correction exercise to practise the key concepts. An awareness of this writing element really helps establish unity and readability in sentence structure. Example. Level: ***** [B1/B2/C1]  TEACHER MEMBERSHIP INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

 X

Formality Vocabulary Lessons

Academic Style 1

Academic Style 1: 20 key features to writing

This lesson brainstorms academic style / formality in writing. Teacher conducts feedback using visual highlighting and explaining the concepts. It follows with 10x practice exercises. (Example) Time: 60mins  Webpage link. Level ***** [B1/B2/C1] / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

 

 
*k

Academic Style 2

Academic Style 2: Paragraph analysis, comparison and discussion

This lesson compares two paragraphs on CSR (informal and formal), discusses the conventions of academic style and finishes with a sentence re-writing activity.. (Example) Time: 60mins. Webpage link. Level ***** [B1/B2/C1] / /TEACHER MEMBERSHIP INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

*

Academic Style 3

Academic Style 3: Vocabulary (AWL & Nominalisation)

This lesson focuses on two key areas of academic writing: AWL and nominalisation. There are three worksheets comprising of a number of different activities to practice categorisation and reformulation at sentence and paragraph level. (Example) Time: 60mins.Webpage link.  Level ***** [B1/B2/C1] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

*

Academic Style 4

Academic Style 4: STEM Vocabulary 2 (AWL & Nominalisation)

This lesson is for STEM classes (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). It focuses on two key areas of academic writing: AWL and nominalisation. There are three worksheets comprising of a number of different activities to practise categorisation and reformulation at sentence and paragraph level. (Example) Time: 60mins.  / Webpage link /Level ***** [B1/B2/C1] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

 

Hedging Language 1

Hedging #1: Cautious language exercises

This worksheet is for teachers or students. It provides an overview of hedging / cautious language and 8 exercises to practise using hedging language to demonstrate caution. (example)  Level ***** [B1/B2/C1]. TEACHER MEMBERSHIP INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

 

x

Hedging Language 2

 Hedging #2: Cautious / tentative language

This lesson supports students in their understanding & use of cautious / tentative language.The lesson includes six tasks of guided practice & two tasks of freer practice (exampleTime: 60mins & homework.  Level ***** [B1/B2/C1]. / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

*

Nominalisation 

 

Nominalisation (verbs to nouns)

An introduction to nominalisation. This worksheet shows the basics of nominalising, practices changing verbs to nouns and includes three exercises from guided through to freer practice. This is a good writing practice activity with a fair amount of challenge for all levels. Example.  Level ***** [B1/B2/C1] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

*

      Memberships (Teacher / Institutional)

      Full access to everything -  £80 £200 / £550

 Join today*x

Writing Resources 

More digital resources and lessons

 

Readings

online resources

Tests

online resources

academic Grammar by Academic English UK

Grammar

online resources

Medical English

Medical English

online resources

new resources 2024

New for 2024

online resources

Dropbox Files AEUK

DropBox Files

Members only

Writing

online resources

Summary

online resources

academic vocabulary

Vocabulary

online resources

instant academic English Lessons by AEUK

Instant Lessons

online resources

academic marking criteria

Marking Criteria

online resources

OneDrive Files

OneDrive Files

Members only

Listening

online resources

argument essays AEUK

Argument

online resources

critical thinking

Critical Thinking

online resources

topic lesson Books by AEUK

Topic-lessons

online resources

Peer feedback forms

Feedback Forms

online resources

6-week academic English course

6-Week Course

Members only

Speaking

online resources

SPSE Lessons by AEUK

SPSE Essays

online resources

free resources

Free Resources

online resources

graphs and charts

Charts and graphs

online resources

AEUK The Blog

online resources

12- week academic English course

12-Week Course

Members only

Advertisement: