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Academic Communication for Advanced Secondary Schools Using illustrations in academic communication

Relating illustrations to the text
Illustrations such as graphs, tables, or pie charts can be drawn. Ideas from the information
in the text provide a concrete connection between the illustration and the idea of the text.
Relating illustrations to the text allows the presenter to assess the audience’s understanding
of the concept. Sometimes, illustrations and other visual aids convey information not
found in the texts. In these cases, the reader should treat the illustration separately. They
FOR ONLINE READING ONLY
can interpret the illustration as if there is no text related to the illustrations. Then, they
can compare what they have interpreted with the information found in the text. This
technique helps develop English for academic communication.

Importance of illustrations
Illustrations are crucial for displaying information and simplifying the interpretation of
complex data. Generally, illustrations play the following roles:
(a) Enhancing understanding
All illustrations, including charts, graphs, maps, photographs, video stills, diagrams,
and cartoons, can be effective when used to facilitate understanding.

(b) Visual appeal
When an assignment is first presented, the first thing a reader will notice is the visual
layout. Most of the time, readers tend to assess the illustrations of the document
before digging into the text and form early opinions based on how the information
is set out.
(c) Conveying information efficiently
A simple illustration can transfer information more effectively than a large text. To
present complex information for technical writing, for example, the author can use
illustrations to serve the purpose of his document.

Exercise 6�2

Interpret the following picture, then insert its caption and write a short description
about it.

64 Student’s Book Form Five

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