Academic Literacy: A Critical Cognitive Catalyst towards the Creation of Sustainable Learning Ecologies in Higher Education

It is becoming customary in introducing discussions of academic writing in higher education to note that students, on entering a new field and environment, cannot be assumed to already know all they need to know about the academic language and learning their success will depend on. In addition, when students come to universities they bring with them literacy practices that may or may not be considered appropriate. The overlap, or lack thereof, between these literacy practices and those expected by the universities and distinct programmes to which they are seeking membership, is critical to students’ chances of success. This article provides theoretical reflections on academic literacy discourses and concludes with arguments positioning academic literacy as a critical cognitive catalyst towards the creation of sustainable higher learning ecologies in higher education. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n10p661