Academic language frequently uses words in a special way, which can be confusing for readers used to standard English. It can be specially difficult when there are two words which have similar but distinct meanings. The verbs 'criticise' and 'critique' are a good example of this.
If you criticise a lecture or an article it means to analyse it in terms of strengths and weaknesses, and to demonstrate its faults. Criticism tends to have a negative connotation: eg She criticised the book as too subjective.
Critique can be used as a noun or a verb. It means to evaluate or judge something in an academic, disciplined manner: eg His critique of the text helped the students understand it better.
Note that although criticise can be used in academic writing, critique is more formal and has a more limited meaning. Look out for more examples in your studies.
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