Using Appropriate Language
by Annette Sanchez
Chances are you will have to write
something practically every day of your
life.
Regardless of whether you are writing a
research paper, a resume cover letter, or a
grocery list, it is always important to use
language that fits the audience you are
writing for and the purpose you want to
achieve.
Inappropriate language can alienate your
audience, weaken your argument, and
even damage your credibility.
Some of the more common issues with
appropriate language use are levels of
formality, jargon, other types of doublespeak, and biased language.
We will explore how these issues can be
problematic and what to do to correct
them.
After reading this, and some practice with
your own writing, you will be able to
ensure your writing appeals to the largest
audience possible.
Levels of Formality
Expressing yourself in a way that your
audience expects and that fits your
purpose is essential to successful writing.
Formality exists on a scale and is
determined by your audience. An
academic paper or business letter
requires a formal style, while a personal
letter or a humorous article might be
informal in style.
Examples of Levels of Formality
P
P
O
Formal (written for an unknown audience):
I am applying for the human resources position advertised in the local paper. I
am an excellent candidate for the job because of my significant experience in
human resources, excellent communication skills, and sense of organization.
Semi-formal (written to a known individual):
I am applying for the human resources position that is currently open in the
company. As you know, I have worked as a temporary human resources
generalist for six months with the company. I not only have knowledge of the
position, but I also have an understanding of the company’s needs and the
requirements for the job.
Informal (inappropriate for a business letter):
Hi! I saw in the paper that ya’ll are looking for somebody for HR. I think I’m
good for the job because I’ve done things like that in the past, I’m pretty good
with people, and I’m organized.
Jargon
Jargon is a specialized language,
particularly vocabulary, specific to a
particular trade, profession, or group.
Jargon can keep outsiders from
understanding something, so it should
only be used when writing for a group the
jargon is specific to.
If jargon is used in a piece of writing
meant for a general audience, always
explain or define the terminology being
used.
When to use Jargon
Consider somebody who studies linguistics – they would commonly use
words like quantifier, voiceless labiodentals fricative, diglossia, intensifier,
and minimal pair. To a non-linguist, these words have different meanings or
no meaning at all.
If the linguistics student was writing an academic paper explaining concepts
in linguistics to an audience of non-linguists, he or she would want to
introduce and explain the linguistic terms being used so as not to lose his or
her audience.
If the same student was writing a paper for a linguistics class, he or she
would want to use linguistics terms freely. In doing so, the student is
demonstrating understanding of terminology. Not using jargon in this
instance could signal to the audience that the writer might not know the
subject well.
Other Types of Doublespeak
We discovered that jargon is a form of
doublespeak, but unlike jargon, other
forms of doublespeak, such as
euphemisms, gobbledygook, and inflated
language, are meant to be deceptive and
confusing.
Doublespeak can negatively affect our
thoughts and our communication with
others, so our best defense against
doublespeak is to use plain English in our
writing.
What are Euphemisms, Gobbledygook, and
Inflated Language, Anyway?
Euphemisms are expressions that attempt to soften or hide reality. Their
use is sometimes appropriate, as with saying someone has “passed away”
instead of “died.” However, a “terminological inexactitude” is not an
appropriate replacement for the word “lie.”
Gobbledygook is a series of fancy words strung together to make a long,
confusing sentence, as with: “At base level, it comes down to
deconstructed strategic paradigm shifts, and our exploratory research
suggests that we make parallel administrative projections.”
Inflated language uses important sounding words to make ordinary things
sound extraordinary: “Assuredly that character is not indulging in laborious
pursuit” translates to, “That person is unemployed.”
Biased Language
As a rule of thumb, avoid using any
language that is stereotypical or that has
any kind of bias.
Biased language most commonly occurs
with gender, but it is equally important to
not use language that is offensive to
groups of people based on race, ethnicity,
sexual orientation, or interests.
Stereotyped Language
Stereotyped language is any language
that assumes a stereotype about a group
of people. For example, do not assume a
common stereotype about a blonde
women.
O
Consider the following sentence:
Although she was blonde, Mary was still
intelligent.
P
The revised sentence reads:
Mary was intelligent.
Using Non-Sexist Language
As we learned earlier, gender bias is common in writing, so writing in a nongendered, non-sexist, non biased way is smart and effective. If you write
in a sexist manner, your message will reach fewer people.
The key to non-sexist language is to use gender-neutral terms.
The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) suggests the following
guidelines:
Eliminate Generic Use of the Word “Man”
The generic use of “man” and other words with masculine
markers should be avoided in all communications whenever
possible.
Consider the following examples:
Alternative Form
humanity, people
human achievements
synthetic, manufactured
the average person
staff hours
Original Form
mankind
man’s achievements
man-made
the common man, the average Joe
man-hours
The use of “man” should also be avoided in occupational terms
when persons holding the job could be either male or female,
as with the following examples:
Alternative Form
chair person, presiding officer
business executive or person
firefighter
mail carrier, letter carrier
flight attendant
police officer
congress person, representative
Original Form
chairman
businessman
fireman
mailman
stewardess
policeman
congressman
A Few Words on Pronouns
The English language does not have a
non-gendered singular pronoun;
consequently, we tend to use he, his, or
him as a generic singular pronoun, as with
“the student needs his pencil.”
When we personify “the student,” “the
professor,” “the author,” “the executive,”
and others, as male by using the pronouns
he, his, and him, we are excluding women
from those roles.
The examples on the next page address
this problem.
Pronoun Alternatives
Change singular into plural
Original: Give each student his paper as soon as he is finished.
Alternative: Give students their papers as soon as they are finished.
Reword to eliminate gender problems.
Original: The average student is worried about his grade.
Alternative: The average student is worried about grades.
Use one, you, or he or she, as appropriate.
Original: The student shall pick up his graded test after class.
Alternative: The student shall pick up his or her graded test after class.
Refer to indefinite pronouns with plural pronouns
Original: Anyone who wants to buy a raffle ticket should bring his
money tomorrow.
Alternative: Anyone who wants to buy a raffle ticket should bring their
money tomorrow.
You now know why using appropriate language is important to writing. In
fact, it is essential for good writing.
Are there other issues with appropriate language use that we did not cover?
What are they and what makes them problematic? How can those issues be
resolved?
Can you think of other alternative solutions to the issues we did cover?
Challenge yourself to regularly use appropriate language in all of your writing.
Good luck and happy writing!
Works Cited
Crisp, Jeremy D. Leigh Ann Hester. 2007. Wikipedia. 31 March 2008
<http://www.defenselink.mil/dodcmsshare/newsstoryPhoto/2005-06/20050616153033_050616-a5930c-006.jpg>.
“Guidelines for Gender-Fair Use of Language.” NCTE. 2002. The National Council of Teachers of
English. 30 March 2008
<http://www.ncte.org/about/over/positions/category/lang/107647.htm>.
“Using Appropriate Language.” The Owl at Purdue. 26 August 2006. Purdue University Writing Lab. 30
March 2008 <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/608/01/ #resourcenav>.