Phrasebook

The language of academics

The language of academics is a language in itself. It is used for specialized discussions. It is also used in academic publications. Earlier, there were uniform academic languages. In the European region, Latin dominated academics for a long time. Today, on the other hand, English is the most significant academic language. Academic languages are a type of vernacular. They contain many specific terms. Their most significant features are standardization and formalization. Some say that academics speak incomprehensibly on purpose. When something is complicated, it seems more intelligent. However, academia often orients itself toward the truth. Therefore, it should use a neutral language. There is no place for rhetorical elements or flowery speech. However, there are many examples of excessively complicated language. And it appears that complicated language fascinates man! Studies prove that we trust complicated language more. Test subjects had to answer a few questions. This involved choosing between several answers. Some answers were formulated simply, others in a very complicated way. Most test subjects chose the more complex answer. But this didn't make any sense! The test subjects were deceived by the language. Even though the content was absurd, they were impressed by the form. Writing in a complicated way is not always an art, however. One can learn how to pack simple content into complex language. To express difficult things easily, on the other hand, is not so simple. So sometimes the simple is really complex…