Tuesday, June 11, 2013

The use of academic language

During the previous national dance seminar I noticed how the university lecturers used an extremely abstract Spanish, and as a result their rethoric and vocabulary were completely different from the other lecturers who were not university professors. 

I've also noticed that when Colombian university students write texts, for example for journalism as part of our work, they use a very dry, overly abstract and complicated language. When I have told them it defeats the purpose (to communicate clearly) they have told me that in the universities they are tought to use that kind of language. I told them that if you know something well, it shows anyway, you shouldn't try to use a complicated languaje just for the sake if it, or you end up boring the audience or the reader.

I reflected over this; why we in our highly educated Sweden do not admire a person who speaks in bureaucratic or overly complicated terms, people even tend to ridicule such behavior. I guess that part of the reason are our socialistic anti-authority values that mock all kinds of "bourgeoisie" or intents to show a higher class.

The scholars at the dance seminar didn't seem to be afraid of losing their audience's attention by using an overly academic and abstract language, not even talking to their "very physical" audience: dancers. This leads me to an upcoming topic: shame.

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