When it Is (and Isn’t) Appropriate to Use Slang in Professional Essays
It is a common struggle for most writers when and when not to include certain verbiage when trying to write a professional or academic essay. One of the reasons for this is “slang” or casual toned writing is often confused with “jargon,” which is something entirely different.
When does it become appropriate to include swear words or phrases like the Spanish pendejo meaning? In order to answer that, let’s look closer at the misunderstanding between “slang” and “jargon” and what situations will work for both.
Slang
Slang is words or phrases that are used in informal settings. It is often specific to location and language but is not always universally understood. While all countries may have their own version of a similar slang word or phrase, sometimes the direct meanings are lost in translation.
For example, in Spanish, “perdejo” means “asshole.” However, in some instances, “pendejo” is meant to be more of a joke. Since this is a word that could be taken the wrong way, it should never be used in any type of professional writing or communication.
There are times however, where the use of slang and idiomatic expressions are acceptable in a professional essay. You must consider your audience and think about what they expect. Ask yourself how the slang words will help or hurt your overall message. If there is any chance that meaning could be misconstrued, you will want to omit slang. However, if it enhances a humorous piece or is meant to relay an actual conversation, adding slang is more than appropriate.
As a general rule – if the slang is used in a direct quote, it should stay as it adds to the authenticity of the speaker that the writer is quoting. If it is a very informal piece, slang may also be appropriate, in moderation.
Writers should avoid certain slang words that make the work sound less credible. Also, phrases with vague meanings or references, such as “something smells fishy,” could be completely misunderstood by a non-native English speaker. It is important to leave out non-literal slang whenever possible to avoid confusion.
It is also important to note that slang words and phrases are often temporary and may be replaced over time.
Jargon
Unlike slang, jargon is formal and can be used in professional essay writing. Jargon is words or phrases specific to certain fields, such as health, politics, design – essentially every single profession or trade that exists has its own jargon.
Professional writers are expected to know and successfully use industry specific jargon in order to effectively communicate with subject matter experts in that field. You would certainly not use medial jargon when discussing graphic design, and vice versa.
If you are speaking to a technical audience filled with subject matter experts, you want to use jargon, not slang. By using jargon, you are indicating in your writing that you have knowledge and experience which gives you instant credibility.
Like slang, jargon can also backfire and end up doing more harm than good if used inappropriately. You never want to overuse jargon to make your essay super technical or to “sound smart.” Real experts will see right through it as it will be obvious you were just over complicating the writing for that purpose.
You also don’t want to pepper your professional writing with endless terms and definitions, which jargon often demands. Think of jargon as a way of getting straight to the point, so you don’t want to under, or over explain anything in order to achieve the most professional read.
Formal vs. Casual Voice
If you have ever been an English or writing student and suddenly entered the medical or historical field, you may be in for a rude awakening when it comes to your writing voice. We may often feel our writing is “professional” or formal when it’s in essay form, but in fact it isn’t in the slightest.
To know the appropriate times to use slang or not, is dependent on understanding the difference between formal and casual writing voice. Formal or active voice is used in professional settings. Casual or passive voice is usually everything else.
With casual writing, such as this article, there can be a mix of both passive and active voice. However, the reverse is not true; you won’t see a formal article or essay with any casual voice.
Conclusion
As a general rule, if you stick to formal/active voice whenever writing something professionally, you won’t have to think about much else. Typically, if you must ask the question, “is this appropriate?” the chances are that it isn’t. By following that rule as well as carefully using slang and jargon when appropriate, professional writing can be a breeze.