Week 1, Day 2: Levels of Language

ACADEMIC WRITING

We read and write everyday, so why is it so hard to compose an essay?

We live in a society that has become accustomed to blue jeans and sneakers, smart phones, texts, tweets, and an occasional email. Consequently, our writing mirrors our style--usually very casual, comfortable, and "down home." Among our peers, we do not feel the need to spell every word out; we prefer contractions to full words; we ignore rules of grammar because we are concerned only with conveying the idea as briefly as possible. If we can use emoticons to eliminate words, we do that.

What happens in college, though, is that the clever spellings and abbreviations and emoticons do not serve us. Just as there is a time and place for entertainment and a time and a place for serious contemplation, there is a time and place for suitable language.

You would be looked upon very oddly if you were to say to a group of your friends, "I sincerely hope the Atlanta Falcons continue to succeed in their journey to the Super Bowl." They would know what you mean, but your language, among friends, would seem very formal and out of place.  If you were to interview for a position as an executive assistant to the college president, however, you would not grin broadly and greet his handshake with, "Hey! How you doin'?"

Our world is often casual and conversational; our collegiate writing, though, must be formal or academic.
That does not mean one uses a thesaurus to find big words; it means does mean we adhere to rules of correct, standard English. We spell out all numbers less than 100; we avoid using contractions; unless we are writing about ourselves we use third person in our essays. When you write academically, you don't change yourself into a different person; your writing simply puts on its "Sunday best" to make the best impression. Your level of speech and writing should develop over the next four or five years. You will not lose the casual person you are now; you'll simply become more polished, better able to address an employer who may expect someone who is articulate and well spoken.