tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9099259.post111401276265173753..comments2023-08-29T07:48:03.178-04:00Comments on things Bethany wrote: language and inclusionbethanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08163733354894909762noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9099259.post-1116396125262352272005-05-18T02:02:00.000-04:002005-05-18T02:02:00.000-04:00As a peruser of thick philosophical and theologica...As a peruser of thick philosophical and theological texts, I've come to the conclusion that it's all about one's audience. If I'm writing to other theologians, I'm going to use theological language, because it's more precise and the shared meaning allows me to better get my point across. There are some things that just work better with one word, especially when it's shorthand. But if I'm writing for a non-theological audience, I'm not going to use large words - or I'll use them with definitions, so as to be all educational...James Gilmorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09924565238039035383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9099259.post-1114441943751289722005-04-25T11:12:00.000-04:002005-04-25T11:12:00.000-04:00It also depends on what you're writing about. Do ...It also depends on what you're writing about. Do you remember my post I made a long time ago quoting the people who were writing the super-intellectual essay on Rocky? When you are writing super-super-intellectually and your topic is Rocky, that's just a little ridiculous.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9099259.post-1114096673741094512005-04-21T11:17:00.000-04:002005-04-21T11:17:00.000-04:00I had this debate with myself sometime during my u...I had this debate with myself sometime during my undergrad work, and finally came to the conclusion that it's not about using simple or complex langage, but about using the right word for the circumstance. The nice thing about words is that they are definitive by nature. And more often than not, there are better choices regarding our diction than the words we commonly use. It is up to us, as writers, to choose those words with care. <BR/><BR/>"Every word we utter was given to us by another; it is the assemblage of those words that make them our own."<BR/>-August West.taliendohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04828304643920708078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9099259.post-1114021762852861182005-04-20T14:29:00.000-04:002005-04-20T14:29:00.000-04:00One of the things I learned from Lev Vygotsky is t...One of the things I learned from Lev Vygotsky is that language is more than just the way we communicate, it is also the vessel in which our ideas are held. So giving people language is like giving them access to ideas. If we keep our language ultra-simple then the ideas that more complex language would give us access to would be kept from us. That would be more exclusive than putting more complex language in our writing.<BR/><BR/>That said, there is, sometimes, just bad writing. Some of my students adopt a tone when they write that has an air of "I'm being heavy and philosophical right now" and merely serves to obfuscate their ideas. So the answer, I think, is a balance - we need new language to help us think more clearly but it must be presented in a way that is accessable.Bob Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10092719932619292581noreply@blogger.com