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Language Barriers – Avoiding Jargon
By Elizabeth Vaughan | September 3, 2008
An article that appeared in in Eos, the magazine of the American Geophysical Union, asks the question, “How can climate scientists be more effective at communicating what they know, how they know it, and how they are sure of it?” The author, Susan Joy Hassol, points out that scientists are neither trained nor rewarded for communicating with the general public. In fact, like many other professions, science contains technical terminology that hinders clear communication with people outside the field.
Climate change is an especially interesting example because the public has a keen interest in understanding what scientists know about it and how they can be sure, as this knowledge could change the way they vote and behave. But jargon gets in the way. For example, when scientists use the word “enhance,” they mean “increase,” but to the general public it means “improve.” So, when a scientist says that the greenhouse effect is enhanced, that sounds like a bad thing to the scientist and a good thing to the general audience. While “fresh” might make me think of a cool breeze or a clean pile of laundry, to a scientist it just means “not salty.” The list goes on.
Hassol makes some great suggestions for climate scientists to help them get their messages across to a non-scientific audience, but the lesson that we must think like our readers holds for professionals in any field. Ironically, the more experienced you are in your profession, the more apt you are to overlook terms of art that have a different meaning — or no meaning at all –to the general public. If you only write for other members of your profession, this is not a problem. But most of us are called upon to explain what we do to non-experts, whether they are clients, investors, or a public hungry for information.
Lawyers are frequently guilty of falling into the jargon trap when communicating with clients and the media. While to you “consideration” may mean value given in exchange for something to form a binding contract, to your client it may mean remembering his wife’s birthday. While you might be pleased to announce that the Supreme Court has granted certiorari, the general public would be more interested in knowing that it agreed to hear the case.
Why should you care about communicating clearly outside of your profession? The answer lies in simple psychology. When people can’t understand what they read, it frustrates them and turns them off, and they tend to set the document aside and forget about it. Whether you’re a scientist trying to get the public to take action on global warming, a nonprofit trying to get a grant, or a sales representative hoping to attract and keep customers, losing the audience’s attention is the last thing you want to do. As a lawyer, giving your client a clear understanding of what’s going on in her case can avoid misunderstandings that lead to bar complaints. No matter what your profession, explaining yourself clearly and understandably makes you look like an expert. Remember, the greatest writers write to make their readers feel smart. The worst writers write to make themselves feel smart. Whom are you trying to impress?
No matter what your profession, try giving your business writing the jargon test. After you’ve written your document, go back and re-read it, putting yourself in your reader’s shoes. Have you used any terms that have a different meaning in your profession than for the general reader? Have you explained concepts in a way that your audience will readily understand? Have you made any unrealistic assumptions about what the audience already knows?
Remember that we write for our readers, not for ourselves. By thinking like your reader, you’re really thinking like a writer!
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