As you begin your program of study, you'll find that there are words specific to that field. Words that are used frequently in app development may not be used at all in marketing. Sometimes, the same words may be used, but in very different ways. It's important to know how your field uses vocabulary and what is meant by certain words and phrases. 


Discipline Specific Vocabulary


Every discipline has its own specialist terms and concepts. This is known as jargon or technical language. Jargon is normally employed in a particular communicative context and may not be well understood outside that context. The context is usually a particular occupation (that is, a certain trade, profession, vernacular, or academic field), but any ingroup can have jargon.

The key characteristic that distinguishes jargon from the rest of a language is its specialized vocabulary, which includes terms and definitions of words that are unique to the context and terms used in a narrower and more exact sense than when used in colloquial language. This can lead outgroups to misunderstand communication attempts.

Watch this video for an overview of the differences between academic and discipline-specific vocabulary:


As you progress in your studies, you learn the relevant language, but when you begin your studies, there are lots of words that you may be unsure about. Developing your fluency in the language associated with your discipline will put you in a better position to understand course materials and class discussions and to express yourself in writing, so it is well worth using some helpful strategies for learning jargon. 


Learning Jargon

Vocabulary specific to certain disciplines helps practitioners in that field engage and communicate with each other. As a potential professional in the field you're studying, you need to know the lingo. You may already have a system in place to learn discipline-specific vocabulary, so use what you know works for you.

Two strong strategies are to look up words in a dictionary (online or hard copy) to ensure you have the exact meaning for your discipline and to keep a dedicated list (glossary) of words you often see in your reading. You can list the words with a short definition so you have a quick reference guide to help you learn the vocabulary.

Watch this video to learn how to identify and acquire specialized terminology for specific subjects and disciplines.

 

Using a KIM Chart

It can be overwhelming to keep track of all the new words and phrases you learn throughout your education. A KIM chart is a good way to help you keep track of and remember all this new vocabulary. KIM stands for keyword, information, and memory cue. Using a KIM chart can help you retain the vocabulary you're learning and show you how far you've come in your academic English language abilities.

Watch this video to learn how to build your reading vocabulary by making a KIM Chart (keyword, information, and memory cue).

Now that we understand the difference between academic and specialized vocabulary, let's put this knowledge into practice.

Sources: University of Sussex Educational Enhancement, https://blogs.sussex.ac.uk/tel/2017/03/14/learning-to-speak-a-discipline/
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License.

Wikpedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jargon
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License.

Linda Clark, https://opentextbooks.uregina.ca/academicsuccess/chapter/reading/
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License.

Learn English, Live English, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngtRfHPIkdY
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Excelsior Online Writing Lab, https://owl.excelsior.edu/orc/what-to-do-while-reading/vocabulary-strategies/specialized-terminology/
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Excelsior Online Writing Lab, https://owl.excelsior.edu/orc/what-to-do-while-reading/vocabulary-strategies/creating-a-kim-chart/
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Photo: Calamity Meg, https://flickr.com/photos/disowned/1158260369, BY-NC-ND 2.0

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