tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337206901491734394.post2932648098796873100..comments2023-11-10T03:38:11.763-05:00Comments on I.N.K.: Struggling with Academic TextsLinda Salzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17217322360480267856noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337206901491734394.post-33984478772683953512010-06-18T09:53:43.692-04:002010-06-18T09:53:43.692-04:00I think some scientific language has a purpose: di...I think some scientific language has a purpose: distinguishing among categories or phenomena that may appear similar, especially to the naked eye or the layperson, but are actually significantly different. There’s a real difference among steam, fog, and water vapor, for instance, even if we use those terms somewhat interchangeably in real life.<br /><br />Verbs present more of a challenge. Scientific writing values passive-voice constructions precisely because they turn the experimenter into a vague generalization, or because they leave open the question of what causes a perceived change. Biologists can be wary of verbs that ascribe too much human emotion to animals, much less things that aren’t even alive ("The water molecule wants to bond with the sugar…”). But verbs are the basis of lively writing.J. L. Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15405157000473731801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337206901491734394.post-7572124175325966592010-06-09T19:29:57.423-04:002010-06-09T19:29:57.423-04:00Great post and comments! I learned in graduate sc...Great post and comments! I learned in graduate school how to decipher academic writing, but it wasn't much fun. I even had to write some myself to get my advanced degrees. But the standard style of English language scientific writing today isn't a forever thing. As a graduate student, I loved reading descriptions of animals dredged from the ocean deep by late nineteenth century biologists, for example. The language was active, colorful, and entertaining as well as informative. And then, of course,as Roz points out, there's always Darwin.<br />I also remember being amazed by the style of some academic articles written in French; their style was much more lively and casual than those in English.Dorothy Patenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04897049725319745306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337206901491734394.post-20258853296995434372010-06-09T16:49:26.351-04:002010-06-09T16:49:26.351-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Deborah Heiligmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02894150394598699172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337206901491734394.post-62661454337120148552010-06-09T16:49:02.136-04:002010-06-09T16:49:02.136-04:00I am not a fan of jargon, and I think scientific l...I am not a fan of jargon, and I think scientific language is just another kind of jargon that often gets in the way of good, clear communication. And things get complicated when a word means one thing in scientific language and another in everyday language. Take the word theory, for instance. The theory of evolution. In science that means one thing, on everyday language it makes some people misunderstand it to mean "just a theory." So if I were Queen of the World, or, I imagine, if you were, Melissa, we would abolish jargon in favor of clean and understandable writing that is also fun and evocative and lively. I'm so glad you wrote this post.Deborah Heiligmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02894150394598699172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337206901491734394.post-29174446937000531852010-06-09T14:27:35.063-04:002010-06-09T14:27:35.063-04:00As a former academic biologist, I do think that th...As a former academic biologist, I do think that there are some academic words that carry critical meanings which are hard to capture in more accessible language. But as a children's writer, I think that we can explain complex topics well AND that if we use our writing to introduce some technical vocabulary, then we're rocking it!Amber Keyserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08320054915944429921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337206901491734394.post-54174828654898956212010-06-09T12:46:46.285-04:002010-06-09T12:46:46.285-04:00Charles Darwin's books VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE an...Charles Darwin's books VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE and ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES have never gone out of print. Why? Because Darwin wrote about science in exactly the same way you advocate in today's blog; the text is truly conversational, fun to read, and lyrical at the same time, and the ideas he presents are both fascinating and easy to understand. Even humor is a part of the mix. If one of the world's greatest scientists wrote so well-and during the 1800's to boot-that says a lot about the pull of good writing. So you're absolutely right, Melissa. integrating science and language arts instruction is a great idea! What better and easier way to learn?Rosalyn Schanzerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11605814379256096903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337206901491734394.post-12476330262692953452010-06-09T09:08:21.863-04:002010-06-09T09:08:21.863-04:00Great post, Melissa. Academic writing in many way...Great post, Melissa. Academic writing in many ways reflects, according to Deborah Tannen (You Just Don't Understand, About Men and Women in Conversation), the most important trait for a male culture--namely, authority. The writer must demonstrate erudition and produces text that is opaque. It's a zero sum game that implies that the writer knows more than the reader. Female conversation, on the other hand, is about building community by sharing information, by making it accessible. The male establishment may feel threatened by too much clarity.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07214356318088069618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337206901491734394.post-22551378864455053652010-06-09T08:43:19.517-04:002010-06-09T08:43:19.517-04:00Didn't Einstein once say that if you can't...Didn't Einstein once say that if you can't explain it to a seven-year old, it's a sign that you don't understand it yourself?Susan E. Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08439239997410273932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1337206901491734394.post-477457501124221072010-06-09T08:01:07.548-04:002010-06-09T08:01:07.548-04:00I agree completely, with you, Melissa. The last th...I agree completely, with you, Melissa. The last thing we want to do is give these students a reason to stop reading and to dislike science. Science is fun! And reading dry texts was never that fun- I know, I can remember. If we can use our talents to produce fun, exciting ways to get the information across, all while keeping the students interest high, why not do that? But I believe you are fighting an uphill battle. Getting the "establishment" to change won't be easy. Good post!jenswan1222https://www.blogger.com/profile/07098058000918954341noreply@blogger.com