UNIVERSITY OF ANTIQUE – HAMTIC CAMPUS

Guintas, Hamtic, Antique

CHAPTER 2
LANGUAGE FOR SPECIFIC FIELD

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 UNIVERSITY OF ANTIQUE – HAMTIC CAMPUS
Guintas, Hamtic, Antique

LESSON 1 - SIGNIFICANCE

Nowadays, foreign language education is an integral component of professional

work of the future expert. Special relevance is gained by the professional-oriented
approach of foreign languages teaching at the nonlinguistic specialties of the
university, which provides formation of the students' professional language for the
specific professional, business, scientific purposes. The main task of training in a
professional foreign language consists in a possibility to gain language knowledge and
abilities which can be useful in professional activity of future expert within of a global
tendency of cross-cultural and economic integration.

In general, it is possible to say that the professional language is a type of

language, which is used in a certain field of science or a certain branch. In linguistics,
there are several definitions of professional language, but it is necessary to consider
that there is no unified definition and application for the notion a professional
language.

Corporate Culture and Professional Communication

Physical factors matter as well, such as the distance between speakers or the
presence of a crowd. Also to be considered is the chronological factor, or when the
utterance is made, such as a time of day, a certain point in a week, or a season of a year.
Finally, cultural conventions guide the communication situation; for example, “no
comment” is a typical response from both politicians and celebrities to journalist whose
question they do not wish to answer.

Professional Purpose

All kinds of professional writing have specific purposes related to the workplace
setting. One purpose is to record important workplace information, for
example, via minutes of a meeting, secretarial notes, and official documentation of
proceedings. Another purpose is to give or ask for information from people within
the company via memos, outside the company via business letters, or either of the two
via professional reports. Another purpose is to persuade readers to take action –
pay a fee, buy something, accept changes, give someone a job, etc.; this purpose can be
seen in professional proposals, marketing or promotional materials, and job
application letters.

Language as a means of professional development

Companies are trying to widen their horizons in the global arena so that they
can reach new markets and audiences. It has been proved that people with language
skills have a better chance at jobs than their counterparts who are not so affluent in
languages. The importance of languages in business is that it helps you to create a
professional identity that is distinct.

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 UNIVERSITY OF ANTIQUE – HAMTIC CAMPUS
Guintas, Hamtic, Antique

Being good at a language helps a person to listen, understand, interpret and

communicate effectively with the people sitting opposite him. It gives him the extra
boost that helps him to carry the negotiations to the next level. A person who does not
have the necessary knowledge will fumble his way through and might cause more harm
than good in such a meeting.

Language helps in effective communication at the workplace that will result in

team bonding so that projects can meet deadlines and organizational and professional
productivity can reach new heights. The importance of language is that it is reflected in
professional development through new career opportunities.

As more and more business leaders are recognizing the importance of languages
the opportunities for career advancements are also on an increase. The person who is
fluent in languages does not need a translator and can bond with the clients easily. It
can conduct all its conversation by itself so as to develop a trustworthy and fruitful
relationship that would also prove beneficial in the future.

LESSON 2 - JARGON

Jargon refers to the specialized language of a professional or occupational group. While

this language is often useful or necessary for those within the group, it is usually
meaningless to outsiders. Some professions have so much jargon of their own that it
has its own name; for example, lawyers use legalese, while academics use academese.
Jargon is also sometimes known as lingo or argot. A passage of text that is full of jargon
is said to be jargony.

If you’re speaking informally to other people in the same field of study, occupation, or
group, you can use jargon and still be understood. However, if you’re speaking to
someone outside this group or writing work for a larger audience, you should avoid the
use of jargon. The point to writing and speaking is communication, and using words
only a few people know can get in the way of getting your point across. If you think
about your audience first, you’ll always choose the right words.

Key Takeaways: Jargon

• Jargon is the complex language used by experts in a certain discipline or field. This
language often helps experts communicate with clarity and precision.

• Jargon is different from slang, which is the casual language used by a particular group
of people.

• Critics of jargon believe such language does more to obscure than clarify; they argue
that most jargon can be replaced with simple, direct language without sacrificing
meaning.

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 UNIVERSITY OF ANTIQUE – HAMTIC CAMPUS
Guintas, Hamtic, Antique

Supporters of jargon believe such language is necessary for navigating the

intricacies of certain professions. In scientific fields, for instance, researchers explore
difficult subjects that most laypeople would not be able to understand. The language
the researchers use must be precise because they are dealing with complex concepts
(molecular biology, for example, or nuclear physics) and simplifying the language
might cause confusion or create room for error.

Examples of Jargon: Definition and Types

Like a secret “insider” language, jargon is terminology only understood by people in a

certain group. Most words in the English language are a part of common, everyday
speech, understood by almost anyone who speaks the language. However, jargon is
like a type of shorthand between members of a particular group of people, often
involving words that are meaningless outside of a certain context. Following are some
examples of jargon that will help illustrate the concept.

Examples of Medical Jargon

The medical field is filled with cryptic jargon, including innumerable scientific terms
and medical abbreviations.

 acute - a condition that comes on suddenly

 agonal - term to signify a major, negative change in a patient's condition

 atypical - something that isn’t completely normal

 comorbid - two or more conditions that occur at the same time

 iatrogenic - something that didn’t go as planned

 idiopathic - a condition that does not have a clear explanation of cause

 metabolic syndrome - a group of risk factors that increase the likelihood of heart
attack and stroke

 negative - results of a test that indicate a tested condition is not present

 sub-therapeutic - something at a low level

 tachycardia - fast heart rate

Business Jargon Examples

The business world is no stranger to lingo, including a range of industry-specific

jargon. It won't take more than a few minutes on Wall Street before you hear at least
one of these terms being thrown around.

 bang for the buck - a term that means to get the most for your money

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 UNIVERSITY OF ANTIQUE – HAMTIC CAMPUS
Guintas, Hamtic, Antique

 best practice - the best way to do something

 core competency - basic strength of a group or company

 due diligence - putting effort into research before making a business decision

 drill down - to look at a problem in detail

 low-hanging fruit - the easiest problems to fix

 scalable - an endeavor that can be expanded without a lot of additional

investment

 sweat equity - getting a stake in the business instead of pay

 the 9-to-5 - business jargon meaning a standard work day

 chief cook and bottle-washer - a person who holds many responsibilities

Examples of Police Jargon

Law enforcement officers and professionals have their own set of police jargon as well.

 10-4 - radio jargon meaning, “Okay” or “I understand”

 assumed room temperature - an individual has died

 beat - an officer’s parole area

 berries and cherries - the lights on top of a police car

 code eight - term that means officer needs help immediately

 code eleven - a code that means the individual is at the scene of the crime

 mirandize - to read someone their rights

 Sam Browne - a police belt

 suspect - s person whom the police think may have committed a crime

 wolf pack - A group of patrol cars traveling together

More Types of Jargon

Virtually every occupation and group has some jargon associated with it. In addition to
the examples above, check out these other types of jargon:

 Political jargon - There are lots of examples of political jargon being used by

24-hour news outlets, including terms like deep state and bipartisan.

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 UNIVERSITY OF ANTIQUE – HAMTIC CAMPUS
Guintas, Hamtic, Antique

 Military jargon - Among much of the common vocabulary in the military,

there is certainly no shortage of shorthand and military acronyms too. Be all
that you can be with this jargon.

 Workplace jargon - Many offices use common workplace jargon to describe

everything from the office environment to specific business practices.

LESSON 3 Contextualization of Terms

Language is the system of using words to communicate with other people.

Specialized language has the same function but on a different level. Learning and
dominating vocabulary of a domain would give us the opportunity to comprehend
specific topics and communicate about them. For instance, for making conversations
about politics we need to know the appropriate terms of the context to be able to
utilize them in our discussions. If you are interested in reading articles about cinema or
art, you first need to know the vocabulary of the domain.

Who requires terminology? Who needs to know about terminology?

     The use of terminology starts from very simple occasions in our ordinary life and
develops to the higher communicative levels. However, if terminology for non-
professionals is an option, for specialists is a necessity!

     Terminology is a necessity for all professionals involved in the representation,

expression, communication and teaching of specialized knowledge. Scientists,
technicians or professionals in any field require terms to represent and express their
knowledge to inform, transfer or buy and sell their products. There is no specialty that
does not have specific units to denominate their concepts (Cabré 2002). [My
translation]

     Terminology plays an important role in the understanding of contexts and

specialized texts. Understanding the intricate terminological details of the technical
and scientific contexts helps students comprehend what the main message of the
document is, and it helps specialists to transmit the content more effectively.

     Terminology helps individuals realize the interaction between the units of

specialized texts and the whole context which is often a subconscious mechanism of
knowledge acquisition. It also develops interests in the formation of new words and
terms.

     Specialists in documentation and information science, as well as linguists practicing

in language engineering and thematically specialized knowledge also require
terminology. Even those general or theoretical linguists if they try to account for the
global competence (general and specialized) of speakers and languages thoroughly they
require to know about terminology” and specialized languages (Cabré 2002). [My
translation]

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 UNIVERSITY OF ANTIQUE – HAMTIC CAMPUS
Guintas, Hamtic, Antique

How does terminology assist in improving our proficiencies? 

Through studying terminology, specialists understand the function of various

term formation mechanisms, how each mechanism affects the meaning and ways to
effectively control the use of terminology in textual and oral
productions. Translators have to study terminology to learn how terminological
resources (i.e. term banks, glossaries, encyclopedic dictionaries, etc.) can be employed
to make more consistent and coherent translations. Documentalists rely on the
study of terminology to learn how terminological activities affect and improve their
knowledge and how can facilitate the classifications, indexing, cataloging and many
other tasks in which they are involved principally.

    Nevertheless, the study of terminology and the application of the terminology

knowledge in our professions is recognized much broader than these above-mentioned
examples. It goes much further and involves some specialties that we cannot imagine
easily. For instance the role of terminology in journalism (explained by Jessica
Mariani), in traductology (written by Olga Jeczmyk), interestingly in the development
of successful luxury brands (Written by Prof Mounir Kehal), in designing
websites (written by Maria Pia Montoro) and many other unexpected examples.

How does terminology contribute to language development?     

     Studying terminology is the foundation of all subject fields. Apart from creating
solutions to the terminological difficulties and the challenges many specialists or non-
specialists face, it paves the way for the development of the languages and terminology
that improves the quality of communications, either internationally or nationally.
Without studying terminology, technicians and specialists would probably never realize
how important protecting and maintaining a language is for communicative purposes
and cultural identity.

    Not only scientific and technical specialists inevitably need terminology, but also all
communicative mediators dedicated to science popularization and promotion,
specialized translators and interpreters, supervisors, technical writers, teachers of
language for specific purposes and also language planning specialists need to get
familiarized with terminology (Cabré 2002). [My translation]

    Additionally, studying terminology enhances the use of national or local languages

by raising the awareness about the probable communicative and cognitive
challenges the use of foreign languages would bring about.

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 UNIVERSITY OF ANTIQUE – HAMTIC CAMPUS
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What do we need to learn about terminology? 

     Indeed, the use of terminology is not limited to specialists and the terminology

knowledge is not only needed by terminologists, translators, and linguists. However,
the type of knowledge we need depends on our professional activities and the
motivations for learning. In this process, the role of institutions and academic
centers is significant. Their competency in offering diverse materials aiming at
distinct groups of learners with different backgrounds is one of the most important
characteristics that we should take into account.

      This competency in offering various opportunities for terminology learners,

basically, is predicated on the polyhedral nature of terminology (In Cabré’s terms,
2002) and it is important to perceive terminology in its triple aspect:

1.  As a need, or rather, as a set of needs associated with information and

communication.

2.  As a practice or set of practices that fall into particular applications, such as
vocabularies.

3.  As a field of knowledge which is subject to being treated scientifically not only

in its theoretical aspect but also in its descriptive and applied aspect.

REFERENCES:

https://www.marketing91.com/importance-of-language/

https://articlekz.com/en/article/14580

https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-jargon-1691202

https://terminosophyblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/02/some-important-reasons-for-studying-terminology/

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