Jargon, Acronyms, and Foreign Expressions

Jargon is a specialized language, developed by a narrow group of people who understand each other. Jargon can be very useful when everyone understands what the writer means. However, if readers are not part of the circle of specialists who use this type of language, they might not understand it.

If you write a phrase like “an agrostological study” or “vinification projects” for example, such terms will be fine for horticulturalists. But what about the rest of your readers?
This same principle applies to the use of acronyms and foreign expressions. It is possible that not all of your readers will understand them. If you are using the same acronym throughout your text, it is standard practice to write out the full term first, followed by the acronym. For example, “The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reported an increase in the number of refugees worldwide.” Finally, avoid using foreign terms if there is an English equivalent.

When you are tempted to use jargon, acronyms, or foreign expressions, first ask yourself these questions:

• Am I making my communication clearer by using these terms?
• Will all of my intended readers understand what these terms mean?
• If readers might not understand, have I decided how and where to define the terms?
• Will I include a glossary or list of the terms?
• If I must use the terms, am I making my sentences shorter to compensate?

If you answer “no” to any of these questions, you probably should not use the term. Instead, revise the term to one more commonly understood.