By Nathan Sacks, Writing Consultant
Language is always evolving, and this is just as true of slang, a general term
for words and terminology that do not fit certain definitions of “standard
writing.” As with clichés (another category of colloquialisms that I focused on
in my previous post), slang is sometimes difficult for us tutors to diagnose in writing
because of constantly-shifting attitudes about what should and should not be considered
acceptable language. This is true of APA as well, which requires a clear,
direct style that allows few opportunities for creative expression through
slang. According to the APA handbook’s sixth edition, precision is “essential
in scientific writing; when you refer to a person or persons, choose words that
are accurate, clear, and free from bias” (p. 71).
What makes slang not part of these standards for objectivity
is that, by definition, only certain groups of people use certain types of
slang. For instance, today’s modern alphabet of smiley-face emoticons may be
common parlance among teenagers, but they make less sense to an older
individual like myself (though there will certainly be exceptions on both ends
of the age spectrum). Conversely, certain ethnic, racial, or gendered terms
that were common in past academic writing are no longer acceptable, because by
modern cultural standards those words are no longer sensitive or bias-free.
The central conceit of APA word choice is to strive for the
most clear, direct, formal language that can convey academic arguments to the
most amount of people. It is possible for this tendency to be self-defeating.
Some scientific papers are so overloaded with formalized academic jargon that
they are impossible to read or understand. Others so deliberately distance
themselves from any possibility of bias that this distance ends up diluting their
arguments. Earlier, I defined slang as
the term for whatever does not fit specific definitions of “standard writing.”
But even this platonic ideal of “standard academic writing” is problematic—who
should decide what words are and are not acceptable, as well as what and what
does not qualify as slang?
As we know, sometimes rules in language change significantly
over a small amount of time. For instance, consider the gradual acceptance of the
word alright in our modern English
lexicon. When I was younger, the word alright
was an unacceptable misspelling of all
right, which by rule was two words. However, as blogger Grammar Girl noted here,
some dictionaries and writing resources have come to tacitly accept alright as its own word with a separate,
distinct meaning. How did this happen? When enough people collectively
misspelled the word, the misspelling became a standard part of the modern
lexicon. What used to be incorrect spelling becomes slang, and by that same
process, what was once slang may someday become standard academic practice.
To that end, also consider the APA’s recent change over the
number of spaces between sentences. In the fifth edition, one space after a
period was standard; in the current edition, both one and two spaces are
acceptable. Was the APA just buckling to modern computer user trends, or were
they making an effort to be more inclusive and open to linguistic evolution?
Possibly, they were trying to do both. In any case, this proves that APA
language is a language like any other, not because of its strict rules and word
choice guidelines, but because of its capacity to grow, change, and reflect
current ideas in writing and thinking.
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