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WotD: Jargon
Jargon is a term that is often used in our daily lives.
It refers to specialized words or phrases in a particular profession or group.
For instance, the medical field has a lot of jargon that can be difficult for the average person to understand.
I was once hospitalized here in Japan for a serious issue.
The doctor apologized for using a lot of jargon.
Even though I was deathly sick, I told him it wasn’t a language problem.
I would not understand him if he spoke English or German because the medical terms were all gobbledygook to me.
Jargon can be confusing because it is often used to simplify complex ideas or concepts within a particular field.
It can also create a sense of exclusivity among group members.
In some cases, jargon can exclude those not part of a particular profession or group.
Listen to a politician speak, and you’ll understand how this works.
However, jargon can also convey important information quickly and efficiently.
It can help professionals communicate with one another in a precise and accurate way.
It can also help to save time and improve productivity.
When doctors use medical terms with each other, it’s called communication.
When they use the exact words with patients, it’s called jargon.
It is essential to use plain language whenever possible to help mitigate the confusion caused by jargon.
This means using straightforward language that is easy to understand.
It is also important to define any jargon that is used and to explain it in a way that is accessible to everyone.
Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test
This post is understandable by someone with at least an 8th-grade education (age 13 – 14).
On the Flesch-Kincaid reading-ease test, this post scores 60.
The easier a passage is to read, the higher the score on a scale of 0 – 100.