University Scam 1: Language Learning (Random 1 )



Have you ever sat in a class and wondered what is the professor talking about? I always thought that language learning was only applicable to languages such as Spanish or French. But, in the short amount of time that I have been in university, I realized that in most university classes they teach a new language: jargon.


There are a few methods that I have seen professors use to teach jargon.
  • Full Immersion: when the instructor speaks in jargon.
  • Application: when the instructor requires you to speak in jargon
  • Explanation: when the instructor explains the jargon in terms you understand.


Full Immersion

In traditional language learning, most people recommend full immersion into the language. For example, traveling to the country that speaks the language. But full immersion in a classroom often doesn’t work because of the lack of context. A lot of professors approach the full immersion technique by assuming that students are well versed in their jargon language. This often allows them to not give immediate context about what they are talking about. The major con to this method is the discouragement it causes students. This type of method sometimes leads to the statements “I’m not a math person, or I don’t like to write” from students.


Application

The application method is more effective than full immersion of jargon. This is because in the application method students start translating the jargon into an actual language. This process allows them to connect their previous knowledge to the current jargon. The major con to this is that it causes a lot of stress.


Explanation

The explanation method is the least stressful. In this method, professors often read the room. This means that they are aware that their student doesn’t understand the jargon. So they make jargon learning more digestible. The major con to this technique is that the students rely on the professors to translate for them. Whenever they see similar jargon, they struggle to think for themselves. Personally, I think the most effective method is when all techniques are used to complement one another.

Comments

  1. Angelica @ My Meal PlannerFebruary 27, 2022 at 6:44 PM

    Hi Lesley,

    I love this! This reminds me of the pain I went through when I took Mandarin during my first year of college; there was always a lot of jargon floating around. However, thinking about my professors, I feel like they mixed all of these methods together. And personally, I feel like that was pretty helpful for me remembering different terminology. You're definitely right though when you say "full immersion" can be discouraging...it was for me haha.

    Angelica

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bryan WuFebruary 27, 2022 at 7:29 PM

    Hi Lesley!

    Reading your post really reminds me of a design GE that I took in my freshman year. Throughout the semester, I would feel so lost because the professor would throw out niche terms that I just didn't understand. This really led to me losing motivation to even attend lecture. Looking back, I really wish that my professor tried to explain the jargon better, and I probably would've had a more enjoyable time in the class.

    Bryan

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousFebruary 28, 2022 at 3:25 PM

    Hi Lesley,

    This is hilarious and so relatable! I have found professors using jargon in both my business and science classes and I find a common trend to be the use of acronyms that nobody understands. I truly love this post!

    Zoë

    ReplyDelete

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