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Justice Leslie Dean 10/28/2013 ENGL 106 Aria Halliday

Our Ever-Shifting Jargon Reading Response This article is about how the language we use changes due to circumstances. The jargon also tells a lot about our goals and values. Olson explains it like this: The words we use are important, not trivial. They reveal our ideals, values, and principles. They reflect the realities of our institutions, what we struggle over, and what we aspire to be. Olson gave different examples of terms that have changed over the years at universities. He also explained why these changes have come about. The main reason is due to being politically correct. It reflects the society and the shifts in values and priorities. Shifts in jargon can emphasize and expand the meaning of terms in university or institutional settings. This can show discourse in the community. Rhetorical situation is a part of our ever-shifting jargon. It explains how these new terms are coming about. We take into account the speaker, purpose, audience, topic, context, and the culture. All of these are part of the rhetorical situation, and we have to consider all of these when we explain how the language in a community is evolving. This article was clear about relating jargon to rhetorical situation and discourse communities, especially academic discourse communities. Olsons examples were helpful in understanding the discourse in the academic setting. It also introduced academic conversations.