[Python-ideas] Off topic: 'strike a balance' - second language English

[Barry Scott]

> On 20 Aug 2018, at 17:07, Chris Barker via Python-ideas <python-ideas at python.org> wrote:
> 
> > Summary: I look at the phrase 'strike a balance' in different languages, 
> 
> It is interesting that you picked up on "strike a balance" which has 
> been a standard English phrase for a very long time rather than the much 
> more resent, (and itself a form of jargon), "dumbing down".
> 
> The other point is that the use of Jargon is often as a form of 
> shorthand so as to avoid excessive verbosity, (or long windedness).
> 
> We are (maybe) mingling two issues here --  there is an important distinction between idiomatic expressions ("striking a balance", "dumbing down") and technical terms (jargon).
> 
> If you want to make it easier for non-native english speakers to understand -- minimal use of idiomatic expressions is a good idea. They really don't serve much real purpose, other than making the prose more colorful and friendly (to those that understand it). Sometimes a bit of brevity is gained, but not much.

The technical writing course I went on as an engineer years ago recommenced "Controlled English" in documentation.
Its good for none english speakers and the lack of colloquial expression means English speaks are not miss lead.

As you say this is nothing to do with jargon.

> 
> Technical jargon, on the other hand, can be very helpful for precision and compactness. 

It also means you will understand other people doing the same activity. Be they musicians or programmers.

> 
> (side note -- are all domain-specific technical term "jargon"? I tend to see "jargon" as having a negative connotation -- specifically that it isn't required for technical specificity. That is, "jargon" is language that is unnecessarily domain specific)

I found this definition:

"Jargon. A special language belonging exclusively to a group, often a profession. Engineers, lawyers, doctors, tax analysts, and the like all use jargon to exchange complex information efficiently.
Jargon is often unintelligible to those outside the group that uses it."

Not all group members remember to avoid jargon when talking to people outside the group.
If you are on the outside looking in at the people that will not explain in plain english you could well consider jargon as a bad thing.

> 
> I think it's pretty important to use the common domain specific terms in introductory texts -- how else will folks learn them? So I make a distinction between *using* a technical term, and *introducing* a technical term.

Yes.

> 
> In fact, in my PR on Jonathan's doc on None, I deliberately introduced the term "Singleton" -- not because it was necessary to understand the idea at hand, but because people are likely to encounter the term elsewhere.


Barry

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