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The term “Colloquial Language” refers to everyday language. It is the conversational style of delivering ideas and concepts to the readers. In academic writing, most writers avoid the use of colloquial words. The reason is that academic writing is formal and has a place for only academic and formal words. Its tone is purely academic, so you cannot be conversational or informal in tone by using colloquial words.
Do you know what colloquialism is? Do you have any idea of examples and tips to avoid it in academic writing? Most probably not, because if you knew, you would not be here reading this article. Well, there is no need to think too much about its use in academic writing. In today’s article, we will discuss everything about the Colloquial Language. First of all, let’s define this language and gives its examples.
What is a colloquial style of writing?
The colloquial style of writing is the style in which you a bit towards casual communication of the ideas. The language you use is everyday language. Mostly, this style of writing is adopted in day-to-day conversation and many informal contexts of writing. The Colloquial Language contains slang and jargon words that cannot be used in formal writing, like academic writing. Hence, this is what it means by the colloquial style of writing.
When are colloquial words used?
Colloquial words or language show up in your conversation with family members, neighbours, classmates, or other social groups. It is the phrase that you commonly use in chatting with your friends or talking informally. Simply put, it is the language that you use when you do not think of any language to use. Colloquial Language is the opposite of formal language. Everyone knows the formal language and understands its meaning. However, the colloquial words are only recognisable and understandable by the residents of a certain region. Thus, it is a region-dependent language that is used in everyday conversations.
What are the types of colloquial speech?
Colloquialism has different types. It depends on the type itself whether to use it in formal writing or not. In general, all types of colloquial speech are avoided in academic writing, but sometimes some types can be used. In this section, we will learn about the primary types of Colloquial Language and see if they can be used in formal writing or not. Thus, a brief description of each type is as follows:
1. Clichés
The first type is known as the cliches. Such expressions are mostly used in speech or everyday language. However, they can also be used in academic writing if there is a need. Mostly, writers avoid the use of such expressions. It is because they lack both specificity and originality to make your writing interesting. “Time will tell” and. “as luck would have it” are two examples of this type of colloquial speech.
2. Idioms
Idioms are also a type of colloquial language. As the writer, you can use idioms in informal or information writing. However, it is strictly prohibited to use idioms in academic writing. The problem with the use of idioms is that they cannot be understood literally. The words give another meaning, but the overall meaning is something else. “Cut to the chase” is an example of this type of colloquialism.
3. Fillers
Fillers are words used in different types of writing to emphasise something. These words also maintain rhythm in the writing and speech. However, they are totally unnecessary to use in academic language. Fillers look good in Colloquial Language but not in formal language. These words detract from the effectiveness of academic writing. “Very,” “so,” and “even” are some examples of fillers.
4. Slang
Slangs are expressions or phrases that are not standard in a language. However, different people use such words while texting someone or having an everyday life conversation. Slang does not have a place in academic writing because it is not standard and may not be understandable by many people. For example, “Do you have a buck in your pocket?” The word “buck” here is being used for “Dollar”, and it is slang.
Top tips to avoid colloquial language in academic writing
After reading the information above, you now have a good idea of what colloquialism is, when it is used, and what are its different types. Having discussed all these things, now your base is set about colloquial speech. It is now time to discuss the tips to avoid the use of colloquial words and expressions in academic writing. Do you know the tips to do so? No. Thus, a brief description of all the top tips is as follows:
1. Know What Formal Language is
The first thing you need to know is the meaning of formal or academic language. If you do not know it, it is more likely that you are going to write the academic document in a conversational tone or informal language. Thus, know the use of formal language and use academic words.
2. Learn new words daily
The next tip to avoid the use of colloquial words in your is to learn new words daily. What does it mean? It means you should extend your vocabulary from informal to formal language. Most of the time, students use informal language when they do not know the formal words. Thus, learn 10 to 15 academic words daily.
3. Avoid using slang
Slang is a type of colloquial language seen most commonly in students’ academic documents. You should know that slang does not have a place in academic writing. As the writer of the academic document, you should only use academic expressions and words. Avoid words like “wanna” and “gonna.”
4. Omit needless words
Academic writing is formal writing. The use of colloquial language reduces the formality of academic writing. Sometimes, it is not just colloquial words that do this. Some adverbs and phrases significantly lessen the formality of your academic document. Therefore, you should omit such needless and useless words from your writing to maintain formality.
5. Avoid contractions
The number 5th tip is that you should avoid contractions in your writing. The contractions dramatically reduce the formality of your academic document. As the writer, you can use contractions where necessary. However, the unnecessary use of contractions is not acceptable in formal writing at all. For example, you must use “of the clock” instead of using the contraction “o’clock.”
6. Avoid stage directions
Stage directions mean telling the reader what you are going to do or talk about in this writing. As the writer, you must avoid using stage directions. It is because they have no place in formal or academic writing. The stage directions are a thing of informal and informational writing. For example, “This paper is going to talk about …” is a stage direction. It cannot be a part of a formal document.
7. Avoid overuse of filler words
Filler words are a type of colloquial language. Normally, they are used to emphasise something. Their use in academic writing is not totally restricted or prohibited. However, the overuse of filler is not always recommended. When you use overuse the filler words, the reader thinks that you have no information about the topic and beating around the bush. This may harm the quality of your writing. Thus, avoid the overuse of “very” or “so” in writing.
8. Seek help from professionals
Lastly, seeking help from professionals in order to avoid colloquial language is another great tip. Professional academic writers know how to eliminate them from your document and make the writing more formal. Their vocabulary is up to the mark, and they have knowledge of all the formal equivalents of informal words. Thus, seek help from such professionals online.
Frequently Asked Questions about Colloquialism
What is colloquial language?
Colloquial language refers to the use of informal or conversational words. The words and phrases are mostly chatty. It means they are used in everyday life chats. Usually, professors at colleges or universities do not recommend the use of such language in academic documents.
What are 5 examples of slang?
Slang is a type of colloquialism. Slang is strictly prohibited from using in academic writing. Given below are the 5 examples of slang.
- Crashy – crazy and trashy
- Crunk – getting crazy after drinking
- Hangry – hungry and angry
- Tope – tight and dope
- Lit – something is very good
Is using colloquial language allowed in academic writing?
The answer to this question is a big NO. Colloquial words and expressions reduce the formality of scholarly writing. They make it look like informal writing. Thus, it is not recommended and allowed to use colloquial words in scholarly documents. You should take note of this.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, colloquial language is a conversation language used between neighbours, family members, and different social groups. It has nothing to do with academic writing. Using such language in scholarly documents just lessens their formality, and that is it. It just makes the meaning of the scholarly text vague and unclear to readers. Therefore, you must avoid using it in formal documents. The top 8 tips to do this are mentioned above. So, learn them and avoid colloquial words and expressions.
