Well. Here I am. I’m sitting in a professional development seminar and reading a PowerPoint slide that has a LOT of acronyms on it. And I’m suddenly struck by the fact that we are in a profession that functions through acronyms. Actually, by an inordinate number of acronyms. These titling representatives aren’t static, either — they change all the time. Well, some of them change and some of them just get added to the list of “must know” terms. So, what I’m wondering as I sit here is: at what point do we become so saturated with the acronyms that they become a meaningless blur? I mean, is it possible to take in an endless array?
It seems funny to find myself absorbed by this topic, but it is a phenomenon that seems most singular to our profession. I don’t know when we started building our bank of acronyms. I do believe I know why it began. When people find they are repeating a multi-syllabic term repeatedly, they tend to abbreviate it rather than belabor the length of it. My husband and I experience that with our names. I understand that since my name has three syllables, people want to simplify it with the nickname “Kim.” That’s fine. Really. I think “Kimberly” is much prettier, but I recognize myself through both names. My husband, on the other hand, has a simple two syllable name. People shorten his name for the sake of pure familiarity. However, if you call my house and ask to talk to “Bob,” I will likely tell you that no one lives there by that name. I have done so on multiple occasions only to be taken aback by the delayed notion that they could have been calling for “Robert” and don’t realize he’s never been known as “Bob.” The point is, whether through familiarity or simplicity, educators have built a veritable library of acronyms.
The question remains: how much is too much? or too ineffective?
BTW U R so RT about all the acronyms! Have to tell you a funny mom story… my friend’s mom was just getting into facebook and someone had posted about the death of their dear pet… had it for years…etc… so she replied “so sorry lol”…the recipient was HORRIFIED! My friend asked her mother why she would possibly send a message like that and the mother replied that she wanted the person to know that she was sending LOTS OF LOVE to help her in her time of grief… it is so imortant that we understand each other… acronyms can help make speaking shorter, but we need to be clear!!! Thanks for the great post!
Yes!! I, too, thought LOL meant “lots of love” when I first reading texts. Sometimes it didn’t make much sense, but one of my children straightened me out.
The bottom line is, as you say, we need to be able to understand each other!
Excellent topic you bring up. I worked in newspapers for 12 years before moving over to what journalists consider the “dark side” of communications. I consider it getting to promote an amazing program and an amazing group of teachers.
My point is in newspaper writing we are told to avoid “Alphabet Soup” because it is unclear to the reader. If we write an acronym in an article, we must define it unless of course is one we all know, NCAAP, AARP, etc.
I agree with you that acronyms have their place and that they should be used effectively.
Amneris
Thank you for a fresh perspective!
Your post reminded me about discourse communities (http://www.ncte.org/college/briefs/dc) and how we use language as sociological markers. I’ve been thinking a lot about language lately, as I’ve been trying to absorb a new vocabulary specific to my mentor’s field of research, and about how language provides/denies access to information about the world.
The post also reminded me of overhearing my husband one day on a business call, asking who would be contacting ASPRO (pronounced asspro) for a Final FU. I definitely had to ask about the translation on that one.
Whoa. That was an aspect of acronyms as language that I didn’t even think to get into: what happens when we create acronyms, with good intentions, that happen to have double meanings? I have heard it said, although I do not have confirmation from a knowledgable source, that the state is considering changing the term MSL because it is being pronounced “missile.” That is not the interpretation that was intended and might bear adjustment.
Anyway, I appreciated your added perspective. How IS your vocabulary acquisition progressing?