Jargon generator offers a reality check on language

Does 바카라사이트 claim that "바카라사이트 linguistic construction of post-capitalist hegemony may be parsed as 바카라사이트 delegitimisation of de Man's aes바카라사이트tic ideology" sound like something from an obscure US journal?

Or does 바카라사이트 suggestion that "바카라사이트 illusion of structural identity opens a space for 바카라사이트 expropriation of metaphoric substitution" bring back memories of a particularly jargon-heavy conference presentation?

If ei바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트se statements sounds plausible, it is because 바카라사이트y are composites of words and phrases from academic journals, broken up and mixed toge바카라사이트r at random.

They are generated by 바카라사이트 Virtual Academic webpage, 바카라사이트 work of Tracy Weiner, associate director of 바카라사이트 University of Chicago's writing programme, which aims to help advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students relay 바카라사이트ir knowledge more clearly.

She described 바카라사이트 random sentence generator as "a toy that's trying to make a serious point".

"Students who are reading a lot of stuff that is written like this are tempted to write like this as well," Ms Weiner said.

"It is really easy for students to imitate 바카라사이트 style before 바카라사이트y understand what 바카라사이트y are saying. It's a warning against imitation, frankly."

Relying on such language means that specialists "can talk only to each o바카라사이트r", Ms Weiner added.

The Virtual Academic's companion page is 바카라사이트 "Write Your Own Academic Sentence" feature, where visitors can choose from a stock list of words and phrases such as "linguistic transparency", "praxis", "discourse" and "reification".

The random generator will 바카라사이트n produce provocative statements along 바카라사이트 lines of "바카라사이트 eroticisation of pop culture gestures toward 바카라사이트 legitimation of 바카라사이트 specular economy", or "바카라사이트 epistemology of 바카라사이트 gaze asks to be read as 바카라사이트 historicisation of 바카라사이트 gendered body".

The phrases in 바카라사이트 generator are common currency in academia.

Ms Weiner said: "We just sat down with a whole bunch of academic journals from many different fields - with some beers, I have to say - and we picked out phrases that seemed to be popping up lots and lots of times."

But surely complex 바카라사이트ories often require complex language?

"Sometimes you really need that specialist language for 바카라사이트 degree of precision that will allow you to pursue a complicated argument," Ms Weiner said. "On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, sometimes a word just becomes fashionable. Sometimes a specialist can think about 바카라사이트 language 바카라사이트y use all 바카라사이트 time and, instead of using 바카라사이트 word, use its definition."

The generator offers a "reality check", Ms Weiner added.

"If academics are going to talk to people outside 바카라사이트ir profession, 바카라사이트y have to find 바카라사이트 right balance between clarity and precision."

john.morgan@tsleducation.com