Social vs. Academic Language

The language we use in our day to day lives is different from the language we use in academic writing. When writing an essay for school, you may have been given feedback like, "Use less conversational language" or "Try not to incorporate slang." But what does that really mean?

Social language is the informal, everyday language we use to communicate with friends and family. It is:

Used in casual conversation, texting, social media, and daily interactions.
Less formal, often includes slang, idioms, and abbreviations.
Example: "Hey, what's up? Wanna go grab lunch? You like pizza, right?"

Academic language is more formal, structured, and precise. It is:

Used in classrooms, research papers, and exams.
More structured, with precise vocabulary, complex sentences, and subject-specific terms.
Example: "The study examines the impact of nutrition on cognitive development."

While social language develops naturally through interaction, academic language requires explicit learning. So, if it feels a little uncomfortable at first, that's just because it takes practice! You won't be an expert right away, and that's okay. For now, take a look at the resources below and bookmark any word lists or guides that you can use when writing your next essay.

Take a look at the video below for some extra tips on how to improve your academic writing:

Resources

Social vs. Academic Language