Communication Basics 101: Academic Freedom

Those who are teachers like to speak of academic freedom as a prized possession handed down from previous generations.   I totally agree!  The problem is that sometimes it becomes misused as a basis for sloppy thinking and sloppy communicating.  I like to define it as a freedom from broken rules. 

I believe in both rule and freedom, and that one without the other is dangerous.  In my writing, I am practicing freedom by suggesting ways to improve on the past rules of communication. 

In the past, there was a lot of focus on reading, writing, and speaking; but not enough on listening.  So I want to re-write the rules in that regard to put listening in front of reading as a critical part of communication.  After all, humility is a virtue.  When did you last take a listening course as a requirement in school? 

I also want to re-write the rules with regard to grammar.  I think it has a long and proud tradition, but there is a great complement to it in the discoveries of linguistics.  Linguistics does not provide license for overturning the learning of grammar, but it does shift its importance into its proper sphere.  So I would like to re-write the rules on that. 

See some rules we get as part of our inheritance are broken while others are just fine.  Eugene Nida, formerly with the United Bible Societies, tried to re-write the universals of language through semantic categories rather than through grammatical categories.  I like his freedom in that regard.  I think he helps, through his categories or classes, to lead people to a better understanding of the parts of speech among the grammatical categories.  John Beekman and John Callow, I think demonstrate this in their work for the Summer Institute of Linguistics.  They too show freedom, but a freedom that leads to better rules and away from broke rules. 

So you bet I believe in academic freedom!  Without it we are doomed.  We can't make many of the improvements that are needed and that I recommend.  Only make sure of one thing.  It is discarding only the broken rules and not throwing out the good rules of communication with it.  Thank you for taking time to read my entry. 

Sincerely,

Jon