'Signpost' and 'scaffold' as verbs
You know that you can safely doze off when you hear this in a presentation. Often used in education workshops* by evangelist ex-teachers who "hope that this material will signpost you to other research and help you scaffold your differently able learners".

*And to paraphrase Alexi Sayle, anyone who uses the word "workshop" and is not involved in light industry is a cunt.
(scep, Thu 8 Apr 2010, 14:49, 5 replies)

I think I would have to kill someone if I heard them employ such a sentence.

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Thu 8 Apr 2010, 14:53, closed)

I disagree
They are teaching jargon, maybe, but having a specialised language for a subject is no bad thing - it's a sign of its depth. IT nerds know about VPNs and ethernets and POP3 servers; wine buffs have their own (sometimes seemingly insane) adjectives; music theorists talk of diminished sevenths and mixolydian scales. Signposting is a very simple idea in teaching. Nouns have been used as verbs since time immemorial - I guess you still hoover, and you google stuff, yeah?
(McChinaman banned, Thu 8 Apr 2010, 15:57, closed)

nah
there's sociolinguistic reasons beyond communicating technical detail for using jargon. It's used to promote group cohesion (we have out special language that we understand, but outsiders don't) and for status (look at the big words I know, I must be smart).

There is a place for technical language where it aids clear communication, but all too often it is just about posturing, dick-measuring contests and defining social groups.
( Sextant goes to him is emotionally erect, on this day, Fri 9 Apr 2010, 15:21, closed)

I read your excellently-phrased reply
and then I looked at your username. And now I'm all of a dither :)
(blueberrypossum wants to Jaffa your Cake, Mon 12 Apr 2010, 19:21, closed)

The problem with teaching jargon as opposed to, say, IT is that it is often nothing to do with depth or a shortcut way to say something to peers. It is usually part of the latest clever-clver, pseudo-psychological tosh that they are currently peddaling out in the deperate hope that it will make it look like they are addressing every kid's learning needs in a class of 35 others.

Using neologisms and portmanteau words words makes it all sound scientific and important and effective. These people would refer to hoovering as "GrimeSmash(TM)" and to "googling" as "brainquest".
(scep, Sun 11 Apr 2010, 12:45, closed)