Reading has always been my favorite activity – my ideal day is spent curled up with a book, not realizing time is actually passing. So, when I got to college and was told I had to read research for my assignments, I was thrilled. I thought it’d be a breeze to just scan some articles. Like most things I thought about college, I was wrong. It was not a breeze. In actuality, some of the research articles were hard to understand, making me lose interest fairly quick in an activity I thought I’d love.

Now, I’m starting to write up my own research and it’s been a learning process. While my research does not include a lot of jargon that would make it hard to read, I know I have to make it engaging enough that people would want to read it. This is especially true because I know not everyone will understand why my research is important or interesting at first glance. As a sociolinguistic study, especially one dealing with possibly polarizing results, stating the purpose and significance of my research is the foundation of gaining the attention of a general audience. I know that my work is necessary, but others may not. And so, while articulating my work, I plan on including as much evidence to refute possible arguments before anyone even has the chance to bring them up. By having this solid foundation comprised of plain language and refuting arguments, I’m confident that will be the best way to communicate to a general audience.

While my professional goals may differ from my current research, I think the same principles of communication apply. In the future, I hope to become an audiologist and treat patients who are hard of hearing or may have balance issues. As a healthcare provider, I know I will need to communicate with people of all ages and educational backgrounds. Although I may be the specialist, I know I can’t use the jargon I’ll learn in my schooling to communicate to all patients. I also know that it’s important to be an engaging provider as it allows people to take a more active role in their own healthcare when they can understand everything that is happening to them.