3.1 Diction
Diction is simply the language and vocabulary used in a piece of writing. In all academic writing, the language used is formal and the vocabulary marked by deliberate word choice and order, often including the jargon of the particular area under discussion. The deliberate word choice and arrangement achieve precision, concision and clarity.
Diction in objective description
Here, where the writer is dealing with facts, he/she must choose words that show exactly the meaning that he/she wishes to convey and if there are technical words for the things or concepts being described, they must be used. Accuracy is essential but the writer must also strive to be interesting and dynamic.
Examples
The term, human development in developmental psychology, refers to the interaction of three major domains, the physical, cognitive and psychosocial.
(Note in the above sentence the writer’s choice of the word, "domain" instead of "type" and then the technical names for the three domains.
If John is very fat, it is probably partly due to the fact that his parents are, but he probably also eats too much and does not play sport.
(In the above, the writer is trying to explain how "heredity" and "environment" play an important role in physical development and although the message is there in the sentence, its English Expression does not accurately reflect the concept found in developmental psychology that the writer is trying to convey. It also carries a conversational tone which should be avoided in an academic style of writing.
Precision of expression could have been achieved with a sentence such as the one below. It must be remembered that the academic writer is required to record facts precisely and impersonally but also use appropriate technical terms.)
Both heredity and environment play an important role in physical development. For instance, if an adolescent boy is overweight, his physical condition probably can be attributed to both a genetic tendency to obesity and a genetic tendency towards overeating and lack of exercise.