Recently, I've been reading They Say, I Say by Gerald Graff and Kathy Birkenstein for my English 1A class. In my most recent reading I discovered how to properly use colloquial and academic language throughout my writing. Chapter 9 was based on knowing when you should use YOUR language (colloquial) in your writing and when you should use etiquette in your writing (academic). On page 127, it gives examples of each type of writing containing the same context. She uses an example, "You can always dress it up, dress it down, or someone combination of both. In dressing down your language, for example, you can make the claim that somebody "failed to notice" something by saying instead that it "flew under the radar."
Before reading this specific chapter, I knew how to differentiate between colloquial and academic language. Also, I was aware of when I should use the two depending on the type of writing I was doing. However, I realized that it is really easy to get caught on one side of the spectrum. To play it safe, I think I started to use ONLY academic language in my writing. One thing that really stood out to me in this chapter is when it mentions "knowing your audience." Of course there will be those professors who will only allow academic language in your writing, but then there will also be those professors that will look for your creativity in your writing. In all, this chapter is very helpful.
